When we were kids, Crystal had a birthday party at Uncle Troy’s restaurant. I felt that she was completely ignoring me to hang out with her friends from school. When she asked me what was up with my funky attitude, instead of being honest I waited until she wasn’t looking and slipped a note written on a napkin into her dress pocket. She never found it, but that’s not the point. The point is that I’m fully aware that I have avoidance issues when it comes to confrontations, especially ones where I may come out looking the fool. Even now, years later, I found it easier to mail Crystal a card apologizing for our fight—even though I wasn’t backing down from my feelings on Jermaine—and letting her know that I still wanted to come over on Halloween and see Brianna in her costume. My note to Patrick was definitely taking the coward’s way out. I just couldn’t face him after what happened in the kitchen. I couldn’t even bring myself to say what had happened out loud.
