The progression of a friendship: My friend Z

New London CT waterfront

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  We met in the 2nd grade. She was a skinny olive skinned girl with mixed race hair. She was skiddish and sometimes smelled like piss but she was my friend. We used to get into so much stuff that I am surprised we never got killed or got our asses beat. We used to hang out on the railroad tracks. Yup. We almost got hit by a train once too. We were stupid. Z got hold of some cigarettes and that was the first time we smoked was on those railroad tracks. We never got caught, which I am shocked about.
She was the youngest of 9 (i think) siblings. She was light skinned. I think her father was mixed race and her mother was just light skinned. She had a French last name. She was a trip. Whenever anyone would ask her what she was.. "What are you?" She would say she was American. hehehe and this was in the 70s.
 For some reason, she was sent to California the end of our Freshman year to live with her sisters. I was so upset. The only ones living in her big house was her Father (who worked 3rd shift), an older brother, and two older sisters that were really not old enough to take care of her. So I guess that is why she went. The summer of our Senior year, she came back. Her Father had passed away. The one sister and one brother were still living in the big house. She was different! She had boobs and she became pretty.  And she got an attitude to match. She used to be my equal. My confidant. Now she came back talking Valley and acting bourgeois. Things did eventually change between us and we became friends again.
 We both went to hair dressing school after graduation. She was there when I told my Mom I was pregnant with Chelsea. I was there when she was pregnant with her child. We went out to the clubs when we were 21. We used to go out to dinner and order Mussels with linguine at this place cause it was the cheapest thing on the menu. We would switch off who would pay. It was a real friendship. Then she left. I did not hear from her for years.
 She contacted me or I contacted her (i do not remember). She wanted us to go to dinner and catch up. This was about the time my Mom was really sick and I was really sick (but did not know what was wrong). I was not the skinny mini I once was. Of course Z was able to put on a bikini months after giving birth so she was a rail.
It was an awkward dinner.  She kept name dropping that her husband (she got fucking married!) knew this politician and that politician. She had a fancy car and fancy clothes. But low and behold..she forgot her credit card. The poor fat chick (me) had to pay for both our dinners. After that, I was ready to go home. I did not talk to her again until our 20th high school reunion was coming up. She wanted me to go with her. I did not want to at all. NO!
She did not want to go to see who was there and catch up with old friends. She wanted to go to show how good she looked, how much money she had, etc. She actually told me that it was her motivation! She wondered who got Fat so we could make fun! I said..Well, I got fat. And I am not going.
She sent me this long letter that I only read half of (tossed it in recycle bin) about how I am a bitch, and I hurt her feelings, blah blah blah.
She is on Facebook and she did try to friend me but I declined. I am done. I am still fat bitch! I do not have a ton of money bitch! I do not have lots of gold and fancy clothes bitch! But I have my man of 25 years and I have my family. That is all I need.

So you see, not all friendships were meant to last forever.