Josh says the first time he remembers seeing me, I was standing against the wall in the lunchroom. I was wearing a v-neck men’s undershirt, a red plaid skirt, tube socks, and combat boots. Nothing about his description surprises me — it was one of my favorite outfits. An outfit my mom later forbid me to wear on our first date!
That three way call was the first of many. I spent hours every night talking to both boys when I should have been sleeping. Several weeks later, right before Christmas, the boys came by the house bearing gifts — a few new fish for my tank, an incense burner, and a candle from Spencer’s (does anybody remember that store?!). I recall that when they came upstairs to my room for the first time, Josh couldn’t believe how girly it was. Sunny yellow with floral wallpaper was not what he was expecting. Soon after, (and for reasons completely unrelated to Josh’s opinion) I convinced my parents to let me paint it (my mom promptly returned to the yellow after I moved away to college). I remember that my mattress was on the floor and my antique bed had been moved onto the landing during the makeover. I laid on that mattress talking for hours while I watched my mom roll on army green paint. I have no idea why she never complained about the lack of help, but even she giggled with me after I got off the phone each night. Once they came by my house after a party (that I wasn’t invited to). I made them homemade chocolate chip cookies and we played cards in front of the fireplace for hours. It was a joke among parents that nobody knew which of the boys I was dating.
Me and Chris in gym class, two weeks before my first date with Josh
Late in January, we made plans to see the first Star Wars film when it was re-released in the theaters. When I say we, I mean all three of us. A few days before our date Josh called me at home. It was the first time we spoke without the help of an intercessor and he was calling to report Chris had bailed on the movie. It had obviously been a setup and we ventured out without him. My mom was distraught just thinking about the clothes in my closet and insisted that I have something new to wear. I think I ended up in a pair of Union Bay carpenter jeans and a black knit shirt — this is hilarious to me and I still remember that we shopped at Goody’s on the morning of that first date. She also bought me a new purse, but I refused to budge on the combat boots. He picked me up wearing Levi’s, a flannel button down, and his basketball shoes. I love that I continue to mark time by what we were wearing.
I don’t think we said a single thing to one another the entire drive into Birmingham and I’m not sure we spoke much over dinner. We ate at Wings and it was quite possibly the most awkward meal of all time. After dinner, we realized the movie was sold out and I had to call my dad and beg off curfew. Josh and I ended up browsing a bookstore for several hours (this was amazing foreshadowing on our life together to come) and catching a midnight movie instead. He walked me to the door after our date, but there was no kiss, no follow up phone call, and he wasn’t at school the next Monday. I think that’s when the panic set it.
This post is part two of a multi-part series I’ll be sharing over the next several weeks. Click the following link to read more: the very beginning
