Competition

It's official. I'm no longer an eighteen-year-old guy who has never dated! What happened? I turned nineteen. . . And I got a date! She's a really great girl and I hope it goes somewhere. But before I get to that story, I must continue the story of how I became the person I needed to become before I could get to that point.

     Today I'm talking about competition. Not just any kind of competition, but competition between friends. Between friends, over women.

     As mentioned last week, my friend Tommy and I met a girl named Kayla. The Girl in the Blue Hoodie. I instantly fell for her, but what I didn't know was, Tommy did too. On our way back to our cabin, Tommy turned to me and said, "Do you like her."

     "Of course," I replied, "she seems like a great person."

     "No, I mean like, 'like-like.'"

     "Those annoying monsters from the Legend of Zelda?" I returned, being coy.

     "You know what I mean!" He snapped.

     I thought for a minute. I remembered what my experience with Erin and the Beatles had taught me. You've got to hide your love away. Even if you also have to hide it from you friends. They'll just be dill-holes anyway. "No. . ." I lied.

     "Well, if you did, I know you your competition would be. . ."

     "Who?" I said, trying to sound less than interested.

     "I can't tell you." He said, mimicking my coyness "I promised."

     "It's you."

     The dumbfounded look on his face confirmed my suspicion. My friend had just become my new arch nemesis and the ball was now in my court. "In that case, I do know who your competition is. . ."

     "Who?!" He asked desperately.

     "You know that guy who was wearing yellow Mizzou hoodie?"

     "Yes!"

     "Well, it's definitely not him."

      This conversation lasted almost all night and resumed again in the morning. He'd ask me if it was one certain person, and then I'd say no. It was almost time to go home on the last day when he finally said, "It's you isn't it! You lied!"

     "Yeah." I said, and got in my parent's car.

     "'Yeah', what?" my dad asked as we began our three hour drive home.

     "Nothing. . ."

     You know, I never saw Tommy again. I was the only one of us to hold true to the Popcorn Kernel of Truth. But in the end, it didn't really matter. Life has a way of throwing you curve balls that you never expect or see coming. I let my crush on Kayla get in the way of what might have been a good friendship. A friendship ruined by a crush that wouldn't last. . .