BOBBY'S GIRL

I have not a clue what or how my former high school beau, Bobby, is doing these days, or what he looks like now, but I can tell you this:

Thirty-eight years ago tonight -- Feb. 24, 1974 -- Bobby and I were watching The Wizard of Oz on TV, he had a terrible headache, and  he looked "so cute".

And Bobby loved me, this I know, for my dear old high school diary -- one of a dozen -- tells me so.

Granted, there's not much value in ancient teenage heartthrob history such as that, except it does come in extremely handy when one has committed to writing something every day for 40 days, it's only Day 3, and one has an acute case of writer's blockade.

As luck would have it, each dusty, bound collection of misty water color memories unearthed from the bottom of a cedar chest full of mothball-scented drill team uniforms and dried prom corsages transformed into a treasure trove of wistful writing prompts before my very eyes.

Feb. 24, 1974
Stayed home today and worked on my term paper. I was just sitting up here in my room and I thought to myself, I wonder if Bob will stop by after work? And darn if he didn't pull in five minutes later. Then he came over after dinner.

And then, of course, we watched The Wizard of Oz...

And then, two weeks later, after three months of goin' steady and declaring his undying love for me in a poem he allegedly wrote, Bobby dropped me like a hot potato.

Suddenly, Bobby didn't look "so cute".

If only I'd known 13,880 days ago what I know now about that two-timing cad and how he was seeing that other girl behind my back! No wonder he said he had a headache. It never even occurred to me then, but 19,985,760 minutes later, it's clear as day. All the signs of an impending breakup were right there in my diary...

Feb. 25, 1974
"Bob was supposed to call me tonight but he didn't." (Distancing)

Feb. 26, 1974
"When I heard the innocent tweet of Bob's Volkswagen horn, hardly did I expect to see walking into my home, a greasy, tight-jeaned slob." (Rebelling)

Feb. 27, 1974
"Bob has to work Friday night, our 3-month anniversary. Fine. He didn't call tonight. I was busy slaving away at my term paper so I hardly noticed." (Seriously?)

Feb. 28, 1974
"Bob didn't call tonight either." (Helloooo? Geeze, girl, get a clue!)

And, of course, when Bobby finally 'fessed up and admitted he'd been dating HER behind my back for a week (or more), I handled the news with grace, maturity and aplomb.

March 9, 1974
I DON'T BELIEVE IT!  I AM NO LONGER GOING STEADY WITH BOBBY! I CAN'T BEAR THE THOUGHT OF IT!!!!!!

Oh! Such moaning and gnashing of teeth!

Later that night, I did the only thing I could do to avenge such a heinous break of the heart. My best girlfriends and I went streaking past Bobby's house, hootin' and hollerin'.

I never was one to go away quietly.

And, admittedly, I did have a penchant for drama. To wit:

March 11, 1974
Oh, the life of a SPINSTER!!!

If you look real close, under a good, bright light, I think one can still see the tracks of my tears across those diary pages.

And all because I wanted to be Bobby's girl.

Oy.

Hit it, Marcie!