Complex situations

Once upon a time, in a land far far away....

Ok, maybe it wasn't that far away. A couple weeks ago I asked my friend David Armijo to go the last dance of the school year with me. He is a senior, so it would be his very last high school dance. I wrote a bunch of Haiku poems that took him different places in town. My friends and I sat at the different places and waited for him to find the next clue. It was windy and cold, but worth it.

Over the next few days I observed how David acted around me; and that was abnormally happy. I must say, it was refreshing. In his eyes I could see that he was excited to go with me. I could tell that we were going to have the most fun we had ever had on a date... well, for me at least.

This past Wednesday while I was in the shower, he came over with the answer. There was an envelope with papers, cookies, and a little card thing. I went to open the card first, but it said to stop. So then I went to the envelope. Inside was a crossword puzzle and the key to the crossword puzzle. Everyone knows how a crossword puzzle works. I did it and the key had things that would give me the answer.

The first set said, "You puzzle made me cookie, so this is not a piece of cake." The next set said, "Will you go out with me this Saturday. Please say yes." The wheels in my brain were turning like crazy. Why would he be asking me on a date when I asked him on a date? Well, let's find out. The last set said, "David can't go May twenty-two. Been asked by an imposter."

Come again? I'm pretty sure that I made sure that you hadn't been asked.

So I read the little card and it says,

Dear Michelle,

Someone in my physics

class asked to to Grads

as well. I would love to

go with you, but I decided

to go with her, because

she's a senior, so this will be

her last formal dance, and

also, I figured it would be

a lot easier to just go on

a date with you sometime

else.

I had been sitting at the kitchen table with my towel on my head, so I went to take it off. Secretly, I went in there to cry. And so I did. Then I went back out to eat some cookies. I knew that if I talked about it that I would cry some more, so I went to bed.

Now you probably guessed that I didn't really go to bed for a while. I went down to my room and bawled. And I mean, bawled. When did she ask him? Why didn't she ask him if he had been asked? You mean now I waited for him to get the Haiku and it was all for nothing?

Then I checked my phone and I had a text from Sister Black that said to call her. I knew exactly why, and it was to talk about David coming to Red Cliffs with us on the day of Grads. Pooey. But I called her. Her husband is the Bishop of our ward and he answered. That wasn't good either. He told me that David could come and then I asked for Sister Black and told her. I cried some more.

I had a hard time sleeping that night. How was I going to tell my friends? I didn't want to, but I knew I had to. Blah.

At school the next day I just showed them the answer and tried not to show my emotions. It worked during the school day. David sat by me at lunch and we discussed our date plans, which he had already came up with, which was impressive. I still had my composure.

Then I went to paint at Lynda's. Heather called and said that she had locked her keys in her car. I said that I would help her find her spare. Lynda took me home and the van was gone. Oh great. So we went back and I called Emilie and asked her if I could borrow her car. Sure.... but I don't have a lot of gas. Crap. She took some neighbor children home and called me on the way back. The van was home. Oh grand. So I went home and got the van. My dad insisted that he come with me (he thought I was going to Wal-Mart but I was going to campus) and I said no.

I took all the keys in the drawer and tried them all in her car. None of them worked. Oh wonderful. So then I drove out to the charter school to find my mother because she wasn't answering her phone. When I was just about there, she called me. I told her that I was driving there to figure it all out. She told me there was no point in doing that because she was coming home. Well, thanks mom. I'm already about there so stay there.

As I walked inside the school with tears in my eyes, I went into my moms classroom. We talked and she included me in her plans to find the right key. No, just let me paint! All I want to do today is paint! So I cried some more.

And she didn't do anything about it. I wanted her to mother me and tell me that it was going to be alright, but she didn't. And I know that my mom has a lot of things to do, but I was standing in front of her crying and I felt like she just ignored me.

We are almost to the acme of the story, so just hang on a little longer through the drama.

I went to Lynda's to paint, shaking from the lack of food and water. I went home, still shaking. I ate dinner and stopped shaking. Then we went to get ice-cream. My mom wasn't sure if she was going to come with us, so I went to ask her what she was going to do. And she snapped at me. Yep, not the best thing for my emotions.

So I bet you guessed, I cried. But not until I was away from her. I was with Heather and she started to hug me. Not good. I cried, and then mom came out and said, "Is she crying, again?" Well, duh! I just got rejected and now you aren't really mothering me! What I am supposed to do?!

That night I called Carl because the next day was state choir and I wanted to come home with him. Being the control freak that I am, I just wanted to make sure it was still going to work out. He answered and asked how I was doing. Well... and there it all came out. The most I had cried during these few days was on the phone with Carl. I felt like he was the first person to really LISTEN to me that day. When we talked about it the next day he said that he was having a hard time keeping up with everything. Well, at least he was trying to keep up!

We'll skip Friday. It wasn't that interesting.

Saturday morning I woke up and mopped the floor and got myself ready for the day. Just as I was putting on my shirt, David called me. He wanted to know if I could practice with him before we played our violins at Kolob. So I went over to his house and our date started.

After we practiced we went to the Softball field because the Madrigals were going to sing the National Anthem and then go to Kolob to sing. It was really windy, which isn't surprising. David was cold and kept asking me if I was cold. That felt good.

We went to Kolob to perform in the Mothers' Day program. After the Mads were done singing, this autistic kid (I think) said, "Before I dismiss you guys, I have something to say." Then he sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." It was the cutest thing in the world! David and I performed and then it was all over. Julie (David's aunt) said that we play well together. Then I talked to Jill (David's mom) and she thanked me for playing.

Then she started to thank me for being so gracious about the whole Grads predicament. She told me that David spent a long time making the crossword puzzle and planning the date. She told me she loves me and that David loves me, too. And there were tears in her eyes. No Jill! Don't cry! It won't help me any!

So then I went home and waited for David to pick me up for the rest of the date. He did.

My good friend Matt took my good friend Amy on her first date. They were our double. We went to David's house to make our lunch. It consisted of a veggie salad, fruit salad, turkey bacon sandwiches, really yummy chips, and homemade strawberry rhubarb pie. YUM!

So we headed over to Canyon Park for a little picnic. David and I had a song from choir stuck in our head and were singing it. It is called "Down to the River to Pray." We walked down to the little creek and said a prayer over our food. That was funny.

After we ate our food we played the most ultimate game of connect-four. It had four colors and two sides. It was CRAZY! Then we decided to swing dance. Then David went to the bathroom and we hid from him. Then we played Apples to Apples and ate the pie. Then we went home.

Amy and I on her first date... yay!

I was taking pictures of things so Amy wanted to take a picture of that twig. I like the colors.

Amy and Matt hiding from David.


David and I half in the sun.


David and I in the good light. Did you notice that both of our front teeth are crooked?

The green cards that Matt won in Apples to Apples

It just felt so natural to be with David. Maybe it has to do with the fact that we have been good friends for a while and just get along well together. There were no awkward moments. It was David Joseph Armijo and Michelle Lorena Grafelman being friends without anyone else there but Matt and Amy. The whole day was relaxing and felt good.

If I was the one in David's situation, I probably would have done the same thing he did. It doesn't really bother me anymore that he chose the other girl. I can see how much he labored over the decision. We were excited to do some sweet swing moves at the dance and to have a blast together. And it was all worth it in the end.

Best date ever.