Kristy Snyder Pd. 1

It was great to finally get out of the house. Lately, it seemed that all I had done was school, school, school, and marching band. Finally, however, the band season was over, and the promise of the holiday break loomed a mere few weeks ahead. The chance to hang out with my friends was a rare one, but it now revealed itself. It was a Friday night, I had nothing to do, and my friend Geneva had invited me to go bowling with her and some of her other pals. Of course, I accepted the generous invitation with excitement.

As I arrived at Geneva’s house, her and another friend, Casey, along with the driver of the excursion, Don, were already waiting for me. They seemed to be in a hurry, for we had to get to the alley early in order to reserve a lane. However, we had to make one last stop on the way, to pick up one of Don’s friends – a fateful stop that would change my life forever.

I must admit that around this time in my life, I was feeling quite desperate. I was already fifteen, and had yet to have a real boyfriend. It was not really that abnormal of an occurrence, but for some reason, it plagued me. It was probably for that reason, and that reason alone, that I felt a shimmer of excitement in the air. Tonight was my chance to meet some new people, to get myself out there. And I could feel the pull of destiny calling me through the early December night.

As we pulled up to his friends house, I could not help but pray for a miracle. Perhaps he would be an amazingly handsome guy who would immediately sweep me off my feet! The truth, however, was not far from that.

The car door opened, and in stepped a strikingly attractive young man. He had dark brown hair that flirted generously with his forehead, framing a set of homogenously chocolate irises. He smiled as he sat down, white teeth glittering in the dimly lit SUV.

Geneva was sitting in the middle of the backseat with us, so she felt the need to introduce us, since we were the only people who had not met before. She told him my name, and our eyes met, sending a shoot of sparks down my spine. Jeff. His name was Jeff.

When we got to the bowling alley, there were no lanes open. So we decided to go eat while we were waiting. We drove over to the King’s Buffet, an overly priced buffet that has since closed down. As I stepped out of the car, I could help but shiver, though not because of the slight chill in the air. I tried to smooth down my naturally frizzy hair, but it was unsuccessful as usual.

Jeff sat across from me at the table, and I tried to be conscious of the way I hungrily devoured my food. Surprisingly, he was quite funny, and actually tried talking to me. Over our dinner, we conversed about my life and interests, as well as his own. I found myself grow more and more confident with each sentence, and began to realize that perhaps I was not the only one with such feelings.

It didn’t take all of us that long to eat, and we still had a few minutes before a lane would be vacant for us, so we decided to go next door to a local pub to play pool. We went inside the establishment and claimed a table as our own. All the while I kept sneaking glances at Jeff, hoping and praying that perhaps things were more than they seemed.

After a few minutes of hardcore pool shooting, Geneva motioned for me to join her in the bathroom. I did not have to go, but could not help but obey, curious as to why she so urgently needed my aid. When we were safely sealed inside the perimeter of the room, she burst.

“Jeff likes you. He wants to ask you out!” I could not believe it. For once in my life, something out of my dreams was happening, becoming a reality. There was a mutual attraction between me and a perfectly wonderful guy! And… he was taking action.

Stunned yet bubbling with anticipation, I applied another coat of shiny lip gloss, once again smoothed my violent hair, and left the bathroom with Geneva. As we approached the pool table, an awkward silence seemed to hang around the three people, alerting me that everyone was aware of what was about to happen.

Jeff casually walked over to me and leaned against the table, prepared to ask me the binding question.

“Will you go out with me?” His voice was hopeful, and it caused me to shudder with happiness.

“Maybe.” I could not believe my pathetic response! That was not what I’d meant to say! Geneva shoved me, and I quickly reiterated my plea. “Yes. I mean yes!” I smiled, dumbfounded in my own stupidity, but still aware enough to give Jeff a reassuring glance. He seemed puzzled for a moment, but then caught on to my true response.

“Great.” He returned the smile, and inside my heart swooned as I gazed upon my first boyfriend.