Love story, part 1.

*Kite's random comments will appear in bold ;)

Rusty and I had met and known each other since July of 2012, and while I'll admit that there was an initial spark, I had never even considered having him be anything more to me than a friend -- due in part to my "I'll call you!" and never actually calling -- until a Family Home Evening event in December, when we were decorating a gingerbread house and cookies to take to a shelter with our friends. I got a distinct feeling that he may have liked me I definitely did (come on, girls have a natural affinity for this kind of stuff, we just like to pretend that we don't know), but it was too late. I'll be taking my final test and graduating from school that month, I'd never see him again. I love how she seemed to be *hoping* it wouldn't turn into anything. Girls are weird! But it wouldn't hurt to be friendly, right? Right! So when he invited me to make a snowman with him, I accepted. I'm very good at keeping guys in the friend zone. Not good enough...

Little did I know, that that invitation was part of an evil and insidious plan to seduce me. Seduction? She gives me more credit than I deserve! It opened me up to a gateway drug called texting. But I wasn't addicted yet. I knew not to take too many doses, to keep my distance. I still had a chance to escape, my test was right around the corner, and soon after I ace it, I'd be on a plane to Texas, and off I'd go. I was just dabbling for fun. The big test day came, and after the first ten questions, the computer system crashed. But it was too late, my confidence was shattered. I wasn't ready. The first part of the two day test was postponed until the next day. I vaguely remember receiving an invitation from him to buy me hot chocolate to make me feel better, but I really didn't have time for that nonsense. Honestly, I still had another portion of my test to take! Thursday. The day results would be posted at 1PM. I felt awful about how I did. I failed. Of course I did. I wasn't prepared. We crowded around the board at 1PM, but the results weren't posted yet. Darn, guess we'd find out on Friday. We left the school house, and meandered around campus a bit. Before leaving to go home, I figured I'd check the board one last time, just in case. I walked inside, and from one look at my mentor, I knew I failed. "I failed, didn't I? Just tell me I failed so I can leave." "Go look at it for yourself," she said. Sure enough, there was a 1/2+/1+ score listed by my name. I needed a 2/2/1+. I didn't even get close enough to that 2 with a 1+, pathetic. So I sent him a text, "How about that hot chocolate tonight?" See? She wanted to be seduced. ;)

I was indulging myself, trying to hide the deep disappointment I felt at my failure. So I kept texting him, and when he asked to take me out to dinner before our winter vacation started, I accepted. What could it hurt? The date was a success. He really had my attention, now. But I was still on my guard. Even if I still had a little more time in Monterey now that I didn't pass my test, it still wouldn't be enough. I had six more weeks at the least starting in January. Not nearly enough time for anything serious to happen. Right? Right. Throughout the two weeks of winter vacation, we kept in contact. No phone calls, but constant texting was definitely going on. Actually, our very first phone conversation was probably a less than one minute clip, at the very start of the new year of 2013. Being the silly little girl that I am, I wanted his number to be the first one in my outbound call list. I couldn't wait for him to get back into town. Hooked.