Who was that girl?

This is a picture of me and an ex-boyfriend of mine circa 1995.

This was my favorite style.  Jeans, plain white tshirt, and unbuttoned button down flannel (usually my older brother's).  Although you can't see them, I was probably wearing a clunky black suede and white leather shoe, that was my favorite pair of shoes- second only to a brown leather chunky shoe.

The boy on the left side of the picture played a big role in my life for three years.  We started dating during the spring of my seventh grade year.  He was older, an either grader, and he noticed me.  His friend says that he noticed me walking in the hall while his class was having computer class.  Imagine me walking by while you and your friends are having typing lessons or playing Oregon Trail or maybe Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego... He turns to his friend, who i had known through elementary school or something, and asking "Who is that?"  I imagine the conversation went something like this:
Friend: "Who? That girl?  Oh her name is Hallie. "  
Future BF: "you know her????!?!?!?"
friend: "sure.  I could introduce you if you want."
future bf: "well, you know, that would be cool."


Fast forward to track practice awhile later and in the gym, my friend Jon introduces me to Luke.  I remember not really thinking anything of it at the time.  Just a boy meeting a girl.  Of course I gave him my phone number, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect him to call.  but I still remember the sound of his voice.  I still remember the awkward first conversation that lasted for hours and by the time I got off the phone I knew Luke and I would at least be good friends.


It was at a track meet on tax day, April 15th, that I met his mom.  She was so young and beautiful, i actually asked if she was his sister.  I won major brownie points with her and that evening Luke asked me to "GO OUT".  I was pleased as punch and so head over heals for him.  


The rest of the school year, if we weren't together, we were talking on the phone.  He became more than my boyfriend.  He was my best friend.  He could make me laugh and laugh!  He and Jon knew some guy who had an extra room that he let Luke and Jon hang out in, so one day the three of us headed there.  Not because we wanted to escape parental control, but because Luke's parents weren't home, and Jon's parents weren't home either.  We had no place to go really.  We listened to music and laughed.  We talked about track and about the future.  This is were Luke and I shared our first kiss.  


I remember my first real kiss, but this first kiss knocked that one WAY out of the park.  I never wanted to stop kissing him.  nothing else.  just kissing.


Luke 'graduated' from either grade and we swore that even though next year would be hard, we would make it work.  It was the summer that tore us apart.


He went to live with his cousins in Canton, IL to work on their land for the summer.  it was excruciating!  i punished myself by sleeping on my bedroom floor and not leaving the house except to deliver my paper route for at least half the summer.  Remember this was before cell phones, email, texting, etc.  I spent my time writing notes and letters to Luke.  I kept them in a plastic gumball jar from sam's next to my summer pallet...


My friend Jyl, finally convinced me to do something with her.  during the course of this time I met a new boy.    His name was Josh.  He was a little on the 'wild' side.  just enough to be really exciting!  Man did he want to go out with me.  I eventually gave in to his flirtations and the dimples in his cheeks.  

The very day Luke got home from Canton, I called him and over the phone I broke his heart.  I never meant to hurt him.  In fact I was completely honest with him.  I told him that I had kissed Josh and I would completely understand if he wanted to break up with me.  I wasn't going out with Josh anymore, but it is that trust thing that we had somehow lost.

The summer finally ended and i began my either grade year a single girl!  funny that I had begun every other year of school as a single girl, but this year it was more important.  Around the time of my birthday in September, I heard from Luke.  He had gotten a job.  He sacked groceries at  a small grocery market near his house and did I want to come over to his house on Thursday night to talk?

YES YES YES I absolutely wanted to see him again.  Who was I without Luke by my side.  I missed him so much.  of course we began dating again and Thursday nights were our nights.  We sat on the couch in his family room with his mom and step father and watched ER.  Then we would sometimes go for walks around the neighborhood, and sometimes just sit on the front porch and talk.  Thursdays were my favorite nights and no other day compared to them.  something about Luke had changed.

At the time, I thought it was the stress of his job and being in high school, but looking back I know he changed the day I told him about Josh.  we fought on the phone a lot and eventually thursday nights weren't enough to keep us together.  By Thanksgiving we had broken up again.

I started to date another guy in 8th grade named Scott in the spring.  we were in a play together and had a lot in common.  after our own 8th grade graduation after a few weeks of summer freedom, my friend and I went for a walk.  We walked to Scott's house, but he was not home, so we kept walking and we found ourselves in Luke's neighborhood.  My stomach turned flip flops inside of me as we knocked on his door.  When no one answered my heart sunk to the souls of my feet.  But then as if angels had tickled him, I heard Luke's boisterous laughter about two houses down.  So my friend, being fearless, went and knocked on the door of the neighbors who told us to come around back.

I can see it even still today.  Luke's eyes, as blue as the sky, and the shock of seeing me.  the smile that lit up his face.  I asked him once what his first thought was when he saw me come around the side of that house, and his answer was "I thought, 'My princess has come back to me!'"  my heart melted into his embrace and it was like we had never broken up.  By 10 pm that night I had called Scott and broken up with him by simply saying I was still in love with Luke.

The next few months were heavenly.  but the months that followed them, after school started again, were far from it.

I began this blog by asking Who was that girl in the picture.  That girl was me.  during those not so heavenly months. I was Luke's princess for sure.  but more than that I was fearless around him.  I was confident.  I felt beautiful- even when things were bad I still knew I was beautiful.

Where did that girl go?  When did I let her escape?  What do I need to do to get her back, or at least a part of her...