A 4th Of July Story

It was one of the best summers of my life. July 1989, I was twenty years old. I was working at Kmart, going to Moraine and even though I had little money it was enough to take care of my beer and cd consumption. I was stuck working on July 3^rd and my friends and I were planning to go catch the fireworks at Rice Park in Burbank later on that night. At this point in my life I was kind of self-absorbed and was kind of not being that great when it came to females. I was a constant flirt and had done some things that I am not very proud of.

Moving on, I was at work and up came this real cute girl. She looked somewhat familiar but I could not place her. She came up and said, “Hi Nick.” I looked and her but I just could not place her. She than said, “You don’t recognize me do you?” I didn’t, as a matter of fact I was clueless, so I said, "Sorry I can’t seem to place you." She than replied, “It’s Jenny, Debbie's friend.” It than hit me and I was in complete shock.

For a little history let me go back. My friend Zar used to date this girl Debbie. We used to call her Blanche, for some reason. None of Zar’s friends (myself included) could stand this girl. However, Zar was a buddy so we tried to tolerate her as best we could. Debbie had this friend Jenny who was always around. It was mentioned that she kind of liked me but this girl was not my type. She was a little on the heavy side, wore these think rimmed glasses and had this scraggly brown hair. She seemed to be nice and all but I just wasn’t interested. I mean I was no prize myself but when you’re not interested, you’re not interested.

So one day Zar asks me if I could do him a favor and go with Him, Debbie, and this Jenny girl to Great America. Now, I had no desire to go but he kind of pressured me into it. So, the whole day I am riding rides with this Jenny girl trying to be nice but not trying to be to nice, if you know what I mean. At the end of the night when we were in the car this Jenny tried to hold my hand and I pulled it back faster than Carl Lewis. Then when we went to drop off the girls I kind of blew her off. The details are a little hazy at this point but I know I was kind of being an ass as Debbie chewed me out the next day. Eventually Zar dumped her and I never gave this girl another thought. That was until she was right in front of me that July day at Kmart.

She had dropped at least twenty-five pounds, was wearing contacts, had this beautiful blonde hair and was wearing make up. Once she had cleaned herself up this one time wallflower was looking pretty good to my twenty-year-old, horn dog ass. So, I started flirting with her, and she was flirting right back. As I was stocking the shelf we were laughing and talking and I thought I was just killing with my lame ass material. So, eventually I told her that I was going to Rice Park and that she should meet me up there. She said she would love to and that she would meet me at 8:30. So, we set up a meeting point in the park and she was on her way. I never got a phone number but I thought I would just get that later when I saw her.

So, now I am stoked. So, I do what any immature twenty year old male does, I blabbed to my friends. I told them I had this knockout of a girl meeting me up at the park and they would not believe how hot she was. I was making my sophomoric jokes and really started talking shit about how cool it was going to be to hook up with her. I was so sure about it that I brought an extra lawn chair with me so she could sit with us.

So, my group and I go to the park. I find the spot I told her to meet me at and we set up shop. Again, this was sixteen years ago so the details get foggy but I think, Chris, Rob, Wally, and maybe Bill Curillo with there with me. The clock ticked to 8:30 and she was not there. Than at nine still no sight of her. I than at that point went out on an exploratory mission with a flashlight in the dark to try to find her. I looked everywhere and never found her. The fireworks started and all my friends sat back and made fun of me and told me how full of shit I was about meeting this girl I must have made up in my head.

At that point it dawned on me that she was getting back at me. She purposely stood me up. This was her way of getting revenge on me. As I once thought I was out of her league the truth was she was know out of mine, and she knew it. She used that to get back at me and she taught me a lesson. I mean she never came back in the store to try to explain her standing me up. Then again maybe she was there and we simply did not cross paths and then thought better of hooking up with me. EIther way, I learned a lesson. I would try as best as I could to never be that selfish asshole I was back then. Sometimes, I failed but every 4^th of July when I see that sign go up on 79^th street about the fireworks at Rice Park I am reminded of how I was humiliated in 1989.