Shane’s First Girlfriend

A year past and then another. I was finally a teenager. I never really understood why people get all excited about birthdays and numbers. I felt like, even though I was only 13, I coulda handled things most kids 3 or 4 years older couldn’t. Maybe it was my childhood or maybe it was something else. Who knows?

That summer brought more days at the golf course and more hours at the country club’s pool. I had become friends with the lifeguards up there and they didn’t even make me sign in anymore. I think they figured I was Mac’s grandson. That really made me happy.

One of the lifeguard’s was named Steve Best. He was 17 and the coolest guy I had ever met. He taught me how to swim faster, took me shoppin for “cool” clothes, and even helped me figure out how to talk to girls.

There was this one girl in particular named Myra Alvarez. She didn’t talk much, but she had the prettiest smile I’d ever seen and when I was lucky to be in the immediate area when she flashed it, I melted. I told Steve about her one day and he promised he would help me get her attention.

I missed momma.

Armed with Steve’s advice, and a stomach full of Bit O Honey candy (my favorite to this day), I made my way over to where Myra was sitting at the pool one day. She usually read a book while her little brother played in the pool, but today she was just enjoying the afternoon.

“Hey Myra”

“Hey Shane. How are you?”

“Oh you know… just livin it up… ” (Steve had told me not to give any long winded answers”

“That sounds fun! Where is your grandpa today?”

“Oh Mac? He doesn’t like playing when its so hot. Says he’d much rather sit at home and let Granny cook him up some french toast all day. Her french toast could make you change your religion, its so good” (So much for short answers)

Then she flashed that smile, and I was dang near paralyzed. It was good I was sitting down.

“I love french toast! My mom makes it on Sunday’s sometimes!”

“Really? I figured ya’ll would only eat…” I stopped myself. Steve had told me not to point out anything that coule be potentially offensive. Oh crap… I had stumbled into that sentence like a big dumb idiot!

“Ya’ll? Like Mexican people? Haha! Shane we eat the same stuff you do!”

That smile again! I was so relieved.

We sat and talked for another thirty minutes about everything I could think of. When she finally left, I walked back over to where Steve was sitting. I felt like I had just ran a marathon. Talking to girls was pretty tiring. Steve told me I did a great job. That made me feel better.

Myra and I spent many afternoons talking at the pool. Of course there are only so many things you can talk about at a pool. I managed to turn our poolside friendship into an everywhere friendship. But, being a young man, I wanted more. I wanted a girlfriend.

I got advice from Steve, Mac, and even Granny. Steve’s advice usually was all about what to do physically and how to say things. I almost felt like he was trying to sell me a car sometimes. Mac’s advice always ended with “and don’t forget that she deserves respect no matter what, son.” Granny tended to just offer up advice like “You should ask her on a date and I’ll cook y’all a dinner she won’t forget!” Granny was the sweetest old lady I ever met.

One evening, I convinced Myra to meet me at the movie theater in town. I told her Steve was coming and a couple other friends I had.

She met me around 6:45PM. I was alone. Duh.

She smiled at me seeing that she had been tricked. She made no comment about my trickery, which I thought was a good thing. Maybe it meant she had been hoping I was planning this all along.

The movie was boring and about some guy going to Tibet for 7 years. I didn’t have the nerve to try the “arm around your date” trick Steve had told me about. The only reason I even broke the “touch barrier” he talked about was because I accidentally dropped my wallet and my shoulder hit her knee as I picked it up.

The movie ended and I was totally blowing it. Why couldn’t I talk to her like at the pool? Why couldn’t I even look her in the eye? I could handle an incarcerated, drug addicted mom, and a dad who I saw maybe once a month, but I couldn’t look a little innocent girl in the eye? Come on Shane! Finally I grabbed her hand as we were walkin down the steps of the theater. Of course its hard to walk side by side on stairs and much harder to hold hands doin it, so I ended up coming within a toe of tripping and bustin my ass at least 27 times. Finally we reached the bottom and I breathed a sigh of relief. She looked over at me and busted out laughing. Apparently I was being funny. We walked back up to the front of the theater and out the doors to wait for her ride.

I’ve always felt like people don’t really appreciate hugs and how much they can mean. Some people hug their family everyday before work or school and think nothing of it. To someone like me, back then, a hug was almost foreign. The feeling of someone leaning towards me and wrapping their arms around me as if to say “I care about you and want to share myself with you.” was not something I experienced much growing up. Myra didn’t know this, and there was no way she could have. She had no idea that she was about to be the first person other Momma that I truly felt cared about me.

She walked over by some pay phones and put her arms around my shoulders and pulled me towards her.

I couldn’t remember the last time someone hugged me.

I assumed it was over and let go and leaned back.

Her arms stayed.

I looked into her eyes and noticed she had a half smile on her face. Her eyes shifted to my lips and I finally realized the shit storm I’d stumbled into the middle of.

Steve and I had never even thought about the possibility of going for the holy grail of 13 year old dating! You just don’t do that on the first date! I had seen it done a few TV shows, but thats it! Oh man I was screwed!

She leaned in and so did I. My basic plan was to just do whatever she did. What else could I do?

She giggled. I giggled.

She leaned closer. I leaned closer.

She closed her eyes. How am I supposed to mirror you if I close my eyes?!

I closed my eyes.

I felt her lips touch mine, and suddenly all the tension in my shoulders and elsewhere was gone. I relaxed and kissed her back.

She kissed me at least 7 or 8 more times and told me she’d been wanting to do it for a long time. I had a lot to learn about reading women.

Eventually, and too soon, her ride showed up. It was the start of my first real relationship.

Shane was in love.