My face scans the crowd surrounding me. Everybody is on their feet-but why? I can't remember...I can't remember anything. From one familiar face to another, my eyes flick back and forth, and they stop upon Ethan Craft. My girlhood fantasy--every 14 year old's dream. He was thick-headed then, and he's thick-headed now. Even so, he's a great guy, and we've had our fair share of memories.
"Lizzie! Just ask him to the Sadie Hawkins dance!" Gordo was looking at me with an exasperated look. I had been gushing on and on about Ethan Craft, the best looking boy at Hillridge Junior High. I had plenty of people telling me that they thought we would make a great couple, but I was too scared to do anything. After much persuasion from Miranda and Gordo, I gather up what courage I have and ask.
"Uh Lizzie. I think that's cool and all, but I don't like you, like you. I like you, but as a friend. Cool?" Ethan's slow reply hit like a ton of bricks. It hurt so bad to be crushed by somebody that I thought I liked so much. I managed to stutter a reply, then turned back to Gordo and Miranda, feeling like my heart was dropping to my toenails.
A few days later I was back in action, however, dressed up in '40's garb and handing Ethan a grape soda. We kept him under surveilance for a couple of days, trying to find out what all he was interested in. I hung around, mentioning how odd it was that we had so much in common. After a rather boring converstaion on golf, which happened to be Ethan's favorite sport, I brought up the subject of the Sadie Hawkins dance one more time. I was sure it would work! I mean, come on, the guy had to be crazy for me. We had "so much" in common!!
I got the same reply. He said he didn't liked me as a girlfriend, just as a friend. What was wrong with me? I thought I was decent looking, and a fairly good person...why wasn't Ethan attracted to me?
The day that he turned me down a second time was the day of the Sadie Hawkins dance. I spent it at Club Flamingo, a bar my brother ran out of our backyard. Larry Tudgeman had been known to stop by a few times, which could tell you a thing or two about my brother's club. He played the role of the bartender--you know, the type of guy you could spill all your problems too? Thankfully, however, before I could get the words out of my mouth, who should walk in but Gordo and Miranda.
The piano player that my brother had somehow managed to scrounge up started a new song. I was still feeling kind of sorry for myself, because I didn't get to go to the dance, when I realized...once again, my best friends brought the dance to me. Gordo was rambling on about goose eggs, and how he didn't get any invites to the dance...something in me struck a nerve or something, because suddenly my face felt very hot, and I couldn't keep a smile off my face.
"So, uh, dance with me." I looked Gordo in his huge brown eyes. He was kind of startled, I could tell, but he accepted. The whole time we shared our slow dance (Matt and Miranda by our side--I'm glad she took pity on him!) I kept thinking that it was Ethan's loss, because I'd rather be here with Gordo than at the Sadie Hawkins with him.
Of course, I kept up the charade that I was head over heels in love with Ethan for two more years. We had a small relationship during my sophmore year. It was then that I found out that talking to Ethan was like talking to a sack of flour, and rarely did he make me laugh. Needless to say, I ended it, but since then Ethan has become one of my close friends. He caught my eye, and smiled at me. I saw traces of the boy that I was crazy about during my middle school years, and I saw evidence of the man that he was to become.
There's more to that Ethan Craft than just great hair.
"Lizzie! Just ask him to the Sadie Hawkins dance!" Gordo was looking at me with an exasperated look. I had been gushing on and on about Ethan Craft, the best looking boy at Hillridge Junior High. I had plenty of people telling me that they thought we would make a great couple, but I was too scared to do anything. After much persuasion from Miranda and Gordo, I gather up what courage I have and ask.
"Uh Lizzie. I think that's cool and all, but I don't like you, like you. I like you, but as a friend. Cool?" Ethan's slow reply hit like a ton of bricks. It hurt so bad to be crushed by somebody that I thought I liked so much. I managed to stutter a reply, then turned back to Gordo and Miranda, feeling like my heart was dropping to my toenails.
A few days later I was back in action, however, dressed up in '40's garb and handing Ethan a grape soda. We kept him under surveilance for a couple of days, trying to find out what all he was interested in. I hung around, mentioning how odd it was that we had so much in common. After a rather boring converstaion on golf, which happened to be Ethan's favorite sport, I brought up the subject of the Sadie Hawkins dance one more time. I was sure it would work! I mean, come on, the guy had to be crazy for me. We had "so much" in common!!
I got the same reply. He said he didn't liked me as a girlfriend, just as a friend. What was wrong with me? I thought I was decent looking, and a fairly good person...why wasn't Ethan attracted to me?
The day that he turned me down a second time was the day of the Sadie Hawkins dance. I spent it at Club Flamingo, a bar my brother ran out of our backyard. Larry Tudgeman had been known to stop by a few times, which could tell you a thing or two about my brother's club. He played the role of the bartender--you know, the type of guy you could spill all your problems too? Thankfully, however, before I could get the words out of my mouth, who should walk in but Gordo and Miranda.
The piano player that my brother had somehow managed to scrounge up started a new song. I was still feeling kind of sorry for myself, because I didn't get to go to the dance, when I realized...once again, my best friends brought the dance to me. Gordo was rambling on about goose eggs, and how he didn't get any invites to the dance...something in me struck a nerve or something, because suddenly my face felt very hot, and I couldn't keep a smile off my face.
"So, uh, dance with me." I looked Gordo in his huge brown eyes. He was kind of startled, I could tell, but he accepted. The whole time we shared our slow dance (Matt and Miranda by our side--I'm glad she took pity on him!) I kept thinking that it was Ethan's loss, because I'd rather be here with Gordo than at the Sadie Hawkins with him.
Of course, I kept up the charade that I was head over heels in love with Ethan for two more years. We had a small relationship during my sophmore year. It was then that I found out that talking to Ethan was like talking to a sack of flour, and rarely did he make me laugh. Needless to say, I ended it, but since then Ethan has become one of my close friends. He caught my eye, and smiled at me. I saw traces of the boy that I was crazy about during my middle school years, and I saw evidence of the man that he was to become.
There's more to that Ethan Craft than just great hair.