An Old Friend in the Life of the Mac-Attack

Okay, so I messed around in California for about six weeks, finally came home, and was welcomed by the hurtful reality that I could no longer hang out with Melinda, even though we had been best friends since we were in preschool.

And my parents wonder why I didn't want to come home.

It's a weird feeling, losing a friend. I hadn't really ever lost any friends in my life--well, there was one friend.

Scott Siegel was in our Hebrew School class, and had been since the 4th grade. He was my best friend for two years before Ben moved to Phoenix. Then the three of us became the Three Stooges of the Temple Beth Zion Religious School. We were always causing trouble: making teachers quit, playing practical jokes on our other classmates, etc. However, after 6th grade, the troublemaking got old and two of us matured. Guess which two.

Needless to say, Ben and I didn't really want to be around Scott anymore. It was the 7th grade and we really wanted to buckle down and prepare for our bar-mitzvahs. Scott had no such intention and continued to act like an elementary schooler. After he made a fool of himself at his own bar-mitzvah by mocking the torah and doing a voice impersonation of our Cantor, Scott's parents decided he was out of control and sent him to military school. I haven't heard from him since then.

At least, I hadn't heard from him. I had just gotten back to my job working as my dad's assistant when I got a phone call.

"Rabbi Maccabbi's Office, this is Michael speaking."
"You'll never guess who I just got off the phone with!"
"Ben, if you're calling to tell me about your phone-sex with Ariel Woods, you should know that Miriam at the front desk is probably listening."
"No, it's not that. I know you can't really take personal calls at work--Miriam at the front desk?"
"Yes, she enjoys the phone conversations. Miraim, are you listening?"
"Hello, boys."
"Miriam, can you please get off the phone?"
"I suppose so."
"Thank you, Miriam."

I suppose Miriam got off the phone.

"You think she might have any granddaughters that are in our age group?"
"I'm not sure. Anyways, what were you saying when we got on the phone?"
"That I know you can't take personal calls at work."
"No, before that."
"Oh, yeah. Okay, so guess who I was on the phone with today."
"The Reverend Al Sharpton."
"Seriously, Mac. Guess."
"I really couldn't guess. Who was it?"
"Siegel."
"Scott Siegel?"
"No. Bugsy Siegel, the Jewish mobster who created Las Vegas. OF COURSE it was Scott Siegel!"
"Wow. What's he up to these days?"
"He's back in town."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, we're picking him up to the airport at 5."

I'm sorry, what did Ben just say?

"No. Bugsy Siegel, the Jewish mobster who created Las Vegas."

About four lines down from that.

"We're picking him up from the airport at 5."

He said that he's picking him up, right? He didn't say that we are picking him up. I must've typed wrong. It's gotta be a typo.

"Did you say WE are picking him up?"
"Yup. I'll swing by the shul and then we'll take my car to the airport to pick him up."
"And may I ask WHY we are picking him up?"
"Because I said we would."
"And why did you say we would?"
"Because he said he wanted to see us."
"Of course he did."
"Mac, it's been four years since we've seen him. Military school has probably changed him."
"I suppose. I guess it can't be too bad."

I was wrong. It COULD be too bad. Ben and I arrived at Sky Harbor Airport right at 5:00. We went to Baggage Claim to meet him. I remembered what he had looked like back in our Hebrew School days. He was about my height with big black hair. He always wore a football jersey of some sort and never seemed to shower. I wondered what he would look like four years later.

"Ben Sheiner and Michael Maccabbi!"

He had gotten about a foot taller since the last time we saw him. His arms were like miniature bombs and he had a buzz cut. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and camouflage pants. I guess when his parents sent him to military school, he got really into it.

"Siegel?"

I felt my bones crushing in his arms as my old friend gave me a hug.

"It's great to see you guys. It's been too long."
"Yeah, Siegel. Mac and I were just talking about how excited we were to hang with you tonight, weren't we, Mac?"
"Sure. Ben was also saying how excited he is to be paying for dinner tonight."
"I was?"
"Of course, don't you remember? Now, Siegel, don't be too shy to tell us where you want to eat. I know the food at military school can't be too good."
"Yeah, that shit is gross. I could use some pizza."
"Alright, By the Slice it is. I'll bet the game is on too."
"Yeah, sounds great. Let me just grab my bags."

Siegel threw his two bags over his shoulders and we walked out to Ben's car and onto By the Slice.

Everything was going surprisingly well. The pizza was great, the Diamondbacks were winning (shocking, I know) and we were reminiscing about old times.

"The one thing that I remember clearly about 6th grade is our teacher, Morah Chava."
"Yeah, she was insane."
"Well, she had no control over the Three Stooges!"
"No one did, not even the principal Mrs. Reichberg."
"Ah, Mrs. Reichberg. I feel like the three of us should've paid rent for her office. We were in there as often as she was!"
"Yeah, good times."

