Charlie Graduates

Charlie went to college
In the same town that I did

Except he went to the University
I just went to the state school

Still, kinda funny

The whole town is made up
Of these two schools
And you'd think there was a stone wall
Between the students
Who go to them

State school kids here
Fancy university kids here

Maybe that's why Charlie and I didn't meet
Until our last semesters
At our respective schools

Or maybe fate is just cruel

Either way
That's what happened

I ran him over with my bike

I was running late to class
And Charlie never looked
When he crossed the street
It was one of his bad habits
I don't know if anyone else has told you that
But it was a real problem

I'm surprised he hadn't been hit by anyone sooner

But, I mean, I was going a little fast
And bam--right into him

I asked him if he wanted me to take him to Health Services
But he said I could just take him to dinner

He had his moments

All those university guys are very charming
They don't teach them how to cross a street
But they do teach them charm

We went out on a couple of dates
When we could fit them in

We were both finishing up our student teaching
And Charlie was getting a degree in Computer Science on top of that
So mostly we'd get dinner at the all-night hot dog joint
And make out in the laundry room
Of my dorm

I wish I had some funny stories about when we dated
But all I remember is that it went by too fast

One night we were lying in Charlie's dorm room
With boxes everywhere
Talking about how it wouldn't make sense
To try to keep dating

I got a job in Seattle
And Charlie was going back home
To teach at his high school
So that was that

Sometimes I wonder how people do it

Get through all the changes in life

I put on a good face for Charlie that night
But when I left in the morning
I cried all the way across his quad
Back to my dorm
Where I crawled into bed with my roommate
And sobbed into the shoulder
Of whatever guy she'd brought home the night before

'Don't mind her,' she told him, 'Her boyfriend goes to the University.'

The last thing I remember about Charlie
Is him walking across the stage
At his graduation

I stood on the outskirts of the field
While all the parents and friends
Of the students at the university cheered

It felt right to be there

Watching, but not engaging

Looking at this incredible moment in Charlie's life
But not being a part of it
Not really

I know I've probably already taken up too much time here
But I'd like to say one more thing
If that's okay

Charlie never made me feel like the girl from the state school
Like the girl from the other side of the wall

It's not unusual for university guys
To date girls from across town
And say they're slumming it
But Charlie wasn't like that

If anything he treated me like I was better than him
Like he was the lucky one

I miss Charlie
I miss him everyday

I think about him every time I do laundry
Every time I get a late night hog dog from this place in Seattle that stays open until two

Every time I cross the street
I look both ways
And think of Charlie