This is one of the longest-standing friendships I've had. He and I have been friends for more than 10 years now, and helped each other through some rough times. He's essentially the
Rosencrantz to my Guildenstern... he can be a fascinatingly intelligent and fun to be around sometimes, but he's also tremendously childish, socially oblivious, and crass. He's got a lot of growing to do as a person.
To complicate things, at the time he was dating a controlling, self-absorbed bitch. I really wanted to give her a chance, but she was vain, insincere, and domineering. She had slept around a few times while they were dating, and even made overtures at me after plying me with dinner and wine. I wasn't fond of her, and though I never told her this, my friend did... and I think she may have taken that too personally. As I understand what happened, she pressured him into coming along when he was taking care of the pets, and then while they were there, they dug through my stuff and found my Journal.
Why do you even keep a journal anyways? Or, for that matter, leave it anywhere where it might be read?
Jeez, Sol. How did you react when he told you? That would be an appropriate 'thrown forcibly out of your apartment/life/friend circle' scenario if I ever did see one. Also, you ought to talk to him about it beforehand and get him not to go to your movie night. Everyone's been in that awkward invasion-of-stuff-you-like situation where you have to act all friendly; you know it's going to be sucky if he ends up there :\
It's a nondescript wood-bound book I received as a gift from a very dear friend of mine. I keep as a dream-log, a place to organize my thoughts, and to record major changes in my life... thus, it's composed of a handful of very personal things. I'd been writing in it over the last few days, which is why I had it out and how this actually came up: we were hanging out this morning/afternoon, he picked it up, I said what the book was and asked that he not open it, and he said that he already knew. He'd read it. The conversation played out something like this:
Solifuge: "That's just a journal I keep. Can I see it?" *reaches out hand*
Guy: "Yeah, I know." *hands it over*
Solifuge: "Oh, did I show it to you before?"
Guy: "Yeah, you showed it to me and my Girlfriend that one time."
Solifuge: "...I don't remember doing that."
Guy: "Well, actually we saw it while we were cleaning your apartment."
Solifuge: "When did you and her clean my apartment?"
Guy: *a bit flustered* "When you were on that trip last year, and we were cleaning your apartment for you."
Solifuge: "You mean when we asked you to check in on the pets? Did you invite her along?"
Guy: "Well, I left her place, and she kinda got in the car, so..."
Solifuge: "..."
Guy: *grins* "She also said you're a huge fag."
Solifuge: "Uh, yeah?"
Guy: *laughs a bit* "Oh, she said the criteria you're looking for in women is horribly vague, and that you're basically a huge fag."
Solifuge: "How do you mean? Was she reading my Journal or something?"
Guy: "Yeah, she found it and went 'Oooh, what's this?' and started to look at it."
Solifuge: "...and you didn't stop her."
Guy: "Dude, she's way stronger than me! She just took it away and started reading it out loud."
Solifuge: "So basically you sat back and listened while she read through my Journal. I mean, if you'd really wanted to read it, I'd probably have let you."
Guy: "I totally I tried to stop her though, but it sorta turned into this sexy passive-aggressive thing on the floor."
Solifuge: *incredulity* "..."
Guy: "...and we also kinda used your bed."
Solifuge: *incredulity x10* "You... what was going through your head that made that okay?"
Guy: *worried* "Dude, it's not like we didn't clean things up! We cleaned the whole place. Didn't you notice how clean the place was when you got back?"
Solifuge: *calmly seething* "No, I can't say that I did. I don't remember ever asking you to clean any of my things. Or go through them, or... You were supposed to feed the pets and change the litterbox, dude!"
Guy: *trying to joke* "You mean you didn't even notice how clean we had things? I'm hurt..."
Solifuge: *brainshatter*
Guy: "Well, I'm sorry. It was supposed to be like one of those deep dark secrets I tell you on your deathbed or something!"
*Pause*
Solifuge: "I really have no idea what to say about this." *pauses, then hands the book back* "You know, there have been a few new entries since then. You can read 'em if you want to."
Guy: "No thanks. I can tell you're using one of those traps with the double-meanings."
Solifuge: "I meant precisely what I said. If you'd wanted to read it before, all you had to do was ask."
Guy: "...see, this is why I don't want to tell you these things, because I know you'd get angry!"
Solifuge: "Dude, I'm not angry. I'm just sort of... I really don't know."