Sixteen Candles

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I would have to say I am closest to Sam Baker (if you don't know, she is a character in Sixteen Candles).

Growing up, I was never extremely popular. I wasn't extremely nerdy either for that matter. I had a great group of friends but always wistfully watched the popular girls and wondered what I had done wrong. How can girls my same age be so pretty, outgoing, funny and cool while I was way to tall, gangly, awkward and had a nose that was just way too large for my face? I tried to be like them but of course the more I did, the farther I got to from their group. It felt like I was a different species than them. I used to watch them during lunch and try to memorize everything they did. I would stare as they flipped their hair or flirted with the boys. I would try to remember what they wore and how they fixed their makeup. No matter how long I practiced I could never quite achieve the same results.

I, of course, always lusted after the popular guys. They were always older than me and usually had gorgeous girlfriends. They didn't know I existed. I was just the quiet, plain girl that sat in the front of the class. I had a large nose and was extremely self-conscious. I would go to dances (without a date of course) and watch these amazing guys dance with their friends and girlfriends. I would go home and cry because I just didn't understand how life could be so unfair. I did have a couple of guys ask me to a dance or two but they were always the nerdy, quiet guys that I was embarrassed to be seen with. I look back on this with shame but I was young and stupid (sometimes I still am).

One time, a guy asked me out and his name was Chris. I was definately not interested in Chris but I was so desperate to go on a date that I said yes. He wore a fake leather jacket and smelled funny. He took me to see a movie called Big Fat Liar. We were sophomores in high school and it was a G movie. It was a kid movie and I was bored out of my mind. He kept trying to be sweet and rub my arm but he kept rubbing in the same spot. After about 30 minutes I was getting ready to jump out of my seat. Have you ever had someone rub the same spot of skin for a while? It actually begins to HURT.

Anyway, I never spoke to the kid again. I was never interested and would never be interested. He was not cool enough for me. I was so stupid but I wanted to be with one of those popular guys! Even though I was not good enough for any of them, I still wanted to give it a shot. So I did.

His name was Jake (seriously, that was his name). He was a god. He was the most beautiful thing I ever laid eyes on. I really liked him. A LOT. He was a senior and waaaay out of my league. I still tried though. Turnabout dance was coming up and I decided to ask him to the dance. Was I going to just walk up to him and ask him? Oh noooo. I had to be creative about it. So I made him a card. Not just any ordinary card. I took a bunch of those little candy hearts with messages on them (you know, the ones you give out on Valentine's Day) and incorporated them into my card. I actually glued the hearts onto the card. So it had stuff like, "HOT STUFF, will you go to the dance with me?" where the HOT STUFF would be written on a candy heart. I actually gave it to him. I freakin gave it to him. That day at lunch I saw him showing all of his friends while they laughed their asses off. Yes. He was showing my lame ass card to all of the amazingly beautiful popular guys. I wanted to die.

He never answered me and we obviously never went to the dance together. I want to find the girls who were my friends at that time and ask them what they were thinking. How the hell could they let me do that????

I guess I could say that I am similar to Sam Baker except for the happy ending. I didn't get my popular boy. He didn't show up and sweep me off my feet. My life wasn't a movie, but who's is?

However, my boyfriend JJ is the greatest man alive. He was that popular guy in school and all the girls loved him. He played sports and was and still is gorgeous. I guess if you look at it that way, I did get my fairy tale, happy ending after all!