Senior year was a year of firsts. There were too many to explain to you right now but the number one first that the whole school found endlessly interesting was this: Julia Nichols had finally gotten a boyfriend.

The whole thing was so horribly sexist. It wasn't that they had gotten together, it was that Julie was finally worthy of a guy and that she had someone to go with to dances and football games, not that there were any football games left.

I did not approve. Mateo was a good guy, maybe even a great one, the kind of guy that dad's wanted their daughters to date, the kind of guy I would let my little sister date, if I had one. But he wasn't right for Julie. Maybe I was being ridiculous but I just didn't see it. They were both so different, and not in a "so different that they're compatible" kind of way, like some people are. Just incompatible.

I told Julie this, what a load of good that did. She never listened to me the same way I never listened to her. I just had to wait it out. It took a while but it finally paid off.

"I just don't get it."

"Well good thing it's not your relationship then."

"But we're friends, I'm allowed to be concerned.

¨Since when are we friends?¨

¨I've considered us friends for a while.¨

¨Oh. Okay then.¨

¨Yeah.¨

¨You still can't give input on my relationship, though. It's not your place.¨

¨Whatever.¨