Two days before, "I really like you and I want us to be more, like in a relationship," she texted. Sitting on my bed in my room, I sighed a long delirious breath. Once again she wanted to be more than what I was willing to offer. It's like she never understood that I could want her as just a friend. Sure, she has charm, but between my beliefs and her forcefulness, we wouldn't be good for each other. The first time she wanted to be in a relationship with me I had more time to catch my bearings, talk to her in person, and let her down gently. That was during the school year. Now, I've hardly seen her all summer, just texting. She wants a relationship from me and she wants an answer now! I leave in two days for a nine day trip. I haven't even started packing yet.
Scrambling to pack for the trip, I barely managed to get everything in order. My brain was caught in a fog. She hadn't left me much choice but to turn her down. So I did. She fought. She called me her "investment" and that she decided that she wasn't going to give up on me when I turned her down the last time. "Kelli, we're both going to be seniors this year and it's either now or never and I can't bare to ruin our friendship by making it complicated." She was hurt. She stopped texting me. I wouldn't have access to communication to the US after I left for Panama so that was that. Have I lost one of my best friends? Is it over?
Vitality returned to my eyes as we approached the bright lights in the airport parking lot. After a little pep talk, my wonderful father helped me find my group. Nearly fifty teens were huddled hear the American Airlines line. I visited a bit with my similarly not awake friends. I only knew about 15 of the 50 students well. Our Youth Pastor J. is new and I can't say that I trust him all that much, but I know he's had plenty of experience with missions trips, just not organizing them. It didn't take long for our group to completely assemble and board our first flight. The trip had started. Parents were left behind. What would I see? Who would I meet? How would I change?
oreas, and chocolate syrup. Yummy yummy.
The “real” excitement occurred when I talked to my friend Aaron. He started going on and on about the past two flights out of the total of four that day, with two more to go. Having sat next to a “nice Christian girl,” Aaron had good conversation, he got her number, and they parted paths at the end of the flight. This happened twice, once for each flight! Now this wouldn’t seem so “bad” if we weren’t on a missions trip. In my eyes it was weird. They were eighteen and nineteen years old, living in “Maryland and Huston TX.” Aaron is fourteen, about four and five years difference! Sure, Aaron has a swag for his age that I admire in someone so young, I'm seventeen and I've just begun to have confidence in myself.
The “real” excitement occurred when I talked to my friend Aaron. He started going on and on about the past two flights out of the total of four that day, with two more to go. Having sat next to a “nice Christian girl,” Aaron had good conversation, he got her number, and they parted paths at the end of the flight. This happened twice, once for each flight! Now this wouldn’t seem so “bad” if we weren’t on a missions trip. In my eyes it was weird. They were eighteen and nineteen years old, living in “Maryland and Huston TX.” Aaron is fourteen, about four and five years difference! Sure, Aaron has a swag for his age that I admire in someone so young, I'm seventeen and I've just begun to have confidence in myself.
While I'm not really surprised that the two girls “liked” him, what was funny was when Bekah made a big deal out of Aaron's new friends. She then proceeded on a tangent about her previous flight where she met a woman, pregnant, who is engaged. The young lady left Bekah with the advice not to get pregnant before getting married and the two of them really hit it off. Bekah, made comments to my group that the women “Like, loved her” and that they exchanged email addresses. My response? “Aaron and Bekah, chatting up the ladies!”. Her response after a shocked almost gasp, “That’s not even funny!” Then she walked off. At least I thought it was funny. :P My note to Aaron, your dad will probably be totally fine with it, your mom on the other hand...
