1997

You never expected to meet someone like that in college but this was different — different type of college. College for artist — a boarding school — one would say, in Northern Italy out of all places.

For those who played, who sang, who danced, who wrote, who performed.

And Alexander was born to perform.

With how easy going he was and how playful and how he seemed to bring light into every room he walked into. ‘Easy to love’ everyone said — and he quite literally was.

A rich kid — only one that was paying for this college when you all were on scholarship. A playful brat that sat next to you on your first day and looked over your shoulder to see what you were scribbling into your notebook as you tried to not make it bother you.

You remember how he asked you — ‘have you seen the ‘Meaning of Life’?” — and when you said no he only added — we’ll watch the Meaning of life then” —

You didn’t know why you agreed — had no idea.

Yet you still went. Movie night turned into movie dates. Those turned into dates and those turned into him sneaking into your dorm to recite poetry or read book that stacked on your floor as if they were his.

And you never complained — never — not when he sneaked into the girls’ wing — not that any of the girls would tell — sneaking into your twin bed and watching films from cassettes with you or sneaking kisses to your shoulders and neck or clang to you as you were writing something while Sade “Like a tattoo” played on your cd player over and over again.

Just like now.