Marlene.
My friend since third grade, my college roommate, the person who knows every embarrassing adolescent detail of my life and still talks to me.
Marlene was my friend when I had glasses and braces and had to wear Pretty Plus clothes from Sears.
As kids we had different hobbies but still managed to have fun as a team. I forced her to make-up dances with me. She made me practice softball. I got her to join the cheerleading squad in 7th grade. She invited me over to watch The Lost Boys and I practically peed my pants I was so scared.
Freshmen year of college we lived in a dorm room so small that once we put a backpack on the floor, the whole room was a complete mess. Marlene would skip class to watch Oprah and paint her nails. One day she sang everything she wanted to say out loud. It was "Musical Day." People, not knowing quite why, sang back to her. We gave "concerts" together - singing at the top of our lungs into hairbrushes while wearing our pajamas and dancing around the room like maniacs.
Marlene and I witnessed each others drama as we tried to discover the human beings we wanted to become. We laughed and cried together. We got into fights. We traveled together. We prayed together. She helped me work through one of the most frightening times in my life. She was and still is my constant.
Back to the present:
Marlene is getting married in September. Her bridal team wanted to throw her a bachelorette party. Bars. Strip clubs. Drinking till you puke. NOT!
We're thirty-somethings and those crazy party days are behind us. (OK, I never actually had any crazy party days, but I won't speak for the rest of the bridal team.) All Marlene wanted was a weekend at the shore with her friends and good food. So that's what she got.
I think the part of her that didn't want to hurt my feelings when I asked if Abby could join us took over, bound and gagged the part that wanted to respond "Hell no!" Turned out that Abby was more or less a well-mannered baby and, I hope, paid her dues by providing a source of entertainment.
She made new friends.
She played on the beach. . .
. . .and slept on the beach.
. . .and in the pool.
Abby partied so much that she even fell asleep in the pool.
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