So, in case you didn't get a chance to read my last entry, I was convinced by a visit from my parents that it was time to leave Malibu. On my way home, I got a call from my USY friend B who has taken it upon himself to throw a Welcome Home Party for me.
After hanging around the house for a few days, I was excited to be getting out and going to a party. B's parties are always very extravagant, since his parents are loaded.
I got a call that morning from Ben, my best friend.
"What's happening, Ben?"
"Not much, just wanted to figure out who's driving tonight."
We always car-pool to B's parties since he lives all the way in Tempe.
"I guess I could, but I'm a little short on gas money since I haven't worked in almost two months."
"Well, maybe we can see if Melinda can drive."
Oh yes, something I forgot to mention. For all of you who aren't in the know, Melinda is my other best friend, the one whom I just realized recently that I'm in love with. Funny how life works, isn't it?
"Is Melinda coming?"
"Of course she's coming, Mac. She never misses one of B's parties."
"Never?"
"Yeah, never. Are you okay, Mac? You sound a little uneasy."
"No, I'm good. Uh, I wanna drive tonight. I'll get the gas money from my dad."
I still hadn't told him about my phone call with Melinda on the drive home. She had called me wanting to get some dinner when I got back, but I knew that I shouldn't do it since she was now going out with my friend Aaron Youngston.
You see, I had realized my true feelings for Melinda at Convention this past year, but when I finally got up off my ass to tell her, she had already moved on. Aaron was an okay guy, so I had no animosity toward him. Still, I wish it had been me that she was with that weekend.
I had no time to dwell on this. I was able to move on from her while I was in California. I was able to move on from her with TWO girls. I could move on from her again tonight. The first thing that was on my mind was getting the gas money from my Dad.
"You shoulda thought about needing gas money when you went off to California for a thousand years."
A thousand years. Oh, how time flies.
"Come on, Dad. You can even take it out of my paycheck. All I need is 35 dollars to fill up my tank."
As my dad pulled out his wallet--
"I can take care of that, Rabbi."
--some guy appeared out of nowhere offering to give me gas money.
"You must be Michael."
Yes, I am. Now who the hell are you?
"Michael, this is Mark Eisenberg, Tara's new boyfriend."
That answers my question.
"Uh, nice to meet you."
I shook his hand. I vaguely remember my sister Tara telling me about some guy that my dad had set her up with, a lawyer if I remember correctly. He was very tall and muscular and had brown hair. He seemed to meet Tara's standards in the physical appearance department.
"It's so great to finally meet you, Michael. Your family has told me so much about you."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
Mark literally was rolling on the floor laughing. To be honest, I didn't think what I said was that funny.
"Okay, so I wouldn't want you to have money taken out of your paycheck, so here's a 50."
He handed me a 50 dollar bill.
"Keep the change," he said with a wink.
"Um, thanks."
Mark proceeded to leave the room, presumably to go back to Tara's room.
"Isn't he wonderful? I think Tara's finally found herself a keeper!"
I wondered if my mom felt the same way about Mark. I'm going to be honest with you: even if he did give me my gas money, I didn't get a good vibe from him. Maybe it was all in my head, but I didn't think about it much. I had a party to go to!
I picked Ben up and we headed into Tempe where B's oversized house awaited us.
"Mac-Attack, the guest of honor!"
"B, the crazy son-of-a-bitch who planned this little get-together!"
From the looks of it, this was more than just a little get-together. There was a DJ, a photographer, and about 650 of my closest friends who came to welcome me home!
"Attention Everybody," B said as he got up on the stage. "I'd like to welcome you all to my home. However, there's someone here who just recently returned to his own home. Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for Mac-Attack Maccabbi, our guest of honor!!!"
There was some applause on my behalf as the spotlight moved to me. What's interesting is that people were running up to me, welcoming me home and giving me hugs and what not...I didn't know a single one of them!
Eventually, I saw a couple people who I know.
"Hey, Aaron. Hey, Melinda."
Aaron shook my hand.
"You've been off the maps for quite some time, Mac-Attack. We've missed you."
"Yeah," I said as I looked at Melinda. "I've missed you guys too."
