Origin

Homecoming bonfire. It sounded like the quintessential clichéd high school set-up. My friend told me that her boyfriend's friend wanted to go out with me and they wanted to set us up because it would be so fun to double date. I was reluctant.

I didn't know Him, but I knew who He was. He wasn't "my type". I'm not sure what my type was at sixteen, but I didn't think it was a "dumb jock". He looked kind of thuggish. Beefy neck, unruly dark hair, big brow...brutish. Under the influence of teenage wisdom I assessed Him based on his appearance. Initially I said no, but my friend begged.

The plan was for the girls to meet the boys at the bonfire. Well...He didn't show. After an hour, the boyfriend appears and explains that we need to pick Him up at his house. Something felt off. Once at His house the boyfriend went inside to retrieve my date. I wanted to go home. I was so embarrassed. I knew my scheming friend had mislead me. I sat in the car humiliated, while inside the boyfriend convinced Him to go out with me.

Twenty minutes later. He gets in the car beside me wearing a dirty, old, 10 gallon Stetson, a fleece lined denim jacket, and stares straight ahead. A hat and a coat on a warm September evening? How could I be any more impressed? The best is yet to come. Yes, we went to McDonalds. I waited for Him to order so I could take my clue as to what I should order. A small root beer. Well then... I ordered a small orange soda. We sat in awkward silence while our friends, eating their meal, tried to engage us in conversation. He looked at his cup the whole painful time. Thankfully, they dropped me home first. He walked me to the door, said "goodnight", turned and left.

I dreaded the next day at school, and the next. Thankfully I never ran into Him. It was odd. Our school was too small to not catch any glimpse of Him for two days. He wasn't at school. He had come down with the flu the afternoon of the bonfire. He went home during school and collapsed in bed. The boyfriend got Him out of bed that night with a 102 temperature, sweating like a pig, and barely able to stand. Later, I asked Him why he even came? He said he was afraid that it might be His only opportunity to go out with me.

He came...

...one more reason I love Him.