Best Buddy Boys

When they were both four years old, my daughter and her little boy buddy were really, super cute together. 

They'd play. 

They'd eat ice cream. 

They'd run around the playground and get all sweaty. 

Now, a little over a decade later he has asked her for a date! 

It's too early!!! 

I thought all girls were 'icky' for fourteen year old boys. 

I guess not. 

He wants to take her to the movies. 

Absolutely NOT!! 

I have memories of a certain young man following me to the movie theatre. 

It went like this...

I'd see my friend after school and we'd talk about what we were doing after school.  He would dutifully say he was going to go home and do homework and I'd say that I was going to catch a movie before going home. 

He'd be worried about me going unescorted, so he'd tag along. 

He'd have no money, so I'd buy him a ticket.  Hey, one can easily rationalize that $3.50 (the price of a ticket back then) was well worth having a body guard for two hours and an escort on public transportation. 

In fact, it was a bargain! 

I never bought popcorn because I was a darn cheapskate!!  Well....I also knew that if I bought popcorn, he'd end up digging in it the same time I did and we'd end up holding our greasy hands together. 

I never bought popcorn....

Still...even without lard....somewhere during the movie...his hand would always end up grabbing mine.  It could have been during the scary parts or the freaky parts...I don't know.  Somehow his hand would always find its way over mine. 

Then the fingers would interlace. 

Then he'd be leaning into me. 

Then he'd be breathing in my ear. 

It would progress from there. 

Yeah....to this very day, I have no idea how any Tom Hanks or Eddie Murphy movies ended because I was too busy trying to get untangled from this gentleman to pay attention. 

Why the heck is my lie detector going off?  LOL!!  Yeah, I was just as much to blame for any inappropriate snuggling. 

I am being quite truthful when I say that I don't remember Sixteen Candles or The Breakfast Club, either.  People gasp when I tell them I never saw it.   I went to the movie.  I can tell you in detail what my buddy looked like in the flickering light...but...I have no clue about the plot lines of any of those movies. 

I do remember some of the contents in the protagonist's medicine cabinet in The Fly because my dear friend had to point out that there were balls on one of the shelves.  Just to be a brat, I made him explain what balls were.  It's a shame it was too darn dark in that theatre for me to get to see him blush!! 

Ah....that poor, poor soul.  I put him through the ringer. 

First loves always get a raw deal. 

I'm sorry.  He has no clue how many times I want to beg forgiveness when I'm in his presence.  He already forgave me but still....the more I reflect, the more stupid shit I remember pulling on him.   I did so much garbage to him....so much baloney...there was so much that I didn't know back then. 

I thought I was doing the right thing...but...I was a grade A moron. 

Based on my experience back in the day, I made it clear that my daughter could not go to the movies with her best buddy unless a few of her girlfriends went to make fun of them if they get too hot and heavy. 

This is happening far too fast. 

When I looked concerned, my daughter told me that she wanted to get her P.hD in Mythological and Cultural Studies so I should not worry about her becoming a teenage mother.

I am not sure if I should be consoled by that.  Why is she thinking about sex right now?

Oh my gracious.....help me through this.  I'm going to be doing a heck of a lot of praying. 

Love,

S.