Friends reunite to become coauthors

Alex Sukhoy (left) and Anita Myers met at Middleton School, formed a close friendship and are now writing a book together about dating. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media

Updated: July 29, 2012 6:36AM

They quickly became friends as third-graders at Middleton School, but they have never been closer than they are today.

Alex Sukhoy and Anita Myers were 9 when they first met each other, remaining buddies through Niles North High School.

“We immediately hit it off,” Myers said, “but I think we got to be really close when we were going through all the bat and bar mitzvahs together. We just totally rocked the dance floor. We rocked ’80s like you don’t even know.”

The friends shared some commonalities. Both are from immigrant families — Sukhoy’s family from the former Soviet Union and Myers’ family from India.

“There’s some kind of similar group structure to anyone who comes from outside of America,” Myers said. “Trying to be an American and trying to keep your culture alive brings people together.”

Another common interest was ’80s music.

Even today Sukhoy makes compilations of songs on CD, a lost art since digital music has become so prevalent.

They were in band together — Myers on the flute and Sukhoy on drums.

Myers said her family was strict, and going to her friend’s house was a special treat.

“It felt like I was at a rock concert because her room was just free and enjoyable, the music blared, she had pictures and posters all over her room,” Myers said. “Her parents were just very easy-going with her music.”

Sukhoy said they always “knew how to have fun together.”

“You could stick us into any situation and we’d figure out a way to have fun,” she said.

The girls grew popular in high school. Myers was homecoming queen the same year Sukhoy played the drums, one of the first girls to do so.

But like many close-knit childhood friends, Sukhoy and Myers lost contact with each other after high school graduation.

They went to separate colleges; Sukhoy got married and divorced; Myers got married and had a child. They both navigated twists and turns with their careers.

It was only three years ago when they reconnected on Facebook after nearly 20 years.

“We just picked up where we left off. It was as if I just left her room,” Myers said.

“As soon as I heard her voice, we were break dancing at the bar mitzvah again,” Sukhoy said.

After catching up on their lives, Myers had the idea for a book, and Sukhoy jumped at the opportunity.

“The Dating GPS” is about ways of finding and maintaining relationships and includes true stories, perspectives and advice about what it takes to find and keep love.

The Skokie Review in coming weeks will feature the book, which has not yet been published. The authors, now 40, are close to finishing their project.

And even though the friends live in different cities now — Sukhoy in Cleveland and Myers in Arlington Heights — they have been able to work together through the Internet.

“This is only the fifth time I’ve seen her,” said Sukhoy during their visit to Westfield Old Orchard last week, one of their popular high school haunts. “When we’re together, it’s like no time has gone by.”

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