How do I manage to get myself into situations like this? It’s ridiculous.
No, what’s ridiculous is that everything always seems to be going fine, just fine, and then suddenly wump! Face down in the mud.
He’s cute.
He’s funny.
He’s (groan) athletic.
I’m ugly.
I’m boring.
I’m pathetically weak.
But did that stop me? Nope. I tried anyway. I tried out for cross-country and here I am, with my dream guy, actually managing to keep up and then wump! Face down in the mud.
I cringed inwardly, waiting to hear the laughter ring out as he saw what a loser I was. I briefly hoped he’d keep running and not notice I’d fallen. I mean, we weren’t really having a conversation… Ok we were, and everything had been great, and then my stupid shoe got in the way. There was no way he’d just missed this.
I heard his voice and cringed, waiting for the laughter. “Are you ok?”
He wasn’t laughing, He was concerned.
In that moment, I was flying. I was happier than I’d ever been before.
And I was facedown in the mud.