A Portrait of a Friendship
by Ardith Wood
A Portrait of Friendship.
Four Girls. Monterey High School. Junior Year.
Cast of Characters: Ardith, Brianna, Lisa, Deborah.
Ardy: I am tall. When I was little, I wanted to be a mule breeder. Or join the secret service. Or climb Mount Everest.
Bri: Brianna is a redhead. On her French homework, she writes her full name. Brianna M. Wright. Written on her binder are a bunch of quotes about running— hurdling, to be exact. Her favorite? “Any fool can run in circles, but it takes a wise person to hurdle.”
Lisa: Lisa has blue eyes. During water polo, I couldn’t remember her name. I would have to look at her bag: LISA [oars] PLANT CREW. Sometimes, Lisa dances. Even if there is no music. She just dances.
Debs: Deborah is half black. One year, in the Relay for Life, she ran 32 miles. When Deborah runs, she doesn’t like to stop. Or walk.
Brianna lives in downtown Monterey, walking distance from the beach. One night the four of us were over at her house. Her parents were going out for the evening, walking down to Cannery Row, so we had the place to ourselves.
“No boys, no parties, no leaving,” the parents said half-jokingly.
“Okay.”
When they left, we put on a CD— the soundtrack to Dirty Dancing Havana Nights. Dance Party. We turned the volume all the way up. We danced around the living room, messing around. Bri’s living room has large windows, by day filled with a view of the ocean. At night, when it’s dark outside but the lights are on inside, the windows act as mirrors. Full body mirrors. Great for perfecting your “dance moves.”
“Oh my gosh, you guys,” groaned Bri.
Lisa: “Yeah?”
Bri: “So my parents want to compliment us on our mad dancing skills.”
Debs: “What?”
Bri: “They saw us dancing when they were walking down.”
Ardy: “Aah!”
Bri: “They were with the neighbors, too.”
Ardy: “Does it get any worse?”
Bri: “They stood there for like fifteen minutes watching and laughing.”
After that, there was a bond between us. The kind of bond that comes from an embarrassing experience, a release of self-consciousness.
Go ahead, you can laugh all you want—
I got my philosophy, and I trust it like the ground.
That’s why my philosophy keeps me walking when I’m falling down.
—Ben Folds Five
TO: Brianna, Lisa, Deborah FROM: Ardith
So today in Chemistry Lyn was all “I’d have been there for you…” to Drew and I totally wanted to bust out in “I’ll Be There For You” by Bon Jovi— the song Ashton sings in A Lot Like Love. But I didn’t. It would’ve been awesome.
When you think about it, skunks are way hardcore. My dad and I were driving home one night, and we pulled onto our road and there was this skunk running up it. We turned off the lights immediately and were all quiet… What other small mammal do you know of that strikes fear into the hearts of two fully capable humans in a 2-ton (or so) hunk of machinery?
Toodles, Ardy
Seaside High is Monterey High’s rival. The swim meets are always close, each event’s points counting toward the final score. The meet was to take place on a Friday. Lisa, Bri, and Deborah were coming to watch, and then we were going to see a movie.
Lisa: “I’m so stoked about the meet.”
Ardy: “Yeah?”
Debs: “For sure.”
Bri: “Ooh, can you write your name on my stomach?”
Ardy: “Umm, okay.”
Debs: “Hey, we should make signs.”
Bri: “And then when you’re winning we’ll yell and cheer and I can lift up my shirt.”
I laughed.
Lisa: “The people around us will all be thinking ‘who are those losers?’ but it won’t even matter.”
Debs: “It’ll be awesome.”
That afternoon, when I got to the pool, I looked around. No Lisa. I checked to see what I would be swimming. 500 Free. 200 Free Relay. 400 Free Relay. Checked the bleachers. No Deborah. I got in, started my warm-up. Then, there they were. With signs. Just before the meet started.
“Hey Ardy!”
Ardy: “Hi guys!”