There was kinda an awkward pause.
"Oh, Boom Boom Pow is playing. Aaron, dance with me?"
"Now how can I say no to you?"
The happy couple kissed and then headed to the dance floor.
"You still love her."
Ben startled me a little, mostly because he had come out of nowhere.
"Did I startle you?"
"Yeah, mostly because you came out of nowhere."
"So, I just observed that you are still in love with Melinda."
"Yeah, maybe. What about it?"
"Well, it's just that--dude, you gotta get over her. I mean, you're the Mac-Attack! There's tons of girls here that would love a chance to have a one-nighter with a legend."
"Ben, I don't want any of them. I want Melinda. She's the only one for me."
"And she's also the only one for Aaron."
I remembered the last time I had pursued someone who was taken. I also remember how it felt to be the guy on the side, never being Mr. Right but only being Mr. Right Now. Most people would assume that the life of a player is glamorous and hurt-free. I used to think it was too, but then I realized that there's nothing hurt-free about it.
"Excuse me, but are you the Mac-Attack?"
I wondered who this girl was. She was fine alright, red hair and a perfect body.
"Is that what they're calling me these days?"
She laughed. I'm pretty smooth, that's probably how I get so many girls...wasn't I just talking about how being a player is wrong? Okay, I need to get away from this girl before I do something stupid.
"I'm Veronica."
"Veronica, like the 17th Century Italian Saint."
"Uh, I guess?"
I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but I am a wealth of useless information regarding the origins of female names.
"So, Veronica, how do you know B?"
"I go to school with him. I've heard a lot about you."
Veronica moved a little closer and then whispered in my ear: "I hear you're a lot of fun."
"You've heard correctly."
What the hell am I doing? This isn't me...okay, it is me. But I don't want it to be me. Pull yourself together, Maccabbi!
"There's a couple empty bedrooms. I hear they're very comfortable."
Don't do it, Mac! Resist your urges!
"That's what I hear. Maybe we should find out."
Her and I began kissing, but a while into it, I saw Melinda standing there. I pulled myself off of Veronica's face and chased after Melinda who was walking away.
"Melinda, wait."
"Michael, you don't owe me any explanation. You don't have to answer to me, I'm not your girlfriend."
"Then what's the problem?"
"There is no problem! There shouldn't be a problem. I'm with Aaron now, I've been happy for a month and a half now."
"So if you're so happy, and there's no problem, why do you look at me like that?"
"Because--Because--"
Then, untimely--
"Babe, you ready to go?"
Melinda looked at me.
"I have to go. I can't do this anymore."
"Can't do what?"
She looked at me again with tears in her eyes.
"I don't think we should hang out anymore."
I was speechless.
"Melinda, let's go!"
She looked at me one last time.
"Goodbye, Michael."
She kissed me on the cheek and walked away.
I didn't end up hooking up with Veronica. Instead, I decided it might be more fun to sit in my car and think about the fact that I had just lost my best friend who had been my best friend my entire life. I couldn't wrap my head around the concept: Life without Melinda. Our families were still friends, we were still in USY together, and we were still at the same school. How was I supposed to go on without having her in my life? I love her. I don't want to lose her.
As I was thinking, I also thought it might be appropriate to start crying and hitting my steering wheel. I did this for a while until Ben came to the car. It seemed that the party was over now.
"Are you okay?"
"No, Ben. I'm the opposite of okay. I'm in love."
"Let me drive. We'll stay over at my place tonight, we can talk all about it."
So I went to Ben's house that night and told him everything that had happened. About what Melinda said to me, and what I wished I had said to Melinda. I told him about how I wish everything was back to the way it had been months ago, before I had ever even heard of the concept of love. Everyone seemed to be much happier back then.
I didn't sleep much. I thought about everything that had happened: Convention, my trip to California, coming home, and now this. I had thought that I could escape from my problems by being away from them for a while. As it turns out, all my problems were still there, waiting for me to return home. I came to the realization that people can't run away from their problems and that they have to face them sooner or later. I just wish I could've faced them later, rather than sooner.
Sincerely,
Mac-Attack
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