June 26 2008

About 3 weeks had passed since my crazy go-out-on-a-limb letter scenario. It had been a very successful event (God obviously was watching out for me that day) and I had received 2 letters thus far. I was a very happy girl, and was quietly enjoying my increasing attraction to the young man. I could hardly tell my friends about him; except for my two best girlfriends, Joanne and Elyn.

I didn't want to have people expecting something to happen, and then nothing happen. And I didn't want to have to give a painful explaination as to them why, yet again, I could not get a real relationship going.

On Monday the 22nd of June I got home from school around 4pm. I unpacked, glanced at my homework with disdain, ignored it easily and by 5pm sat at the computer waiting. The MSN symbol remained quiet. So I got up and helped around in the kitchen, hoping it would distract my mum from why I was so anxious to stay at the computer. I couldn't let her know about Lachlan just yet.

Finally after some pathetic attempts at passing the time, I saw the bright yellow flashing of MSN, informing me that someone wanted to chat.

I sprinted the two metres and crashed into my chair.

global_youth_culture wanted to chat. My heart was soaring higher than a cloud on a hot day! We said hello and talked a little bit about our days. Around ten minutes into the conversation, Lachlan said something which made my heart stop.

"Christina, I need to talk to you about something this Friday."

My fingers froze. My heart sunk to the lowest place it could possibly imagine. I felt rejection as hard as a punch to the stomach, and he had said one sentence. He was going to tell me that we would just be friends.

Wasn't that what I wanted?

Why was I so sad? Because I wanted there to be more, despite fighting it so much. Now my "prayers" for friendship alone had been answered.

"Christina? You still there?"

"Yes, I'm here, sorry. Mum asked me to do something."

My first lie.
My first real heartbreak.

The night passed, and I introduced him to a mild, annoying habit of mine, which is to ask endless questions about any sort of surprise. I tried so desperately to find out what he wanted to tell me. I insisted that I wouldn't mind whatever it was.

He kept saying no. It had to wait. What he needed to tell me, required a face-to-face encounter, because I deserved that respect.

I spent the rest of the week in the most awful mood. I was anxious, depressed and constantly blowing things out of proportion. I wanted Friday to come so badly, but I wished it could just pass by, and everything remain as perfect as it had been two weeks earlier. Why did he have to ruin everything so quickly!?

Friday came.

I put on some nice, warm clothes and anxiously got into the car to head off to youth. When I got there, I tried my hardest not to start looking frantically all over the place for Lachlan. I think I looked more ridiculous trying to suppress the anxiety, than I would have if I had gone looking.

Somehow I managed to avoid finding him. I spent the entire first service without once speaking to him. Afterwards there was a short hour break before the next service would start. I followed my friends and sat down in the cafe area where Lachlan and another guy sat. We spent the first minutes chatting politely, and occassionally I would flush with red embarrassment every time someone made a subtle notion to Lachlan and my friendship.

Finally, he spoke to me properly.

"Christina, would you help me get something out of David's (the guy who had been sitting with him) car?"

"Sure thing." I jumped up and told myself not to screw this up. If I could prove myself by being helpful, maybe Lachlan would hold off on breaking my heart for a few more days...even weeks.

It was dark and cold outside, as winter had settled in well. We reached the car, and David popped the boot.

"Christina can you lift the boot lid up please?"

Confused as to why he couldn't do it himself, I smiled and raised the door.

With a massive scream, Matthew Orban, who had been hiding in the boot the whole time, scared the living daylights out of me! I stood there, frozen as a statue, staring at him. I couldn't scream. I was so scared, I forgot.

Meanwhile, every other person, including Pembroke, were rolling on the ground laughing hysterically.

Sure, giving me a heart attack was funny. Good one.

I wanted to kill them.

Once Lachlan had recovered from his practical joke, he motioned me over to him.

"Come to my car for a second. I want to give you something."

This was it. The moment had come. I gulped hard, nodded and slowly, sadly walked to my fate. I had never felt so depressed.

He fumbled around for a while in his glove box, looking for his gift. I stood there, trying so hard not to stare at his good-looking behind for too long, in case I was caught.

When he found the gift, he handed it to me, but told me to wait before opening it. Then he cleared his throat.

I looked at him questionly.

"Christina...I, well. I want to let...let you know. What I'm trying to say is...well, this is it basically...I really, really like you."

I was stunned. I stood there for about 3 seconds silent.

He squirmed a little waiting, and then I came back to reality; the wonderful new reality of my life.

"I really, really like you too." I laughed with relief.

"Thank goodness!" he wiped away the sweat dripping off his forehead.

I then ran back to the auditorium to find Joanne. After failing to find her, I went into the bathroom and ripped open my letter. In it he said that by the time I was reading it, he would (hopefully) be a very happy man, and very relieved. I laughed at him and his nervousness. Then he continued to say how much he looked forward to getting to know me better, despite having feelings for me. He really wanted to become my best friend and support me through my schooling, before we started to seriously think about dating.

In a way I was happy to wait, but deep down I was a little annoyed. However I knew that my parents would make me wait no matter what.

The letter was perfect and wonderful. I felt so happy!

And there it was. His confession. My confession. Our new chapter as best friends, who seriously had a super thing for each other had finally begun!