When Love Loves in Overdrive

For most of my middle school and high school years, Mike Nickels owned my heart. But love loves to love and when love loves in overdrive, there's going to be some detours now and then. My heart wanted Mike, but it also yearned for Johnny Yount and Gary Perkins and Gary Estes and Bobby Ellis. Those were my five main love interests who took turns being my spoon pillow.

It was all innocent enough; I wasn't looking to stray. It just happened. I was standing outside one of my eighth grade classrooms, when the most handsome and popular senior boy walked by me with his cheerleader girlfriend and an entourage of about five other seniors. Since the high school was attached to the middle school, it wasn't unusual to see upper classmates strut their stuff through our hallways.

It was love at first sight. "Sorry Mike, Johnny, Gary, Gary, Bobby. Ronnie Coal is my spoon pillow now."

My fantasy love affair with the most sought-after, popular senior prom king lasted only one school year. He graduated and I never saw him again. "So I'm back Mike, Johnny, Gary, Gary, Bobby. I'll change the pillow case." 

This is a drawing of me at my vanity writing my future name: Carol Coal, Mrs. Ronald Coal, Mrs. Coal. Carol Louise Coal. It has such a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Speaking of "ring," he did buy me an engagement ring fifteen years later, but that's another story for another time. I lied about never seeing him again.