I had asked Gabrielle to the Senior Ball, and while she had let me know that she wanted to go with me, she had a piano competition scheduled for the same day. For a few days she tried to find a way to do both, but in the end she decided to skip the competition and accompany me to the dance. I was thrilled.
The ball was on May 3, and Gabrielle and I teamed up with John and his date for dinner and transportation. We went to dinner at the Alta Club, on the corner of South Temple and State Street, which my father had recently joined.
Earlier in the day I went in with my father to set everything up at the club, which included my dad pre-signing the bill. When we got home I hurried off to pick up my tuxedo only to encounter a snafu. I had to wait quite a while for my tux to be ready and by the time I got home I didn’t have enough time to shower. Instead I had just enough time to get changed before John picked me up.
Dinner at the Alta Club was excellent. Perhaps a small group, like a double date, was better suited for me than a big group -- or even just as a single couple. Of course, I might also have been in a better mood. In any case I was able to contribute to the conversation without feeling a lot of pressure to have something to say.
After dinner it was a short walk over to the Hotel Utah where the dance was being held. Maybe it was because the dance was at a different venue, but I didn’t think of Julie once. Anyway, Gabrielle and I both had a great time. She looked fantastic that night, though her gown was a little bit tight, which made it difficult for her to walk.
Later, the four of us got together with some other friends for an after party. We changed out of our formal clothes, played some games and did some other fun things. It was a great way to finish what had been a wonderful evening.
Before the dance I had been thinking about the possibility of getting serious with Gabrielle. We were getting a long well with each other, and how could I not feel complimented that she chose to go the ball with me instead of participating in the piano competition? I was aware that she took her music seriously, so her choice did seem to be a big deal. Of course, the ball was the final dance, not just of the year, but of our time in high school, so I am sure that also influenced her decision.
As for the idea of having a girlfriend, my thinking was, if it happens it happens. While I had made the decision to wait, there were still times when I might have hoped that I girl could like me that much. Even so, at the dance I realized that a relationship was not what I wanted, at least, not yet.
The next day, I went to see Gabrielle, ostensibly to give her a claim ticket for the photo from the dance, but really to have a chat. She said that she had a great time and something about her enthusiasm left me intrigued. For a few weeks I found myself going back and forth on the idea of having a girlfriend or waiting until after my mission.
A couple of weeks after the ball I learned about a photo contest in a national magazine and I asked Gabrielle if she would be willing to pose for me. She was happy to help out, and she did not seem to be concerned that I might have wanted to be more than friends. Then, a few weeks after graduation, I took her out one hot afternoon for some ice cream. By then I was sure that I wanted to wait until after my mission, as much as I liked Gabrielle.
I wonder, though, if my rekindled hope did not have something to do with my feelings for another girl. I was still trying to be friends with Julie, but it never did seem to work out. As she had often been in the past, at times she was friendly, but at other times she was distant. While she had not been very friendly after we made peace, as the summer approached she would become even more distant. This time I decided to just walk away -- no letters, no discussion on her front porch, instead I would just quietly walk away.
I told myself that it was finally over, or at least that it would be soon enough. Her family would be moving away that summer. Surely there would be nothing left after that, right?
Despite whatever difficulties I was experiencing with Julie, I was feeling good, better than I had felt since at least the previous October. Graduation was a month away but, perhaps more importantly, I was focusing more and more on preparing to serve an LDS mission. In fact, despite being out late because of the Ball, the following morning I got up early to attend my first missionary prep class.
The missionary preparation program organized by my stake had meetings on Sunday morning and on Tuesday night. Perhaps more important, though, I could teach mock discussions to members once a week if I wanted to. These "firesides" as they were called, allowed me to learn the discussion, and learn how to teach with the spirit, while allowing me to overcome any feelings of "stage fright" I might have had.
As graduation approached, I was also coming to really appreciate the friendship I was receiving from Evelyn. But I may have had too much appreciation, if that is possible.
There were times during those last few weeks when I simply did not want to go home after school. Going home meant being alone, which tended to bring me down from the highs I experienced during the day. So I found myself sticking around in the halls, hoping to spend more time with my friends. At least a few times I approached Sally and Evelyn when they wanted some privacy and they would get frustrated when I did not immediately grasp their desire to be alone.
Still, in those final days of high school, I was able to create some good memories with my friends.
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