The Love Story Of Us, Chapter 3

Rachel @ The Musing Of A Future Pastor’s Wife, is running this awesome carnival of Meetings, Marriages & Memories. Hope on over to her site and read more love stories of others!

Forgive me for not posting chapter 3 last week, we just came back home from our mission trip and for the life of me, I could not seem to get my thoughts where they should be to write.

Also this part of our love story is the hardest part for me to write.  I was not a saint in our courtship and this is the worse for me to tell…

~Chapter 3~

Our senior year continued down a bumpy road and besides the drama there really was not to much going on that was of any significance.  I turned 18 in January and was more disconnected with school than I was before and I also had the legal right to check myself in and out whenever I needed/wanted to, which did not help matters.

I got a job at the Census Bureau working full time, 2nd shift.  I would check myself out of school each day at around 2:15 and head to work and work there until 11pm.  It was one of the worse mistakes taking a job, especially a full time job, working those hours, trying to finish school.  I was throw into very adult situations and it was tough. 

I think Jeremy could see that.  He was there for me as much as I allowed him to be there.  There were some nights that he would swing by my place of employment to leave a note on my car, but for the most parts, I did not see him much.  I was so tired that most days I would drag into school when he was about to leave or soon after he left.  My school work suffered to say the least.

I met some guy at work that made fun of me for still being in school.  He hung out with me at our lunch hours with others from our work group and I quickly distanced myself from my “school” friends.  The end of my senior year was quickly approaching and I was caught up in work, so I let it sweep me away.

I broke up with Jeremy right before our prom and I really didn't see the impact it had on him.  I could not really see past my own life to see what or how I was doing things, really effected anyone.  I asked this guy if he wanted to go to prom with me and he said sure, so whatever was going through my mind that day, is anyone's guess.  I think my best friend was furious with me, but was more like whatever…it’s your life.  Jeremy made the decision not to go to prom, I am sure it would of been to hard for him to see me there with someone else.

The day of our prom arrived and the day was spent getting ready.  Gloria drug me to have my hair and make-up done and then we parted ways so I could head home to get ready.  I was ready to go and was waiting for my date to arrive so we could leave and catch up with the rest of the group for dinner then prom.  I waited and waited and the time for me to meet the others was quickly approaching and still my date was nowhere to be found.  Then I got the call.  He was not coming. 

I was more mad than anything and furious with myself for allowing this jerk to do this to me.  In retrospect, I deserved it, it was the same thing I did to Jeremy,  completely fitting!  So I was not going to prom, I made up my mind, called my best friend and told her to go ahead and leave without me.  She and my dad had other plans.

Gloria called Jeremy, my dad told me to stay dressed that I was going to prom and he drove me to Gloria’s house.  I thought they were waiting for me, but actually they had already left to keep up with the reservations they had made.  Unknown to me, Jeremy went to pick up the tux he had rented, got ready and was waiting for me when I pulled into her drive.  Wow!  If I could of crawled under the ground to keep from looking at him, I would of done just that.

He came to me and I went to say something to him but he told me to wait, not say a word, and that we would talk in the car.  Anything but having to talk to him in the car, ALONE.  Awkward to say the least because I knew that I was getting ready hear some thing's that I really did not want to hear, but knew that I he had a right to say what he would say.  We smiled for the camera and then it was time to leave.  As soon as the car door shut, he told me what he thought.  You know, I do not remember word for word what he told me, but I do remember that he said that this would be the last time that he would be there for me, and the only reason that he was there, was because he loved me.  After that, he said that we are going to put the whole thing to rest and was determined that we were there to have a great time and make memories.  Memories were what we made that night!

We got lost on the way to the hotel where the prom was being held.  In the middle of downtown Jacksonville we were driving down these road that we not fit for two young kids to be driving down.  The car in front of us stopped right in the middle of the road and this guy walked up and an exchange was made, I think a drug deal went down.  I just knew that we were going to be shot to death or something!!  We eventually made our way to the restaurant and then to prom.  It was so perfect!

After prom we walked up to the top of some building and just stood there looking at the city views….again magical.  Now here comes the most romantic part of the evening or morning by this point…we drove until we found a “HOT NOW” Krispy Kreme donut sign and right then and there, started a long tradition of stopping for “HOT NOW” donuts!  To this day, Jeremy will risk life and limb for hot Krispy Kremes!

We eventually made our way to Gloria’s house where we met up with the rest of the group.  The next morning, I was scheduled to work….on a Sunday, overtime, no sleep.  Jeremy begged for me to call in, but I was determined that I needed to go, so again, work took first priority over us.

He drove me to work that morning even though I really didn’t want him too, you see that “guy” would be there.  I asked Jeremy to just park the car the in the parking place and let me walk, but nope, he drove me right to the door, and who was outside sitting at the benches….that ‘guy”.  Primal insistent kicked in, Jeremy knew it was him, even though they had never met, and the protectiveness in him wanted to get out and take of business, but I begged him not too. 

I quickly told him goodbye and that I would see him later and walked into the building not saying a word, straight to my cubical.  Not much was spoken between that “guy” and myself that day, or for any other day for that matter.  I was done, needed to get my focus back to where it needed to be and get my grades where they needed to be, because in a about a month we would be graduating!   

To be continued….