
Laura wasn’t sure what to think. Here she was, sitting alone on an abandoned bleacher in the aftermath of a Snow College basketball game. It didn’t seem such a bad place to be, or such a strange thing to be alone, except she was supposed to be at the valentines dance with her date, Michael. And that was why she was a little out of sorts.
Michael had asked her to the dance just a few nights before. If she was being honest with herself, Laura would admit that she was not all that excited. She liked Michael in a comfortable sort of way, but her heart was a little tied up elsewhere. Michael had been a friend for a while now, and when he asked her to the dance Laura said yes. This may have been their first official date, but Laura already knew Michael quite well. For months they had sung in the institute show choir together – rehearsing, touring, performing and the like. Michael had even confided in Laura a few times about his struggling relationship with his girlfriend Kyla.
At first Laura liked being the confidant. It made her feel like a real friend. But when Michael started making it obvious that there was some attraction there, it just seemed harder and harder to politely listen to stories about an unhealthy relationship. Eventually Michael had broken off the entangled attachment with Kyla and within a few days asked Laura to the dance.
“So what went so wrong?” Laura thought to herself as she watched the wire encased clock ticking above the hoop at the end of the gym. Within one tick of the second hand she knew the answer. Kyla. The game was part of the date. Michael had picked Laura up with smiles and the promise of a great night. The pair found great seats at the game next to a group of friends, and Laura was all smiles till she happened to look up and to the right. There in the bleachers just three rows back was Kyla – looking very alone, unhappy, and vindictive. Through the game Laura noticed the piercing glare coming from behind. She knew Kyla was watching them, but tried to shake it off. The game was fun despite the prickling sensation of someone not entirely friendly watching you.
Snow College won. The crowd was raucous and fun. Michael seemed happy, and only slightly aware of the glares directed at him from behind – until Kyla came right up to Michael – face to face – and said with the measured control “can I talk to you for a minute?” Michael took one hesitant look at Laura, said “I’ll be back in just a minute.” and left with Kyla. He walked out the door after Kyla.
Slowly the gym emptied. The noise dissipated. The air grew heavy. Twenty minutes passed…then thirty. Laura sat. Alone. Now there are times in a girl’s life when a friend shows up at a strategic moment and becomes something of a guardian angel. This happened at that moment for Laura. Ben, a fellow choir member quietly came and sat down next to Laura. He had been unnaturally astute for a college freshman and seemed to see what was going on. Ben assured Laura that he had seen Mike and Kyla having a heated discussion in the hallway. So he hadn’t actually left her. That had to be good news. Ben sat quietly with Laura, waiting, for Michael to come back. After a full hour had passed He even graciously offered to take Laura to the dance. Laura cried and sniffed out a gracious “no” and explained that she really just wanted to go home. Ben helped her up and started walking her towards the door.
She almost bumped into someone on the way out, and when she realized Ben had stopped, she looked up. There was Michael, silent and sullen with his hands in his pockets. “I’m taking Laura home” Ben said chivalrously. “No, I need to talk to you. I’m so sorry. Please, can you stay and let me explain?” Mike said strait to Laura without looking at Ben. Laura agreed, and Ben left with one last look of support.
Mike and Laura walked down the abandoned corridors of the activity center. The stress and disappointment of the night came full force into Laura’s mind. She let loose on Michael with every thought about what a bad date this was, how unfairly Kyla had always treated Mike, and of course about how unfair Michael had treated her. Michael took the lashing in silence, agreeing to every word. Ten minutes into her tirade Laura’s anger and frustration turned to tears and she asked Michael to take her home
“No, please. Michael asked. “Let me at least take you out for ice cream. I know it’s too late to make the dance, but let me make it up to you at least that much.”
And so the two went out to meet up with friends at Denny’s. The drive was sufficiently long enough for a good heart to heart, and for cooling down. Laura was just feeling like she might actually be able to put a smile back on when the couple spotted flashing blue and red light s behind them. As Michael pulled over Laura thought to herself “Could this night really get any worse?”
“Can I see your ID sir, and yours miss?” said the police officer once Michael had pulled over and rolled down the window. “Sure. We’re from Snow College, just on our way to Denny’s”
“You know it’s illegal to be out with an underage girl at this hour sir.” said the policeman. “I can take you in for this.”
Michael and Laura looked at each other and began to laugh. It took another five minutes of explaining and ID flashing to convince the cop that Michael was not a perverted adult out for a joyride at midnight with a fifteen year old, but eventually the situation was made clear and the cop let the two go.
After a nice helping of ice cream and an uneventful trip back to her apartment, Laura reluctantly thanked the Lord for such a strange night. Surely this was the most bizarre first date she had ever experienced, and yet, yet, there had been something redeeming to it. If nothing else she knew that Michael was someone who could make a bad situation bearable. He was also an intriguing sort of friend. Laura also knew as she drifted off to sleep that she would never be able to forget and possibly never forgive Kyla for mistreating her friend. Worse even was the feeling that Kyla had hurt so badly someone she didn’t even know and obviously didn’t care about. One girl stirred negative feelings like Laura had never felt before. Kyla made her jealous. Maybe there was more to how Laura felt about Michael after all.
