What's up, Chuck?

CHARLES DOWD HAS FOUND ME ON MYSPACE AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT AS MUCH AS I HATE MYSPACE, THIS MERE MOMENT HAS MADE IT ALL WORTH IT.

*Ahem*

So, Charlie. What can I say about Charlie? Charlie and I were BFF in 8th Grade. We were practically joined at the hip; bonded by our mutual love of Charles M. Schultz and a fascination with the Donner Party. On multiple occasions, Mr. Hamilton had to threaten separation or death when we got out of hand in History class (at the time we believed separation to be worse). On those such occasions, there would invariably be the most ridiculous notes passed back and forth. One word notes. Things about Mr. Hamilton (as much trouble as we might have gotten into with him, he really loved us - and only actually got mad once. It was enough to sober us up fast). Mrs. McDonald did separate us - banishing me to a dark corner of the room because she had dated Charlie's dad in high school and liked him more than she liked me. I still have his Dookie CD (*SHHHHH*). Even though he'd heard it all his life, he was never annoyed when I thought, for three solid years, that "What's up, Chuck?" was the funniest thing I'd ever heard. He was not only completely supportive, but equally thrilled when I used Spam as a project prop for more than one class (we were really into Spam, ok?), and he was there when we drop kicked said Spam in the street and then stuffed it in someone's mailbox and ran (yeah, so we were also little hooligans...). We sang the Monty Python Spam song to each other, and used to do the Knights who say "Ni!" bit a lot. He gave me a stuffed snoopy he'd had as a child, and I do still have it somewhere. I didn't bring it to college because, uh - it was actually already on its last leg. But I do have it. Seriously. I Heart Charlie Dowd. If there's a Charlie Dowd fan club, sign me up, and tell me where to pay the dues, baby.

I know things happened. I don't want to get into it, mostly because I don't truly remember what it was. I was 15, I knew he liked me, but I couldn't...or didn't want to be with him. And that was it. To him, it kind of meant we couldn't be friends anymore, and I thought that was just awful and was really terrible to him. I didn't even try to be a good friend after that, which I'm sure only amplified the problem. I felt so badly about the way things went down, later, and there are people you still think about all the time - years after the fact, and for me, Charlie was one of them. I never lost Charlie in my heart. He was one of those friends with whom I shared everything - good, bad, disgusting (you know...secrets, tears, chewing gum...that sort of thing).
He's a chef now. How freaking awesome is that?! A Chef! And he has who appears to be the sweetest girlfriend fiance!, ever. He looks good, too - happy, healthy - like Charlie, but in better clothing (just kidding - I love you!)

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