One summer, long ago, I was at an event held by my church called YAC. This stands for Youth After Church. Every Sunday night, our youth group would meet at our church building for small groups, and then travel to someone's house to hang out, eat food, and sometimes swim. Since it was summer and I was only 14, still unable to drive, I loved these Sunday night events. It was the only time that I would get to see a lot of my friends. I remember this night more clearly than a lot of those YAC events.
It started out just like any other. We were all just hanging out and talking. Eventually, one of our youth interns, James, shows up with a boy my age. Being a teenage girl, my interest was instantly spiked. James brings the boy over to our group and introduces him to us as his cousin, Lucas. He said that Lucas was going to be going with us to Youthquake. I honestly don't remember saying much to him at that time. Maybe a "Hi, I'm Kristina." Idk.
Here is where me and Lucas disagree on how the rest of the evening went. But this is how I remember it. A few of us girls decided to go swimming. So we went to the pool and jumped in. However, there was one girl who decided she wanted to be obnoxious and stand on the edge of the pool saying things like it's cold and I don't want to do this. At this time in my life, this particular girl drove me insane. It was so obvious to me that she was just wanting attention and I just wanted her to get in and shut up. It was then that my night in shining armor showed up. Lucas was standing on the pool deck and reached over and pushed her in. I was in love. This boy that I had just met had just shoved someone in the pool that I didn't like. Today he says that he didn't do that. But I know he did haha. That's what first attracted me to him. =)
Fast forward about 8 months. I'm gonna say February 25th, 2004. I had recently told one of my friends that I liked Lucas. And of course, in high school, the only reason you do that is so the person will find out haha. So, he found out. I was carrying my trumpet, walking down the hallway of the church, and here comes Lucas. Because I heard it through the grapevine, I knew that he was about to ask me out. I wasn't quite ready for that so I was a bit nervous. My friend Chelci was walking by me and when he walked up I dropped my trumpet on her foot. That's how nervous I was. Eventually, he asked me out, and I told him no. Lucky for me, he was persistent.
February 29th, 2004. Round two. While hanging out at YAC, I spread the word that I want Lucas to ask me out again. Whether he gets that word or not, I don't know. I do know that I was talking about lip gloss right before he asked me out. Why I remember that I don't know. But I was. This time, I say yes.
May 6th, 2004. It's funny how these dates are still so clear to me. My relationship with Lucas was not quite the relationship I had been hoping for. He didn't go to my school, and I couldn't drive. I hated talking on the phone. So, two days a week we got to see each other and talk. I hated that. And while I really liked Lucas, I hated how the relationship was. I broke up with him, telling him that maybe we could try again when we could drive. Little did I know he had already told his mother that he was going to marry me if he had anything to say about it. And one of his classes at school.
Throughout the next 3 years, Lucas and I's relationship was very rocky. We sorta tried the whole relationship thing again but ended, yet again, with me backing out before it could really get going. I would go to him for advice about other boyfriends that were giving me trouble, he would tell me to break up with them, I'd get mad and be upset at him for awhile. We both dated other people. We both still talked to each other fairly regularly. I truly believe that during this time, God was shaping us into the people that we needed to be for each other. Because of this belief, I don't regret a single one of my mistakes. I needed them to become the person I was when Lucas and I got together again.
Part 2 to come.
-Kristina