Michael had asked her to the dance just a few nights before. If she was being honest with herself, Laura would admit that she was not all that excited. She liked Michael in a comfortable sort of way, but her heart was a little tied up elsewhere. Michael had been a friend for a while now, and when he asked her to the dance Laura said yes. This may have been their first official date, but Laura already knew Michael quite well. For months they had sung in the institute show choir together – rehearsing, touring, performing and the like. Michael had even confided in Laura a few times about his struggling relationship with his girlfriend Kyla.
At first Laura liked being the confidant. It made her feel like a real friend. But when Michael started making it obvious that there was some attraction there, it just seemed harder and harder to politely listen to stories about an unhealthy relationship. Eventually Michael had broken off the entangled attachment with Kyla and within a few days asked Laura to the dance.
“So what went so wrong?” Laura thought to herself as she watched the wire encased clock ticking above the hoop at the end of the gym. Within one tick of the second hand she knew the answer. Kyla. The game was part of the date. Michael had picked Laura up with smiles and the promise of a great night. The pair found great seats at the game next to a group of friends, and Laura was all smiles till she happened to look up and to the right. There in the bleachers just three rows back was Kyla – looking very alone, unhappy, and vindictive. Through the game Laura noticed the piercing glare coming from behind. She knew Kyla was watching them, but tried to shake it off. The game was fun despite the prickling sensation of someone not entirely friendly watching you.
Snow College won. The crowd was raucous and fun. Michael seemed happy, and only slightly aware of the glares directed at him from behind – until Kyla came right up to Michael – face to face – and said with the measured control “can I talk to you for a minute?” Michael took one hesitant look at Laura, said “I’ll be back in just a minute.” and left with Kyla. He walked out the door after Kyla.
Slowly the gym emptied. The noise dissipated. The air grew heavy. Twenty minutes passed…then thirty. Laura sat. Alone. Now there are times in a girl’s life when a friend shows up at a strategic moment and becomes something of a guardian angel. This happened at that moment for Laura. Ben, a fellow choir member quietly came and sat down next to Laura. He had been unnaturally astute for a college freshman and seemed to see what was going on. Ben assured Laura that he had seen Mike and Kyla having a heated discussion in the hallway. So he hadn’t actually left her. That had to be good news. Ben sat quietly with Laura, waiting, for Michael to come back. After a full hour had passed He even graciously offered to take Laura to the dance. Laura cried and sniffed out a gracious “no” and explained that she really just wanted to go home. Ben helped her up and started walking her towards the door.
She almost bumped into someone on the way out, and when she realized Ben had stopped, she looked up. There was Michael, silent and sullen with his hands in his pockets. “I’m taking Laura home” Ben said chivalrously. “No, I need to talk to you. I’m so sorry. Please, can you stay and let me explain?” Mike said strait to Laura without looking at Ben. Laura agreed, and Ben left with one last look of support.
Mike and Laura walked down the abandoned corridors of the activity center. The stress and disappointment of the night came full force into Laura’s mind. She let loose on Michael with every thought about what a bad date this was, how unfairly Kyla had always treated Mike, and of course about how unfair Michael had treated her. Michael took the lashing in silence, agreeing to every word. Ten minutes into her tirade Laura’s anger and frustration turned to tears and she asked Michael to take her home
“No, please. Michael asked. “Let me at least take you out for ice cream. I know it’s too late to make the dance, but let me make it up to you at least that much.”
And so the two went out to meet up with friends at Denny’s. The drive was sufficiently long enough for a good heart to heart, and for cooling down. Laura was just feeling like she might actually be able to put a smile back on when the couple spotted flashing blue and red light s behind them. As Michael pulled over Laura thought to herself “Could this night really get any worse?”
“Can I see your ID sir, and yours miss?” said the police officer once Michael had pulled over and rolled down the window. “Sure. We’re from Snow College, just on our way to Denny’s”
“You know it’s illegal to be out with an underage girl at this hour sir.” said the policeman. “I can take you in for this.”
Michael and Laura looked at each other and began to laugh. It took another five minutes of explaining and ID flashing to convince the cop that Michael was not a perverted adult out for a joyride at midnight with a fifteen year old, but eventually the situation was made clear and the cop let the two go.
After a nice helping of ice cream and an uneventful trip back to her apartment, Laura reluctantly thanked the Lord for such a strange night. Surely this was the most bizarre first date she had ever experienced, and yet, yet, there had been something redeeming to it. If nothing else she knew that Michael was someone who could make a bad situation bearable. He was also an intriguing sort of friend. Laura also knew as she drifted off to sleep that she would never be able to forget and possibly never forgive Kyla for mistreating her friend. Worse even was the feeling that Kyla had hurt so badly someone she didn’t even know and obviously didn’t care about. One girl stirred negative feelings like Laura had never felt before. Kyla made her jealous. Maybe there was more to how Laura felt about Michael after all.