June 2006:
I had just got my first real job outside of high school. It was the Layton Barnes and Noble. Back then, I knew nothing about books...so don't ask me why I even applied at Barnes and Noble, but there I was. By the end of the summer, I had been promoted to the cash lead and I felt on top of the world. One day I was working at the info desk and come to find out I am working with my arch nemesis that day. George. The pretentious, mysterious weirdo. George and I had never really talked before but I knew for some reason I didn't like him. Or maybe it was that I got the vibe from him that he didn't like me...I don't know. Either way, we didn't like each other. We were sitting at the info desk and for the first time EVER he spoke to me. This is what he said:
George: "You know, sometimes when I am here at work, I pretend everyone here are Star Wars characters"
Ha. Ok. So not only is he pretentious and mysterious but a COMPLETE nerd. I just laughed and looked at him weird. (To this day I make fun of him about this)
From that moment on, this George person intrigued me. He was so... interesting. After working with him a little longer, I learned he was engaged to a girl I grew up with(which was kind of weird). We had very few interactions because I still got the vibe that he didn't like me. I remember specifically during Christmastime, I was singing at this church in Ogden for the Weber State Choir and I saw George there. The first thing that came out of my mouth was, "What are YOU doing here?" He replied "Brooke wanted to come". For a moment, I remember feeling a little disappointed because I thought maybe...he came to see me. But then I remembered he didn't like me and he was engaged so that couldn't have possibly been the case.
After Christmas, I moved to Salt Lake so George and I no longer worked together. But because all of my good friends still worked at the Barnes and Noble in Layton, I would still get together with them regularly. Well, one night around the beginning of February, all of us were going to go to Denny's. When I got to Denny's... George was there. And again, the first thing that came to my mind was... you guessed it... "What are YOU doing here?" George never hung out with the Barnes crowd because he was always with Brooke. He didn't really explain what happened but I got the impression that they broke up. And for the first time, I really felt for the kid. That night, our co-worker Dan, invited us all to go to his church the following day. I had never really been to a christian church so I thought, what the heck. And went.
The only other person who ended up going was... you guessed it again. George. It's like I couldn't get rid of him! hehe. That day, for the first time, I got to know the real George. Not the Star Wars character dreamer George. Or the "I love Brooke" George. Or the "I didn't have time to dry my hair so I stuck my head out of my car window" George. But this kind, inspiring, and sadly heartbroken man. He told me about what happened between him and Brooke. She cheated on George with my ex-boyfriends best friend. So, I knew the guy...well. For some reason, this weird and unfortunate connection between us really brought us together. We found comfort in one another.
From that day on, we were inseparable. We spoke just about everyday, He came up to Salt Lake and visited me. We even went on an epic trip to Zion(For another blog). In 2 short months, he had become my dear friend. I never thought of George much more than a friend only because both of us were pre-occupied with our own love lives. I was chasing dreamily after a guy and George didn't know if he could ever love or trust anyone again from what he had been through. But we were there for each other, and I think above all, that was what we needed.
Until one day in early April, I hear that George was in the hospital. He broke both of his feet.
From then on, I didn't get to speak to him much. I didn't know why, but he wouldn't answer my calls or texts... It's like...he fell off the face of the Earth. Then I find out, he's moving home to Vegas. He needs surgery and he is going to live with his mom. I was truly heartbroken. I felt as though in a few short months, I had gained a best friend and lost one. One moment he was there, and the next, gone. Without even saying goodbye.
Eventually he began to write me emails from Vegas. We wrote back and forth to each other for a few months. Pouring our troubles and trials of life to each other. One day, we concluded that I was going to drive down to Vegas to visit him. I needed my dear friend George.
So, I decided to drive to Vegas....and brought a friend.
And that is the end of Part II(tangent)