Letters With Boys

Memphis and Gray, Week 10 - November

Gray,

Tally and Bridget just asked me if there was something wrong with me. 

“What do you mean?” I asked. “I’m fine.”

“You can’t stop smiling,” said Tally. “Which is really weird for you.”

So thank you, Gray, for making me smile.

Also, why didn’t you tell me about all those hidden talents of yours? You are the only person under the age of 45 I know who can captain a sailboat by themselves. Also, you are the only person in the world I know who can build a sailboat by themselves.

I think it’s time you aspired to be more than a high school graduate, bud.

Oh, also, I have a cold. Which is undoubtedly thanks to our swimming, for the second time, in near-freezing temperatures. So thank you for that.

(But it was totally worth it.)

By the way, I’m working on an island playlist for us. Listening to the Beach Boys on the water was fun, but I think some Calypso music would be slightly more appropriate. Also, I’ve been meaning to branch out.

Thank you for a really wonderful date. Though I’m not sure you’ll be able to top it.

Mem

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Fantabulous Mem,

Your letter made me do that thing again where I jump up and cheer out loud and make the teacher scowl at me. 

It makes me really happy that you can’t stop smiling.

As far as my talents are concerned, I feel the need to remind you I didn’t actually build the boat we sailed on. Nor, unfortunately, do I own it; it was borrowed from a buddy of mine whose parents don’t actually know we used it. (Something told me you wouldn’t mind, given the less-than-legal nature of your own track record.) The boat I’m attempting to build probably can’t even float yet.

I’m really sorry that our excursion gave you a cold. Can I bring you soup and NyQuil after school today? I realize as I’m writing this that you won’t be able to answer my question in time, therefore I’m texting you.

I find it cute that you, who knows more about music than anyone else I know, feel the need to “branch out” more. But I will be happy to listen to whatever you want to listen to.

I also find it cute that you think I can’t top last weekend’s date.

Get ready and pucker up, beautiful. There’s much more where that came from.

Love,

Gray

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Gray,

I must really like you, because the phrase “pucker up” would normally make me want to punch someone in the face, not make out with them in the woods so aggressively, the stoner kids made catcalls at us.

(Are you feeling okay? You really shouldn’t have kissed me yesterday, with this cold and all.)

Thanks for the soup, anyway. Todd really loves Panera, and his whole face lit up when he saw it, so I gave it to him. But trust me, it’s better that way.

I told him about you last night. I didn’t really intend to, but he was in this zone where he really wanted to talk and connect, and that’s really rare for him, so every time he asked me a question, I just answered it fast, you know, in case he stopped. One of them was, “Do you have a boyfriend?” and before I could think, I said, “Yes.”

“Is it Matt?” he asked. “Are you back with Matt?”

That made me sad, and a little nervous. He had a hard time understanding why Matt stopped coming around, since he’d been coming around for such a long time. 

“No,” I told him, “his name is Grayson, but people call him Gray.”

And, to my surprise, he got excited and said he liked your name and wanted to meet you.

Unfortunately, then my parents came in and gave me this really serious look and gestured for me to follow them outside. And then I got a whole lecture on what happened last time and on you can’t just spring these things on him and so on and so forth. Followed soon after by why didn’t you tell us you were seeing someone? and Maybe the two of us could meet him first, and then we go from there.

So, I guess you can meet my parents eventually, if you still want to. Not that you’ll hurt my feelings if you don’t. It would be kind of complicated, anyway, because it would have to be when Todd was in school, so we’d both have to ditch school.

Not that either of us is exactly unfamiliar with that exercise.

Mem

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Memphis Buehler,

Texting you now. Let’s do it today. Or if not today, then tomorrow.

I don’t really have anything parent-appropriate to wear (this is a first for me, if that wasn’t obvious), but I’ll make Kai switch clothes with me, or loan me some, or whatever. He seems like somebody a parent would love, right?

It made me really glum when I read that Todd asked if you were back together with Matt, but then really gleeful when he said he wanted to meet me—even if it was just because of my name. (Which, by the way, I don’t really get, but I’ll take it.)

On an unrelated note, the faculty around here keeps harassing us about college application deadlines looming. Normally I wouldn’t bat an eyelash, but I thought of you, because you’re very smart and talented and I think you should at least apply, even if you don’t think you’re going to go, or can’t afford it, or whatever. I mean, there are scholarships, right? Student loans? That kind of thing? And that’s assuming your parents really can’t/won’t pay up. 

What’s your GPA, anyway? I suppose the truancy won’t work in your favor, but maybe you can pretend you’re immunocompromised, or something?

I really think you should apply. Even if it’s just to one or two schools.

Love,

Gray

P.S.: I know we already had the “boyfriend/girlfriend” conversation and are on the same page, but I have to say, it’s really nice to see you call me your boyfriend in writing, and, apparently, out loud to your little brother.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Gray,

I have to hand it to you—I’m impressed. 

I only agreed to this absurdly last-minute meet-the-parents request because I am a sucker, and if I’m being totally honest, I was pretty sure they weren’t going to like you. I mean, no offense, but can one Kai Tolbert outfit really erase all the Gray Gehrig in you?

But apparently it didn’t have to, because my parents loved the Gray Gehrig.

I should have known, I guess. They’ve never been very traditional. There’s a reason I don’t have a curfew and am basically allowed to do whatever I want. I just thought, you know, they might at least be a little concerned about their daughter dating a guy who looks like he just stepped off the set of The Outsiders.

But apparently not. They find you “charming, funny, and handsome.” Go figure!

I don’t keep very good track of my GPA. I think last I checked it was around a 2.9. Probably not good enough to get into any decent schools. 

I really don’t think applying for college is necessary for me, but if it makes you happy, I’ll do it—on one condition.

You have to do it with me.

Love,

Mem