Nobody puts baillee in the corner

Friends, I would like to take you on a journey if I may. 

Let’s travel all the way back to my freshman year of high school…

…which was somehow 20 years ago. WOOF. 

In today’s entry, I want to share with you the story of Tom. 

Like a lot of teen romances, this moment with Tom was short and sweet, but I think it’s a fun little story nonetheless. 

Tom was a sophomore when I was a freshman, and he was also in band with me. 

Mine and Tom’s paths crossed because we were not only in the same section, but he was good friends with Noah (yes, this is another crossover episode…and won’t be the only one this year 😏), so we ran in some of the same circles. 

Noah and I would have our moment in the summer, but that winter, Tom had confided in Noah that he liked me. 

The problem was that I didn’t have any feelings for Tom whatsoever. 

I also had absolutely no idea Tom liked me, even though, in retrospect, it was quite obvious. 

Tom wanted to sit by me at the movies, and Noah would always recommend that I carpool with Tom wherever we were going (even though Noah absolutely lived closer to me). 

There was even one instance where Tom jokingly fireman carried me out of a movie theater because I beat him at an arcade game. 

Yes, I’m aware of how mindblowing oblivious I am, okay?

I’ll give you a moment to let all your frustration out. 

Ready? 

Let’s continue. 

Shortly after being physically carried out of the theater and over to Chili’s (friendly reminder that I grew up in a small town), Noah, who was dating another friend of mine at the time, finally told me that Tom liked me. 

He and my friend, whom we’ll call Tamara, were stoked because, if I dated Tom, we would be able to hang out all the time as couples, which was very “mature” (I cannot stress this enough, we were CHILDREN). 

And this is the part I’m not proud of. 

I…very passionately expressed how I didn’t think of Tom romantically, and it was “way harsh, Tai.” 

Tom was a decent guy, and he didn’t deserve for me to talk about him in the way I did. 

But, of course, I was 14, and he didn’t look like Chad Michael Murray (or Lindsay Lohan), so I called him ugly. 

I know, I know. 

Tom wasn’t a bad guy, and I do apologize for being so mean. 

The word got back to Tom that I wasn’t interested, so he backed off. 

And, of course, as he backed off, I “decided” I actually did want to date him. 

So, I texted him. 

You can probably see where this is going. 

And, of course, I had…

…lost my chance. 

After wasting time on trying to court me, only for me to reject him through one of his best friends, he started seeing a girl from church. 

He was super nice about it, and surprisingly, we stayed good friends throughout high school and a year or so after. 

He’s even the one who’s famously responsible for accidentally causing my high school knee and back injuries. 

We drifted apart ages ago, but I love this story because there’s something really pure about it (outside of the part where I’m a jerk). 

Someone liked me. I turned them down (in an, albeit, jerky way). I wanted what I couldn’t have. He politely rejected me. We stayed friends for several years. 

Scene. 

It’s that rare type of teenage “romance” where everything is cut and dry. 

I think I’m also fascinated by it because it’s sincerely one of the only stories from the vault that ends well. 

Tom, I hope you’re doing well, and I think about you every time my knee or back hurts (which is a lot because we’re in our 30s).