In Which My Friend Betrays Me

By: Stephanie on 6:47 PM

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It's no secret I'm a huge, huge, dorky fan of the game Rock Band. My obsession started in somewhere in 2007, when my friends Amy and Mikey acquired the game. I'd played Guitar Hero many times, and enjoyed feeling like a rock star and having fun with my friends- minimal effort required.

When Amy and Mikey became my roommates in 2008, playing Rock Band was one of our favorite pastimes. Mikey and I formed Disgruntled Mailbox, the greatest band to ever grace the Playstation 3 leaderboards. Sometimes Amy would play; our friend Moto was a regular contributor on vocals. Now and then, we'd let a friend play guitar while Mikey held down drums and I played bass. Most often, though, it was just Mikey and me, earning gold stars, high scores, and when we were lucky, a place on the PS3 leaderboards.

I'm loathe to admit it, but there were times we skipped class to play. (Granted, it was more because we disliked class than any insane obsession with the game.) We played during the day, at night, through parties. Rock Band and its ilk Rock Band 2 were the soundtracks to our collegiate careers.

Amy on drums, Mikey and I back-to-back on bass & guitar, respectively.

After I moved in 2009, I didn't play. I missed the interaction with friends. I felt isolated, lonely. Those feelings weren't due solely to lack to game play with friends, but that certainly didn't help.

When Johnny bought a Playstation 3 in 2010, I was elated. Here was my chance to reconnect with my long-lost gaming friend, Mikey! Although I saw him when I visited Tennessee, kept up with his life via Amy and Facebook, I knew the PS3 would be a way to interact with Mikey directly.

At first, we played Rock Band and Rock Band 2 as often as we could. However, I found it wasn't the same. Without Mikey's steady (and excellent) drumming in the same room, I couldn't keep rhythm on bass as well. Selecting songs wasn't the same without him gently ribbing me about my choices. In short, it was different and not in a good way. We eventually stopped playing together.

Over Christmas, I was texting Amy about something, and she happened to mention that Mikey had sold his Rock Band games. My reaction was one of disbelief. Surely Mikey hadn't sold the games that had brought us so much joy! But it was true; one of my dearest friends had sold the games that we had shared so many happy hours playing. I was devastated. How could he do this?! 

Three months later, I am still disappointed that I won't have the opportunity to play with my bandmate any time soon. When I really think about it, I think it's all a part of growing up. Rock Band is something that I need to leave behind. Although Johnny and I enjoy playing it every now and then, it will never hold the same specialness for me. I'll always think of it as something Mikey (and Moto, to some extent) and I shared. 

Perhaps, one day, there will be a Disgruntled Mailbox reunion. If I'm really, really lucky.