My apologies to Billy Crystal et al
Summer 1995, I'm laying in my bedroom at 1314 Kentucky Street, sweating. Remember there is no air conditioning. My best bud since high school showed up with his current girlfriend and asked me to drop some things off for him when I went to Princeton. He had his girlfriend with him, Richelle. Richelle later told me she thought I was a dork. Ah love at first sight.
Fast forward a few weeks. I had just got off work from the Wal-Mart deli and went over to Kevin's apartment, he was there with his girlfriend and invited me to stay and watch a movie with him. At this time I was smoking again so I sat and watched a movie. Richelle asked me not to smoke in front of her, and I didn't. She told me later she still thought I was a dork. I probably was.
About three or four weeks into the fall 95 semester I was in Kevin's dorm room asking him some very pointed questions. He was really interested in a girl who was a RA in the dorm I worked as a nightclerk in. He said he was considering dating her. I asked him about Richelle. He kinda shrugged his shoulders and I went off on him. I told him he had no right to do that to anyone. People deserved the truth, yada yada yada. (Yes about this time I was going through the mess with whatsherface) (think I was channeling much!?)
I left his room furious, but he was calling Richelle.
Edit: Kevin later told me he would have called her, but he was a little surprised by my reaction.
I really thougth I should call her and apologize to her for the idiot Kevin was being. It was really none of my business though. Who was I to call her? I thougth about this for a long time, and decided better. I mean it was really none of my business and I'd never see her again.
Thanksgiving time . . . Richelle had worked at the Wal-Mart deli the summer before and had quit for school just about the time I started. I had never worked with her. My boss Jackie asked me what I thougth about her coming back over the Christmas break. I asked her why, and Jackie said Richelle was really good at party trays and we got a lot of orders for those over Christmas. I said sure why not. (please remember at this point in my life a 5th grader had more experience with the opposite sex than I did . . .possibly a 3rd grader did as well)
A few hours later I came around the corner where the makeshift office was with the schedule and I saw someone looking at the schedule. I asked, "Can I help you?" She spun around, surprised, and it was Richelle. For the first time in my life I saw her, I mean really saw her. I had no idea what I was feeling at the time, but now I know it was the first time I had ever, truly, fallen in love. She looked absolutely flustered, like she had stolen something (besides my heart that is)(that was horrible, I may throw up from the mushiness from that one!!). She asked me if I was Kevin's friend and I said yeah. She then mumbled something about having to leave and bolted from the deli. I watched her go and was very confused, yet had a goofy smile on my face. A coworker asked me later what the goofy smile was for and I told her I had no idea. I didn't at the time, but over the next few weeks . . . well I would find out. . . . TO BE CONTINUED
That's it for now . . .til next time. . . whenever that is .. .
"Chuck"
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