Dave Myers is the TarheelinNashville

Teenagers LIVE for the Summertime.

It means the end of a school year. You get to plan your summer break with your friends. You get your yearbooks. Summer meant even more to me because my birthday always fell a few days after the last day of school.

We got out year books in late may, a couple of weeks before the end of school. I got all of my friends to sign mine (except one.. more about that in a few). Most folks wrote the standard cliche lines… ” Great getting to know you in History Class”, “Have a great summer”, and the ever popular from most girls -”You’re such a sweet guy”… yada yada.

I reserved three spots in my yearbook for three special people in my life.

One spot for my best friend since Sixth Grade – David ‘Tater’ Turner – A Great American

Another for Jason – My running buddy and friend for the past few years. We shared Music and Drama classes together, and he had became even a closer friend during my Junior year.

And Lastly one for Katie Coleman – The girlfriend whom which my entire world revolved around.

Katie and I spent nearly every weekend night together during the last few weeks of school. She was excited about her upcoming graduation, and I was excited my senior year was right around the corner. Jason, Katie, Jenn (Katie’s friend) and myself spent many days just driving around and hanging out in the park. Katie had Jason had become quite close, and their flirting with each other bothered me quite a bit. I never accused either of doing more than flirting, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that it hurt. I told her often how it bothered me, but she just told me there was nothing to worry about and I was just being paranoid.

Eventually it came to a head.

I turned Seventeen years old on June 10th

On June 12th I got the phone call to meet Katie at her house.. “We needed to talk”.

She explained to me that she was going away to college and she didn’t want a long distance relationship. My mind quickly ran through all of the times I had thought she was flirting with Jason, so I immediately second guessed her.

This break up had nothing to do with moving away, she had her eyes on somebody else…

Someone who I admittedly I was very jealous of.

Jason had everything I didn’t.

He was more athletic than me.

He was a more popular than I was.

He always got the leading role in any play we were in.

I hear he even once kissed Kim Stone -Everybody’s Dream Girl and Cheerleader Extraordinaire .

And now, it appeared he had captured the attention of my girl.

I didn’t know what to say. I just told her I understood. I didn’t confront her about my suspicions (though I had brought it up numerous times in the past), I just let her talk… I then begged her to reconsider before I left, but in her eyes it was over and done, and so it was.

I left hurt, angry, and felt betrayed.

I got in my car and drove home, trying to fight back the tears. But alas, they came.. and they seemed to never stop. I pulled my car over on the side of the road and cried like I hadn’t done since I was a child. I pounded the dash, hit the steering wheel, turned the radio up as loud as I could and I screamed. I was angry at the situation, angry at her, angry at Jason, and mostly angry at myself for allowing myself to get this upset.

I remember thinking to myself “This isn’t how most guys would handle something like this. I bet none of the cool popular guys get this upset over a break up.. what’s wrong with me? How come I can’t be more like them”

That’s when it hit me.

I wasn’t upset just because of the break up. I was upset because I had finally met a girl that looked at me as more than just “A nice guy”. I was more than just a guy who was “Sweet, and so friendly”.. She made me feel like something more than just another “good guy”, she made me feel like a Man, like a somebody. I had that with her… and now it was gone.

In the end I looked for somebody to blame. Unfortunately, I chose the most innocent party in the whole situation. I took my anger out on Jason. I said and did things in the aftermath of mine and Katie’s breakup that I am to this day I am not proud of. I couldn’t be angry at her because I was still in love with her, and I was too naive to see the third person who was responsible was me.

My own insecurities, paranoia, and jealousy over her and Jason had really put a strain on the relationship. I am not sure if there ever really was anything between them, other than innocent flirtation. But my imagination, and own self doubt escalated whatever might have been there into something much larger than it really was.

The term ‘Loss of Innocence’ gets thrown around a lot. Most use it as a sexual reference. I disagree. I believe one loses his/her innocence when he/she has their first REAL heartbreak. I have been in love since my first love, but never so openly or trustingly. I fell head first with no thought of how it could end. There were times in my adult life when I wished I could find that trust again…

There is still a blank page in my Junior Yearbook with the heading that says – “Reserved for Katie Coleman”

My whole world revolved around Katie and when she left.. she took my world with her.

It felt like forever, but time heals all wounds.

It would take multiple trips to the beach (along with the somewhat innocent hook up with a Yankee girl from PA), The solid rock of friendship from my best friend David ‘Tater’ Turner – A Great American, and the introduction to something that would become a MAJOR passion for me, to help me get over the break up… But eventually I did.

It took an impromptu lunch date (at Burger King) with Megan Alba Biel to help me move on, and to appreciate what was going to be the best year of my HS career.

Love Y’all
d

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