Lisa: “We went and got the tickets.”
Debs: “Do you think the meet will be over by six-fifteen?”
I was wrong. They were here. For me. Right on time. My doubts were completely unfounded— I shouldn’t have questioned them. I never doubted them again.
Yes in high seas or in low seas, I’m gonna be your friend.
You know that I’m gonna be your friend.
And listen, in high tide or in low tide, I’ll be by your side.
You know that I’ll be by your side.
—Bob Marley
TO: Lisa, Deborah, Ardith FROM: Brianna
Senior year BETTER be good…we’ve gotta make it the best. I have to present my English project tomorrow and I haven’t even finished the book. I feel sorry for the teacher. She has to actually LISTEN to all of the presentations. Sux for her. I’m way nervous about the SATs. My parents are going to be pissed when they get my scores. I also have to study for yet ANOTHER final in le Francais tomorrow…and start studying for the history and chemistry final, as well as do my lab for chem. Yay. I love busy nights.
Off like the Gun, Bri
In February, we went snowboarding together. It was a weekend youth event with church, but we drove up early, on Friday morning. That way, my mom could organize cabin assignments and the like, and Lisa, Brianna, Deborah, and I could get three days of snowboarding in.
Lisa: “Do you want to do something?”
Debs: “Yeah.”
Ardy: “What games did y’all bring? We could play one.”
Debs: “Cards.”
Lisa: “Let’s play poker.”
Ardy: “I don’t have any money.”
Bri: “I don’t know how to play.”
Ardy: “I guess that’s vetoed. I brought Hoopla. It’s by the same people who made Cranium.”
Lisa: “I love Cranium!”
Debs: “How do you play?”
I read the instructions aloud. “ ‘The object of the game is simple: empty the playpile and get rid of the cards in you hands in less than 15 minutes. When the other players correctly guess a card based on the clues you give them, add that card to the Hoopla Hall of Fame. Nice work. You’re on your way to victory.’”
Debs: “Wait, how do you win?”
Ardy: “Everybody gets rid of their cards.”
Bri: “So everybody wins?”
Ardy: “Yeah.”
Bri: “That’s boring.”
Ardy: “It’s way fun.”
Lisa: “Okay. Let’s play.”
The first hand was dealt. We won. We played again. Won again. We decided to make it more challenging— added cards, decreased time, saw how many cards we could do in as little time as possible. The longer we played, the louder we became. Other people arrived at the camp slowly. They gave us weird looks, seeing us attempting to act out “Mecca,” or draw “locker room.” It was too much fun to care. Some of the cards we didn’t know. We just put those back at the bottom of the deck. We were winning together, building each other up.
It’s not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving.
I’ll tell you one thing, it’s always better when we’re together.
—Jack Johnson
TO: Deborah, Ardith, Brianna FROM: Lisa
I’m pretending to do calculus right now…yay me! “Hear you me” by Jimmy Eat World is such a good song! If I ever get into a car accident, I want this song to be playing. Like it will be coming from my car, completely totaled but the music will still be playing. Wouldn’t that give you goose bumps (or pimples)?
I’m seri
The school’s on fire. JK. But it smells like matches…
OK back to my word/sentence…I’m seriously so tired. It’s 12:28, so I have 17 minutes to sleep. 17 is my favorite number.
Away Laughing on a Fast Camel, Lisa
We had a spot at a beach, our beach. We would get ice cream (chocolate, two scoops) from Baskin Robbins, then go down to our spot. We would sit on the rocks— watch the tourists walk by, look at the ocean, talk about life.
Debs: “Hey, we should play truth.”
Ardy: “Truth?”
Bri: “Like in The Truth About Forever.”
Ardy: “I don’t remember it.”
Lisa: “It’s what Wes and Macy play.”
Debs: “Wes!”
Ardy: “Oh yeah. Now I know. Like truth or dare, but without the dare.”
