[ WP ] Two childhood friends , who were separated at age 8 meet each other again 20 years later , and are very surprised by how much the other has changed .

It had been a rough month. After Jess and I broke up and she moved out, I had spent a lot of time at the bar two blocks from my apartment. I guess I was drowning myself a bit, but there always seemed to be a decent amount of girls in there. Even though I usually came home with boxes of Chinese, I'd always hoped I'd be walking home with a different kind of box. Unsurprisingly, not a lot of females took notice to the slightly overweight dude with glasses by himself in the corner by the jukebox, mostly on his phone. I was too drunk and depressed to talk to anyone anyway. Being at the apartment was painful for anything but sleep. 
 
 Work was going well at least. Being sales leader for a multi national hydro-engineering firm had its perks at 28. Since I had just nailed a million dollar contract, I was in a better mood than normal when I went out that Friday. I actually put some music on the jukebox immediately and ordered a craft beer ( unlike my usual bouts with domestic abuse ). This was an exciting night already. 
 
 
 She came in not too long after my fourth beer. Just about every guy in the place just about broke their neck to look at this girl, including me. For an hour I watched her turn down dude after dude. Five foot nothing, hourglass figure with dirty blonde hair and eyes so blue they could kill a small child. I did n't stand a chance, but hell, why let it ruin my night. I kept the music playing, standing at the jukebox like was waiting on a call from an old friend. That old friend was TOOL. 
 
 It was n't too long after I put on'Stinkfist' that I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and she was there smiling her huge smile. 
 
 `` It's been you playing all this TOOL? ``, she said. 
 
 `` Uh... yea...'', I stammered awkwardly. 
 
 `` I've loved these guys since I was 8 years old. Seen them all over the country and I got ta' thank you, you must be the only real man in this whole bar. I'm Wendy.'' 
 
 `` Holy shit. ``, I sputtered, `` there's no way a girl who looks like you listens to TOOL.'' 
 
 `` I'll take that as a compliment. But it's true. I'll prove it if you buy me a drink.'' 
 
 `` Done. ``, I said with more confidence than ive had in months. 
 
 In fact, I bought her six beers. Turns out she knew her shit. Turns out we had just about everything in common. Turns out that about two hours later we we're on the floor of my apartment ripping each others clothes off. Turns out it was the best sex of my life. 
 I woke up the next morning and Wendy was n't in bed. I put pants on and went to my living room and found her looking at the pictures on my shelf. I walked up behind her and kissed her on the neck softly. 
 
 `` That was fantastic. ``, I told her, `` I have n't felt that good in a long time.'' 
 
 She did n't respond. I pulled away and noticed she was holding a picture from my childhood. An old picture of my best childhood friend, Wendell. It was a picture of us at our old hangout, a rope swing we spent nearly everyday at until Wendell slipped one day and cracked his head open on the rocks. He needed seventeen stitches and was out of school for weeks. Shortly after, his family moved across the country. We tried to write but lost contact after two years or so. I thought about him from time to time in passing. 
 
 `` H..h..how do you know this kid in the picture? ``, Wendy said after a moment of silence. 
 
 I told her the story of my best friend Wendell who moved away when I was 8 years old and before I could finish I could see the tears well up in her eyes. 
 
 `` Hey. Hey. ``, I said as comforting as I could, `` Relax. It was a long time ago its ok.'' 
 
 Before I could say anything else Wendy put her head down and pulled her dirty blonde hair to the side. After I saw the scar I vomitted in my kitchen sink for what seemed like hours and all I could think about was Jess.
