The Very Beginning

Heather and I met in high school. Many of my readers know this. Some may not. We met in World Geography class the second semester of my Junior year. It was Heather's Sophomore year. We talked and cut up some for that semester but nothing really serious.  She talked about her current boyfriend a good bit, who was a Senior, so I didn't really get an encouraging vibe.  She sat right in front of me and had a habit of getting up with her knees in her chair and leaning on her desk to talk to folks in front of her. I'm not sure but this may have been when I became what we men call an a** man. I hate to admit that she had so much influence on my taste in women but now she knows. Anyway, by the end of the year we were pretty good friends and I thought to myself that it wouldn't be too much of a burden to drive to Reynolds (a town about 30 miles away) to pick her up for a date.  But I kept that thought to myself. School came to a close and we parted ways for the summer.

Fast forward to the next Fall.  My senior year. Heather and I wind up in the same World History class.  I was glad to see her but I wasn't ecstatic or anything. She was kinda fun to talk to though. And she did still have that behind I had grown fond of. I had noticed that she and this other guy in class were talking a good bit.  Well, HE was talking and she was half listening and kind of half-rolling her eyes when he wasn't looking. One day after lunch she came up to me with a semi-frantic look on her face and said "If Jack(name changed to protect the poor guy) comes up to you and says anything just play along." I looked at her funny and all I could come up with was..."Huh?" 

"If he comes up to you and says anything about us going out just play along"

"You and him?"

"No. You and me"

"Huh?"

"Jack asked me out Friday night and I used you as an excuse."

At this point I wasn't sure what was going on but I decided to play along. "You said you and I were going out Friday night to keep from going out with him?"

"Yes."

"Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"We broke up this summer."

I'm no honor student or anything but I have enough sense to know that if she was using me to turn down someone, there must be a little something there.  She wouldn't pick another poor schmuck that would make her look bad.  I thought to myself...."Self. This is your chance."

I looked at Heather and said something that would change my life. "Why don't we just make it the truth."

Heather then had the puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"If we go out Friday night then you wouldn't be lying to him."

I pointed at her and said "You and me Friday night!!"

We have been together ever since that Friday night in 1989.