My Love, My Sanity, My Better Half

    Jared and I went to school together our whole lives. I didn't really notice him until High School when we were in band together. He was just some goofy, funny boy. One by one, our friends started pairing up and dating. So we were kind of forced to hang out with each other while they were all gaga over each other. On band trips we sat together, rode rides together at amusement parks, and talked to each other while they were all making out. I didn't really think much of him at first honestly, and I had a boyfriend at the time. But he was hilarious and always had me laughing even on my bad days.
    One day, during our town's Oktoberfest, we were abandoned by our friends again. We made the most of it, and hung out together for the day. This was the day I introduced him to my mom. That doesn't sound like much, but to get the full picture, you have to know how he was dressed. It was a day that started out warm, but ended up colder than you would imagine for a town in Texas. We had a marching band performance that morning, and he had forgot to bring his other shoes. So he was wearing shorts with long johns underneath, nerdy white band shoes, a flannel jacket, and a toboggan. Oh and I forgot to mention he had hair to his shoulders at the time. My mom tells me now she thought I was introducing her to a homeless person. We really had fun together that day, and I didn't realize it, but I hated for that day to end.
     In May of 2001, our band took a trip to Disney World. My boyfriend didn't want me to go, he said that he didn't want me alone with Jared. Which looking back is understandable now, but I reassured him, and told him that Jared was like a brother to me, and that was it. And honestly, that was how I thought I felt about him. Since our friends were paired up, once again we rode rides together the entire first day. He kept me laughing all day.
      The next day, he got up really early and left with another group. Somehow all day long we never ran into each other. We were at Epcot, and at the time there weren't many rides, so the group I was with were bored out of our minds all day. At the end of the day, our band director had us meet up at the front. Apparently, Jared had been bored too, and when he saw me, he ran to me and hugged me, and told me how much he missed me. My heart did a little flip, and I felt a happiness I couldn't place. (At this point I was still in such denial that I didn't realize I was falling for him.)
     That night something awful happened. Our band director called me and my group of girlfriends into his room. He broke some awful news to us. One of our friends back home had lost her father in a horrific accident. We were devastated. We went back to our room and cried. Jared and his friends did not know about this, and they prank called us. All he could hear when he was talking to me, was me crying. The next minute, someone was knocking at our door. It was Jared, and he just let me cry on his shoulder while he hugged me so tight. This was the moment I knew that I had fallen for him. He had my heart.
     The rest of the band trip we were inseparable. Watching fireworks cuddled up together, holding hands, and riding every ride together. The night we left, I was sitting with one of Jared's friends on the bus. Jared had me switch seats with the person sitting with him, and he let me listen to a song that spoke to me. This song is now our song. Drive by Incubus. "Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there. With open arms and open eyes, yeah." Every time I hear this song now, it takes me back to that moment. We just sat there not speaking. Kind of afraid to. I mean, I still had a boyfriend, and at this point Jared and I hadn't put in to words how we felt about each other. At lights out on the bus, we cuddled up against each other, and were about to go to sleep. In the next moment he was kissing my forehead. He trailed down, kissing my nose, and eventually my lips. Our first kiss was magical!!! In that minute I knew that I wanted to be with him, and I didn't want to go back to reality.
     When I got home the next day, I called my boyfriend, had him come over, and I broke up with him. Of course he didn't take it well, but I felt that I had to do it. There we numerous other reasons at the time. I called Jared later that day and told him. And we have been together ever since. I am not saying we haven't had our moments. We have broken up, fought, and disliked each other at times. But we were high school sweethearts, and to this day we still love each other. I believe we always will.

My goofy boyfriend.

The day we were married. 8-2-04

Us now! <3