the story of us, part 2...

Read part 1 here

(photo taken the first time I met Chris' parents)

A few weekends after church camp there was a state youth rally and I found myself excited at the chance to see Chris again.  I was standing around talking with some of my friends when I saw Chris walk in.  He was wearing faded blue jeans, an orange plaid shirt and brown shoes.  I liked his casual style, the way he styled his hair.

There were a couple of guys in particular who spent a lot of time with my group of friends that night but I was always very aware that Chris was nearby.  Occasionally, our eyes would meet for the briefest of moments before I would quickly look away.  Each time those blue eyes seemed to look deep into my soul.

Somehow Chris and I ended up talking that night.  What started out as a large group of people suddenly became just the two of us, talking by ourselves in the midst of a crowded room.  I nervously flipped my Sun-In-bleached hair back and forth as I talked to the guy with the piercing blue eyes. 

(church camp 1998)

I don’t remember what was said that night of our first real conversation but there was something about him that got my heart pounding and made me very nervous.  I liked that it was easy to talk to him.  And I will never forget the way my heart sank when another girl came skipping up to him, suggestively put her hand on his arm and told him that it was time for them to leave.  Who was this girl?  Is he dating her?  Her body language obviously suggested that she was interested in him...is he interested in her?   Again I found myself confused knowing that I had a boyfriend back home and wondering why I was so concerned about Chris and the thought that he might be with this other girl. 

The next morning was a short church service before everyone headed back home.  When we arrived I scanned the crowd, looking for Chris, and was disappointed when I didn’t see him.  I tried to put him out of my mind and headed inside with my friends. 

(at Chris' parent's house, summer 1998)

The church was already packed full of people.  My friends and I ended up sitting in folding chairs that spilled out of the church into the lobby.  The service had already started when I saw Chris walk in but he quickly disappeared.  A few minutes later my friend nudged me and when I looked over at her she motioned with her eyes to a spot behind me.  I was completely caught off guard when I realized that Chris was standing right behind me.  He was leaning close to the back of my chair so that he could crane his neck to see inside the church.  I could smell his cologne and the room quickly grew hotter as my heart started beating faster.

(this was our Christmas gift for our parents in 1998)

When the service was over my friends and I went outside to the parking lot and were joined by the two guys who had been hanging out with us the night before.  A few minutes passed by and I saw Chris walk out to the parking lot and get into his black Audi 90.  I thought, “well, that’s it then...” I was surprised by the disappointment that I felt thinking that I would probably never talk to him again. 

As I stood there, only pretending to listen to what my friends were talking about, I watched out of the corner of my eye as Chris pull out of his parking space.  He would have to pass us to exit the parking lot and I quickly ran through my mind whether I should wave as he passed or not.   I was surprised when he slowed his car to a stop and motioned me over. 

I walked over to his car and he smiled.  He asked me, “hey, do you like that guy?”  I realized he was referring to one of the guys who had been hanging around my friends all weekend.   I quickly said, “No.”  I will never forget the way Chris looked when he said, “that’s good” and then flashed me one more smile as he drove out of the parking lot.  

Part three coming soon...