30 Days of Blogging: Day 19

A sweet memory from my past:
Today, I'm going to talk about my friend Christopher.  Chris and I met my junior year of high school (his freshman year).  We didn't really see each other much, except in choir.  That all changed senior year.  Somehow he went from being the cute kid in my choir class to my absolute best friend.  Almost everyday after school or rehearsal would find us sitting in his driveway, talking, laughing, or racing the seats in my Volvo. Chris and I shared a lot of laughs (like the time his dad came out to the driveway to tell us he was, "going to bed...to go to sleep." Please Mr. Yeaple, don't elaborate on your reasons for going to bed, it only throws further suspicion on what goes on in that bedroom...yikes), but I think the real reason why this is a friendship that sticks with me is because Chris is the kind of friend that you know always has your back, no matter what.

Chrispher and Lawren.  Note: this is like from when we first met, hence Chris' hair.

Here are a few examples of why Chris is a good friend:
1) Every year, our choir would go to Disney to sing in the Candlelight concert at Epcot.  My senior year, an old friend from Texas came to see me sing in the choir/hang out at Disney.  Basically, this kid turned out to be a major creep, who separated me from my friends and started sticking his tongue in my mouth.  The whole night I felt like crying, because this kid was like trying to have a DTR with me, talking about how he was moving to Florida for college, while trying to put his lips on mine in a manner that was entirely inappropriate for Disneyworld, and all I wanted was to have a good time with my friends.  After circling the entire park at least three times, I felt like I'd run into everyone in the choir, except for Chris and Evan.  Apparently that's because Chris was leading them on a rescue party following me.  Finally, he got so mad at this kid, he came up, grabbed my arm and pulled me away to figure out what was going on.  I guess the Texan visitor got a little mad at our private rendevous, because he came up and said to Chris, "Hey buddy, mind if you give us a minute?"  Chris sent him a withering look, took two steps away, folded his arms, and said something like, "Yeah buddy, is this good enough?"  The Texan visitor then started bursting into a jealous tirade against Chris, me, my religion, my friends, and insulting me in basically every possible way.  Finally I decided I'd had enough.  I explained that I wasn't interested in what he was offering, but if he wanted to stay and spend time with me and my friends, he was more than welcome, but otherwise he could pack his bags and go home.  He kind of stared in a stunned silence, like who wouldn't want what he had, or maybe he was just pissed that he spent so much money on coming out to Florida only to have me say I wasn't interested.  I dunno, but Chris came up and put his arm around me as I walked off, feeling slightly shaken, but very victorious.  I don't know if that would have happened if Chris hadn't intervened.

Typical.

2) Chris and I used to be in this after school jazz group.  I always used to go and buy these delicious, fresh Otis Spunkmeyer cookies our school sold before I went to any rehearsal (super healthy, I know, but I usually shared).  My favorites were the chocolate peanut-butter chip.  One day, right before our jazz group, I was munching on some, and I offered one to Chris, explaining that these were the best cookies he could ever have--except I forgot one crucial thing.  Chris is allergic to peanuts.  Yeah that's right, I forgot my friend's food allergies, I deserve a friendship of the year award.  So while I was singing my heart out in rehearsal, Chris was barfing his guts out in the bathroom.  I felt like a total jerk.  I mean really, who forgets something like that?  I was so afraid that Chris was going to hate me, never talk to me again, spread horrible rumors about me, etc.  But while he probably was pretty put out, life continued on as normal.  Forgiveness is a wonderful thing.

3) On New Year's Day, I showed up at Chris' house, sobbing.  I won't go into the details as to why, but suffice to say it was boy drama, and I was so upset, I got sent home from work early (I don't know if my mom knows this story...surprise!)  I didn't really feel like going home, so I went to Chris' house.  I felt so awkward, guilty, and weird, showing up there in the morning without an invitation, but I didn't know what else to do. Even though Chris had friends over, he spent the rest of the day with me, letting me cry when I needed to, making me laugh, and talking it all out with me.

This is me laughing through my tears.

 

This is Chris being a goober and making me laugh.

4) My whole family loved Chris.  He was one of those friends that whenever his name came up, my mom would say, "I love Chris."  He was over all the time, and he even came to church with us once.  One of my favorite memories is when Chris came with my family to Disneyworld after we adopted Jack.  It was my last summer before college, and I just really love thinking about it.  Chris really was part of the family.  It was like having a sibling close in age to me!

Chris and Jack

This was seriously one of the happiest moments of my life.  Lame?  Maybe.

 Lest you think that Chris was put upon by all my boy problems in high school, just so you know, I helped him ask out another girl, helped him through break-ups, and was there for him when he needed me too.  Chris is in so many of my favorite high school memories.   He practically made my senior year, and even though we don't talk so much anymore, I can't wait to see him and everyone else in like two months!

30 Days of Blogging.