The three of us laughed for a little bit, until--

"So do you hear from any of the old gang anymore? Jan Lowenstien, Carol Hersh, Elisa Rosewood? Any of them?"
"Actually, we happened to run into Elisa back in March. We ended up having dinner with her."
"Yeah, I remember how much you were into her, Mac."
"Yup. Seems like a lifetime ago."

It all seemed like a lifetime ago. I hadn't seen a lot of these people in a long time. After Hebrew School Graduation, most of them stopped hanging around TBZ. I remember when Ben and I ran into Elisa Rosewood back in March, and I remember how different she looked. It seemed like it had been a hundred years since I had seen her, just like it seemed like it had been a hundred years since I had seen Scott Siegel.

"So, Mac, how's your brother Darrin doing?"
"Darrin's good. He went up to Flagstaff for the week with a few of his choir friends."
"Give him my best."
"I will."

My biggest surprise was that there was nothing awkward about dinner. It felt like 6th grade all over again. The Three Stooges back in business.

"So how's Melinda Moskowitz doing? I would guess you guys are still pretty tight."

And then it became awkward.

"Oh. Did I just hit a hot button?"
"No, it's really okay. Melinda's not talking to me right now."
"What? You guys were such good friends."
"Best friends."
"So what happened?"
"I don't really wanna talk about it, Siegel."

There was a pause. And then--

"She was in love with me forever. I realized that I was in love with her as well. However, I was too late. Then I went to California for six weeks to try to forget about her. It didn't work, so I came home. We were both at this party and she told me she couldn't be friends with me anymore. I just don't understand!"

Well, so much for not wanting to talk about it.

"Wow, you're really a mess over this."
"Yeah, he didn't take it so well."
"Well, who would? It's kinda weird to imagine you being in love, Mac-Attack. I mean, you were always with someone back then. I'm surprised you and Melinda never hooked up."
"Well, keep in mind how long her and I have been friends. I mean, she was like a sister to me. Plus, she wasn't really the hooking up type."

It was quiet again. Siegel looked at me.

"I wouldn't exactly say that she wasn't the hooking up type."
"I would say that. I mean, she didn't have her first kiss until Freshman year."

It was quiet again. I felt like Siegel was holding something back from us.

"She didn't have her first kiss until Freshman year--right, Mac?"
"As far as I know."

Siegel was looking around as if he was hiding something. Finally--

"Keep in mind that I was a completely different person back then."

He appeared to gather his thoughts, and then he continued.

"Do you guys remember the Youth Retreat up at Pearlstein in 7th grade?"
"Yeah. How could we forget? The girls raided our cabin with tampons!"
"Yes. But I wasn't there when that happened."
"Sure you were. It was in the middle of the night."
"But I was out of the cabin. Also, keep in mind that Melinda wasn't one of the ones raiding the cabin."
"What do you mean? She told us the next day that she coordinated the whole thing."
"But she wasn't there."

He took a deep breath.

"She was with me. We were walking and talking about all sorts of things."

He looked like he was sweating. He grabbed a napkin and wiped his face.

"Mac--we, uh, we kinda made out a little bit. Actually, we made out a lot."

I was stunned. I couldn't believe that Melinda hooked up with Scott Siegel.

"You hooked up with Melinda?"
"Why didn't you tell us? We were your best friends."
"You told us about all the other girls from the class that you hooked up with."
"Melinda told me not to tell you guys. She swore me to secrecy. We sealed it with a kiss."
"How many kisses were there?"
"I've probably told you too much."
"Scott, please tell me. I need to know."
"Mac, it was so long ago. I haven't even seen her since my bar-mitzvah."

It was silent. I didn't know what to say. My former best friend hooked up with my other best friend who had allegedly been in love with me forever. I knew that I shouldn't have been jealous. Afterall, Melinda was nothing more than just my best friend back then. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if there was more to the story.

"Well, I think we should get the check now. Dinner's on me, remember."
"Actually, Ben, let me get it. I think I may have ruined the evening."

Siegel covered the bill and we walked out of By the Slice. We proceeded to get back into Ben's car and head over to Siegel's house. The car ride was silent, with the excpetion of the sounds from Mix 96.9. We got to Siegel's place and we all got out of the car.

"Well, thanks for dinner, man."
"Hey, I owed it to you guys. I'm sorry about what happened all those years ago."

As he began walking over to his door, I felt I needed to say something.

"Hey, Siegel--"

He looked back at me.

"Don't be sorry for what you did with Melinda. She's always been a teriffic gal and I never saw it. You did, so don't be sorry for that."

He nodded his head to us.

"I'll see you guys around."
"Definitely."

And so, Ben and I drove off. I wasn't sure when we would be seeing Siegel again, but I knew that this would not be the last time.

It's interesting when I think about all the friends I've had in my life. Some have stuck around, some have drifted away, and some have just been wiped clean from my memory. However, I realized on that night that even when a good friend drifts away, they can always drift back.

Sincerely,
Mac-Attack