Flashback series: Compact Cars (Revised)

Freshman year, Fall 2006, my first semester I had made top band at Radford University on trumpet. Not soon after a few rehearsals, this goofy looking kid was knocking on my door at odd hours of the day asking if I wanted to get food.
Kerry Milan was one of the most promising percussionists in the class of 2010 and had also made top band with me; he had made honors recital (major accomplishment) his second semester on marimba.
I really kept to myself first semester. I hardly left my room except to eat, go to class, and practice. Radford was a major culture shock for me and it took a long time for me to adjust; still adjusting. At home, I was brought up to be constantly busy, learning, and productive with my time-haha, on my ride to Radford for the first time I actaully thought that my time here would be somewhat of a Waldron Pond experience from the city life I was used to- here everything just moved to a slower rhythm...freshman year I had (mis)interpreted it as apathy and ignorance so I really made an effort not to associate myself with my peers.
Anyway, Kerry's persistence wore me down as did my complete lack of social life which is sort of the antithesis to my general gregarious nature and want to learn- getting food became a regular thing.
The first thing I liked was that he wanted to learn too. Kerry wanted to know what life outside of VA was like, while I wanted to know 'tips' on getting along with the 'natives' in VA. Niether of us was afraid to talk about anything. We answered each others questions with complete honesty and thoughtfulness. He reminded me a little of the people I liked to hang out with at home.
One day in particular- I was in a complete funk...distraught with myself for having a bad private lesson. At 10:30pm he knocked on my door to ask to get food but picked up on the tension and asked if I wanted to get out of Radford for a few hours instead. With gas at the time costing less than a buck fifty, we went out driving aimlessly for hours. It was late and I was still in a sour mood so the talking was kept to a minimum...we both realized we shared a common opinion about silence: If there is no reason to talk, why ruin good time for personal reflection?
We would share ipod playlists, his would remind about all the classical music I used to love back in elementary and middle school while mine introduced him to Indie and underground bands.
Physically tired but mentally and socially recharged we would walk back to our separate dorms content.
Our late night escapades started to frequent themselves at least once every two weeks. Hanging out outside of the car became habit too- between classes sitting in or outside the practice room listening to him practice marimba or piano was one of my favorite things to do.
People started talking and pressuring us to become a couple- this was foreign to me. In Maryland having a guy friend meant:_having a guy that was a friend. the end. We nipped it in the bud-Just Friends- the lines have yet to blur and I live with him now with two other people.
Those long drives meant so much to me then, the birth of our friendship was so natural; to just sit in the company of some one who you know wants to be a supportive and trusting friend to you and who will let you do the same for them.

As natural an experience it was to start a friendship our freshman year, as juniors we are now finding our own way, both acknowledging lifestyle changes, and the perfectly natural distancing oneself from a friendship. Apart defined as practical understanding that we don't need each other right now. At this time in our lives we have different goals and we know that, in order to truly be good friends to each other: we need to learn when we need each other and when we need our space- if there is no space there can not be any room for growth.
_ I edited this from the first draft in the last part.
The photograph above was taken fall 2006 with my point and shoot on the night we truly did get lost for an hour in the boonies- the song playing when this picture was taken: Caring is Creepy by The Shins