Chip

He was one of the kids in that youth group I wrote about last week and I had a crush on him. (Please note, I said "crush". It wasn't love, just a school girl crush.)
Chip was tall and blond and full of energy. He was sweet and kind, gentle and thoughtful. (or so it seemed until...) A good listener. He was also crazy and you never knew what he was going to do or say next. I think that's what attracted me to him. That and his wonderful sense of humor. When we were together, we were laughing.
There was only one thing that stood between me and Chip. Tina. She was his girl friend. They had an up and down kind of relationship and when they were up, I was down; when they were down, I was hopeful. I secretly watched them from afar, waiting, hoping for that one final fight that would free him forever and he could be mine!

Finally, late in the fall they broke up. Oh my heart went pitter patter! Maybe... just maybe?

I waited patiently, giving his broken heart time to mend. We were able to spend more time together now and I could tell Chip was attracted to me. Oh the joy! The hope! When he towered over me and laughed at some mundane thing I'd said my heart rate went into overdrive.

Then one night it happened. Chip asked me to be his girl. It was the middle of January and our youth group had gone ice skating. The ice was perfect, the air crisp and clear; stars twinkled over our heads and mountains surrounded the lake. All these things blended together to make a perfect, romantic setting. I could tell Chip wanted to talk to me. He kept trying to maneuver me away from the other kids to a secluded spot on the ice. I wanted to postpone the moment, to soak up the fact that Chip was finally seeing the light. We were meant to be together! So, I kept skating back toward our friends, teasing him, laughing.

After a time I at last relented. We did indeed skate off to a dark, cozy corner of the lake. Chip looked down at me and wow. The look he gave me. He was nervous...hopeful...Then he popped the question:

"Judy, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?" I asked innocently.

" I'm going to ask Tina if she'll get back together with me. If she says no, will you go with me?"

He never knew what hit him.