Part XXXIII

Early in my senior year, I had made a bet with a friend that I would go to every couple's dance that year, that I would not ask anyone and would not pay for any of them. Yeah, I was a catch, what can I say? There was a power play in most girls I dated back then. I was proving my bravado by dating whomever I wanted, regardless of having no qualities which a girl would find attractive and dating them on my own terms. Since it never hurt me in that area to act like a jerk, I made it a science. My lack of concern for the feelings and hurts of these girls still gives me a shiver. Anyway, the first dance that year was homecoming and I was asked by a friend from choir. I simply told her that I could not afford anything and she bought everything, tickets and all. On top of that, I did not have a license, so we doubled with my friend Mark and his date (also just a friend) Debbie. It was a pretty quiet evening, I was not used to going out with just a friend and did not really know how to act. I remember it as being uneventful but pretty fun to just hang out. You would have to ask her if it was the same for her, I never asked.

That Friday night, we had played our homecoming game against Cupertino HS and lost 19-0. I didn't even get to play, and didn't really care as I was just proving to myself that I could finish the season on the team. We finished the season 3-7 with four of our losses by less than 7 points. That is pretty good for a team which was the joke of the league the year before, finishing 1-9. The three other losses were complete blowouts. My mom finally came to one of my games, the last one. We lost 7-6 and I didn't even get to play, but mom was in the stands wearing my away jersey. It was "mother's night" and they honored the mothers in the middle of the field at half-time, which I found odd because Mom had never given me even a ride to practice, much less gone to a game before that. But, I finished the season, and follow-through was not my strong point. Of that, I was proud and could move on.

The first day back to school, a sophomore girl I had dated in the summer once or twice, asked me to the Sadie Hawkins dance in response to me telling her that her skirt looked like upholstery (what a peach huh?). I agreed because I was on the spot and because it was a quick way to make sure I was on track to win my bet. Lisa had a huge crush on me and it showed. She was a pretty girl, but was going through the awkward zits and braces stage of teen hell. I was definitely not the guy to make her feel better about it. Sadie Hawkins was in November, just after our season ended and a bunch of us went to some house and drank blackberry schnapps. I don't know if Lisa was much of a drinker, but she got toasted and we headed to the dance. I sort of lost her at the dance at one point and I saw a friend (female) and began talking to her when Wham's "Careless Whisper" began to play so we began to dance because we could slow dance and talk at the same time. Mid-way through the dance, Susan says to me, "Oh no. Look behind you." So, I turn around and Lisa is standing there crying like seeing me dance with Susan was the worst thing that could possibly happen. Now, I was not one to be particularly sensitive at the time, but I still don't know what the big deal was. We were just dancing, and not even interested in each other. Anyway, Lisa made a fool of herself that night in front of everyone, but I attribute it to the booze. I guess I should have checked up on what her expectations for the night were. I mean, she did pay for everything.