My high school graduation was fast approaching and I was planning a celebratory beach trip. I asked Mike if he would like to go with me. With college coming up in the fall, I guess this was one last effort to get him back. Total fail. He did go with me and we had our own room, separate from my friends who also went. But, a couple of his friends went too and he ended up spending more time with them than he did with me. Reality check. Time to move on. So I tried. On a side note here, I remember one particular moment from that beach trip and we even have a photo of it. Mike took the photo when I was standing out on the balcony looking at the ocean. I remember that moment being THE moment that I decided that I wanted to live at the beach someday. That desire has grown deeper with every year that passes.
About a week or so after the beach trip, Mike's mother called and invited me to an "end of school year" party that they were having that coming weekend. My friend Lori and I decided to go to the party. I loved Linda, Mike's mom, so since she personally invited me, I thought I should go. I think she may have had an ulterior motive in mind. I think she wanted Mike and I back together too.
Lori was spending the weekend with me while the rest of my family had gone on a short vacation. The night of the party arrived. Lori liked a guy that lived in a town on the way to the party so we stopped to pick him up. When we got there to pick up Lori's guy, he had a friend with him too. I guess this friend thought we'd make it a double date and proceeded to flirt with me on the drive to the party. Of course, flirting is flattering and I must admit that it felt pretty good since I was feeling so lonely. But I really wasn't interested. After all, I was on my way to Mike's house. The only thing on my mind that night was seeing Mike, the love of my life.
We drove up to the house and I was quite surprised. There were a lot of cars there. Lots of people. This was a pretty popular party apparently. We had to park at the road so when the four of us got out of the car and headed up the driveway, my "date" grabbed my hand, spun me around to him and kissed me! I was shocked! It was unexpected and unwanted. Thoughts flooded my mind. What if Mike saw? And if he did, was that good or bad? Would he be jealous? Would he be furious and start a fight?
I just left Lori and the two guys and walked on toward the house. I stopped and said hello to a few of Mike's friends and asked where he was. They told me that I had just missed him. He had just left with Tonya, the new, steady girl. Heart crushed again. You think I would've learned by now. A part of me wished I had gotten there a few minutes earlier to see her. To meet her. To see how he acted with her. The other part of me was glad I had missed them. I'm not sure how my heart would've handled seeing him with her.
I walked into the house to see Linda, Mike's mother. Lori and the guys went inside with me. They waited near the door while I went into the kitchen to chat with Linda. She asked me if I was with that "bodybuilder" and I said, "yeah, sort of". She giggled and gave me a thumbs up. Did I forget to mention that he was quite cute? Tall, cut and pretty handsome. And he was "claiming me as his date for the night" and I wasn't interested. Crazy, huh?
I guess during the time I was in the house, Mike had returned from taking Tonya home. His friends had informed him that I was there and that I was with a guy. He wasn't a happy camper. He started looking for me and spotted us through the glass door. He was told I was with a guy so he believed it to be true. He asked me to come outside to talk. Butterflies. Nervous! Am I about to be fussed & yelled at? Is he asking me to leave? Did he miss me? I was actually scared to hear what he had to say. Despite how hard I tried to get over him, I just wasn't ready to hear a final goodbye from him.
We sat in the swing and the drilling began. He asked why I was there. He asked why I had the nerve to show up at his house, his party, with another guy. What? Weren't you just with another girl less than 15 minutes ago? I explained that his mom had invited me and I explained the guy being with me situation. His tone changed. He told me that seeing me with another guy made him realize that he didn't want to be apart any longer. He said that was his wake-up call. He had been trying to fight off his feelings for me but seeing me with who he thought was my date, brought up the jealous feelings of him not wanting me to be with anyone else. He wanted to get back together and stay together.
Yay! Finally!!! I had him back!! Conveniently and quite quickly did I forget that he had just gotten back from taking his new "girlfriend" home. Love. Gets in the way of clear thinking. What makes me think this time will be any different? He'll probably just break up with me again in a couple of days. Those are a few of the thoughts I had on the drive home. Other thoughts? I was so happy. I felt like he sincerely meant what he'd said. Jealousy does have quite an effect doesn't it? Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?
Lori and I got back to my house and went to bed. About an hour or so later, around 3 a.m., I heard a knock at my door. It was Mike. He was upset. He wanted to be with me. The thought of me being with someone else had really shook him up. Well, that was another night that would alter the course of my life.
Life lesson: Jealousy. Sometimes it can work to your benefit. But be prepared because it can often backfire.
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