Remarkable dates: Date from Hell (pt 3)

More great music. Now, when I am awestruck…well, I guess I am like any other awestruck person. I get focused, I stare, and I get especially quiet and humbled. Sometimes I cant even talk. For the last number of their performance, they played “Return” from Fresh Aire 5 (I think – its really the only song from 5 that I like). Chip Davis left the conductors stand, and moved into the drumset. It was amazing to be in front of so much live drum. They finished and I was the third person on my feet. We brought them back out and they played the finale again. Again, standing ovation. For 10 minutes.

Finally they came back out, and as sheet music was shuffled, Chip Davis explained that the piece we were about to hear is from a soon-to-be-released tribute to Yellowstone. It was haunting and powerful. I was awestruck, and moved to tears. I barely remember when Courtney turned to me school-girl excited-like saying “this is really neat!” or whatever. But, it (momentarily) broke my trance when Mitch reached across Courtney and grabbed my hand. Courtney then followed suit.

When it was over, I could barely stand and clap. It was wonderful. I was just kinda floating within myself. We clapped and clapped and eventually I allowed myself to be moved out with the herd. The three of us made our way toward the exit. I was lost to myself, and Mitch calmly kept deflecting Courtney from me until I could do more than just smile. I found my voice, and after the girls used the restrooms, we headed to the car. By that time, I was still humbled, but otherwise okay.

At the car, Courtney told Mitch that she should sit up front since she was in back on the way down. By now, I was stifling a giggle as Mitch insisted that Courtney should ride up front. She was, after all (supposed to be) my date.

Then, as we were leaving the Pavillion, in 6 lanes of one-way, stop-n-go traffic, Courtney thinks she sees a friend’s car ahead of us. She wants to run up and say “hi”. I look ahead… It was a couple, and they were obviously entertwined..and in my opinion, didn’t want to be bothered if you know what I mean. I told her not to bother them, for that reason, and because the 6 lanes were moving sporadically at way different speeds. It was dangerous.

She started to get out, anyway. Mitch yanked her chain back into the car, saying “You asked and he said no! For good reason!” It was quiet for a few minutes.

I didn’t know what to say… Mitch felt bad for Courtney, so she leaned up and hugged her and appologized, and rubbed her shoulders briefly. This brought moans from Courtney…”Oh, here, rub Parra’s back! You do such a marvelous job! Show him how you do that” Obliged to show off her talent, and I think thankful for a distraction from the previous odd moment, Mitch rubbed my shoulders. Mind you, I am in tactical mode – watching all the vehicles, looking for car-jackers, the whole works… but I wanting to just shut my eyes and dream away under her hands. She used her second knuckles, curling her hand into kind of a claw… it was wild and wonderful. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was an exotic respite.

…Until Courtney turned and asked “Okay, who gives the better back rubs, Mitch or me?” To which I could only reply “I don’t know Courtney, you’ve never given me a backrub.” (My answer carried a unique conviction. During finals week, we as a group are all stressed out, strung out, unshowered and unkempt. In the predawn hours before our final projects were due, before our lives would be judged, we all gathered in a larger studio space to commiserate or nap. Courtney was stressing out, so I gave her a head, neck, shoulders, and back rub. It lasted over 35 minutes. For all of the quiet time when my mates were resting, I was working my hands to relieve her stress. At lunch after turning things in, some of my classmates commented on it being the most lavish attention they had ever seen.)

It was quiet in the car for about half the trip. Then Courtney quietly asked questions that the silence had brought up for her “Will you miss this when you are gone (from school)? Will you miss me? Will the others miss me? Will you miss them?” and she generally asked tough questions about moving on. I reassured her the best I could, and while I would have loved to put an arm around her in comfort (as I would have enjoyed at any time), she kept her back to the door so she could read the truth on my face as I addressed her questions.

I walked them to the door. Courtney made a formal thank you while she unlocked the door, then she bounded inside. Mitch stepped in and dropped her purse, then turned and gave me a big hug. I whispered in her ear, “thank YOU for a wonderful evening”. I felt her giggle against me. We understood. Courtney took her hint and came back out. The moment was awkward; she hugged me, we thanked each other. I left.

Epilogue: I don’t know where Courtney’s mind was or what she was thinking that night. Courtney and I worked together and sometimes played together for the rest of the summer. She met a guy she was head-over-heels for. I was happy for her, if a little confused. Mitch and I were better friends because of the evening, but she kept her distance for the most part. I think she didn’t want the complications of a deeper relationship two months before she went back east. Or, maybe she was just a good date, and really didn’t like me.

I helped load Courtney’s car the day she left school. I was the last person to see her before she left town. We talked by her car, then through the window…. I alone watched her leave.

She’s now married to some guy in California. End of story.