Not quite on the same page

When I was a freshman, I was asked by a senior to the homecoming dance.

This was something like two weeks into my freshman year.  The only reason I even knew a senior was because we'd spent all summer doing marching band drills and the week before school started we were at band camp.

*Insert flute joke here* --pun entirely intended.

The guy was nice. Super nice. Friend nice.

And gentlemen, what does that mean???

Not a snowflake's chance in hell of anything happening.  Ever.


He asked me if I would go with him to the dance.  It was very sweet.  Very, very sweet.  But I told him "No."

Why, you might ask?  Did I have a boyfriend?  Was I waiting for someone else to take me?? What was it???

Several things.

First, I wasn't into this guy, and going to a dance with him could possibly lead him on. I didn't want to send any mixed signals.  Second, I didn't want to go to a dance with someone other than a steady boyfriend - it wasn't worth the money -- to me.  Third and most important, he was a senior and I was a freshman! No way in hell was my dad going to let a 17 year-old take his innocent, sweet 14 year-old to a dance. Yes, he was a band nerd (as was I) lots and lots of skeevy things happen amongst band nerds.

When he asked me why I didn't want to go with him - I thought the most realistic and least mean would be that my dad wouldn't let me.

It was uncomfortable hanging out in my friend's basement after that -- but we were able to watch Friends just the same (it was the first season - we really got into it!).

Anyway.

That weekend I was doing whatever I did in the house, when my dad came in from the garage.  He had a goofy smile on his face.


The smile threw me off.  It was suspect.

He told me that he had just had about a 30 minute discussion with a nice young man in the garage.  He said the gentleman asked HIM if it would be ok to take me to the homecoming dance.

Now that I have already reference Friends...remember the episode where Monica was checking Richard's answering machine and accidentally tapes over his message? When she finds this out - she let's out the most believable, guttural "NOOOO"?

Yeah, that was me.

Of course, my dad was utterly charmed by the young man, and said of course it was ok for me to go to the dance with him.

Oh, and he was waiting in the garage for me.

FUCK FUCKITY FUCK

I don't remember how the rest went.  It wasn't pretty.

In the end, I didn't end up going with him to the dance - and my dad was told to PLEASE check with me before throwing a curveball like that!

GAH!

Dads....