Bri: “Uh-huh.”
Deborah asked the first question. We each answered. The questions we asked were varied, ranging from fun (if you were a shoe, what shoe would you be?), to serious (what is your greatest fear?). The only rules were that you had to answer, and it had to be the truth. Each time we went down to our spot, we played. Truth became a habit.
All my life, though some have changed.
Some forever not for better,
Some have gone and some remain.
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall.
—The Beatles
TO: Ardith, Brianna, Lisa FROM: Deborah
Ohh man. I was thinking the other day that there are a lot of people with the last name of “Dean,” and I was like “That would be so freaking awesome if I married someone w/ the first name of Wes and the last name of Dean.” BUT then I thought “eew!” bcuz then his name would be Wesley Dean, which is totally not flattering. And you know what else is not flattering? Deborah Dean. Ha Ha Ha. Gilmore Girls season 3 comes out in 3 days! I’m going to draw all the boys in Rory’s life.
Off like a prom dress, Debs
Lisa’s birthday was in August. In celebration, we went to Great America, just the four of us. On the way there, we got lost. It was okay though. Good music, good company, good times.
Debs: “Man I love roller coasters.”
Ardy: “Yeah, me too. The last time I went to Great America was freshman year. It was with Girl Scouts.”
Lisa: “When I was in Ohio we went to Cedar Point, this huge amusement park. It was awesome. We should go there on our road trip.”
Ardy: “Ohio is for Lovers!”
Debs: “That song is pretty much amazing.”
Bri: “Oh my gosh, I went on the Extreme SkyFlier last time I was at Great America.”
Lisa: “Is that the tall arch thing?”
Bri: “Yup.”
Ardy: “Hard core!”
Lisa: “Hey we should do that first.”
Debs: “Mos def.”
We finally found the freeway and made it to Great America. We hustled to the Extreme SkyFlier. It looked way taller standing right next to the arch than seeing it from the road. Weird— no butterflies. I was only scared in my head. We paid the fees. They escorted us through the gate to get our harnesses on.
“You’ll be in the middle,” the man said, pointing to Lisa and me. “Who’s going to pull the cord?”
“Me,” answered Bri.
“Take this.” He handed her a cable. They strapped us in. “Hold on to your footrests with both hands and follow the footprints. Stop at the sign and wait for us to call you in.” We followed the directions.
Lisa: “Oh my gosh you guys. This is the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”
Ardy: “We should say a prayer.”
Debs: “Hey God. Please don’t let us die.”
We watched the guy who was swinging. He was screaming, his face red. Smiling, too. He eventually came to a stop and it was our turn. They called us in. We went forward, single file. We walked up onto the platform and the sides came up. It slowly rose to meet the man. They took him down, and hooked us up.
“You will fall forward. Link arms. Don’t try to catch yourself,” the attendants instructed us. BOOM. We fell forward. We didn’t try to catch ourselves. The platform started downward, and we started upward. Our arms stayed linked.
Debs: “This is so high.”
Ardy: “This is going to be awesome.”
We rose higher and higher.
Ardy: “I think I’m going to throw up.”
Bri: “Don’t say that!”
Ardy: “Actually, I’m not. But if I was the throwing up type, I think I would.”
Deborah’s legs started to shake. We rose higher still.
Lisa: “Hey, look straight ahead.”
From where we were, the whole world was in view, in reach. We stopped climbing.
“3-2-1-Pull,” the voice said over the loudspeaker. Bri made a movement with her free hand. Nothing happened.
“Pull it!”
And we went. We dropped. We screamed. We held on to each other. The cable caught us, and we swung out, toward the horizon. In unison, we stretched our arms out. We let go. We laughed. We flew.
Do you realize that happiness makes you cry?
Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die?
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes—
Let them know you realize that life goes fast,
It’s hard to make the good things last.
You realize the sun doesn’t go down—
It’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning ‘round.
—The Flaming Lips
[finis]