The Red Dress Club and Red Writing Hood

This week I'm linking up with the folks over at The Red Dress Club and their Red Writing Hood prompt.



This week's prompt asked you to begin your piece with the words, "I could never have imagined" and end it with "Then the whole world shifted." 600 word limit.

I could never have imagined.

That I would be that girl that would never have a real boyfriend until I was in college. I spent most of my child and teenhood mooning over pictures of Kirk Cameron, Corey Haim and NKOTB. I imagined what it would be like to have one of them as my boyfriend because my parents didn't want me to date until I was 17. I started college the fall I turned 18.

I didn't know what I was doing and was to naive to really care, I felt free. Free to do what I wanted and pick who I wanted and date. And date I did. I dated winners, I dated losers. I date boys that were somewhere in between. Nothing ever became to serious until the night I met Jed.

I remember thinking his name was funny and surely it was fake. He wasn't too tall and had a muscular frame. It reminded me of Marky Mark's body. I remember it being a freezing night in Boston and somehow I had coerced my roommate to make the trek to one of the local clubs. I think it may have been a Sunday.

Jed proved to be the first guy who took me seriously and who took our relationship seriously. He was kind and sweet and sappy. He enjoyed spending time with me and showed me that not all boys are jerks. I remember that he always used Carmex lip balm and I remember I began using it too.

We had started dating before Valentine's and it would be my first real Valentine's with a partner. I didn't per say hate the day but it wasn't my favorite…except for the chocolate. I had no shame in buying myself a box and eating the whole thing. I think I may have even bought myself flowers, no a whole bouquet but enough to cheer me up.

And then came Jed. I remember waiting all day for something…a card, a balloon, flowers. Day turned to night and still nothing. My roommate assured me that he would do something, to be patient. Patient I was not…I had someone that cared for me and that was the day to show it. Finally fro up the street I saw him, carrying a large balloon and flowers. I met him at the door and remember how the cold air swirled around us as we hugged. We went for a walk that night and he told me how he loved being with me and spending time with me. He gave me a beautiful card and to this day I still have it tucked away. It is the only thing I have ever kept from previous relationships.

We dated for several more weeks, it may have been months. I remember him telling me that soon he would turn into an a-hole and he didn't want to hurt me…then the whole world shifted.