A Not Entirely Futile Week

After a long bus ride, we were finally in Washington, D.C. For me as well as a lot of the kids in the band, it was my first time being there, and we were all very excited. The week was planned out to see most of the main historical sites in D.C. From The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument to the houses of Congress to the Smithsonian to the Capital itself and even other places like Union Station. It was an awesome trip.


I was with the Queen in almost every single one of those places, and curiously (with the exception of one point in my memory), Crackhead was no where to be found. You would think that would give me a hint. If I had been then as I am now, I would have definitely made a move and history would have been different, but I was a big chicken...a big introverted chicken, as a matter of fact. I thought I was talkative, and I was still considered quiet.


On the whole, I admit that I don't remember the trip too well, but here are some of the highlights. One of the most defining characteristics of Washington, D.C. is the Washington Monument -- it's that super tall obelisk that sits across the mall from the Lincoln Memorial. Well, you can see this thing from practically everywhere around town, which spawned a reference to National Lampoon's European Vacation.

"Look, it's Big Ben... Parliament. Look it's Big Ben... Parliament. Look, it's Big Ben... Parliament."

When we were in that mall area, though, we spent the afternoon there together. A problem I had the entire time we were there was that I kept forgetting my camera. This was not a problem she had, but she did have another minor issue. We had done a full band picture in front of the Capital which illustrated this minor issue perfectly. You see, for the full band photo, they had everyone line up in height order from shortest to tallest; can you guess who was at the front of the line? Yup, the Queen was the shortest person in the entire band.

This means that the Queen was too short to take the shot she wanted out of the windows of the Washington Monument. I was about a head taller than she, and still am, so she had me take some pictures of D.C. out of the windows of the Washington Monument. I was honored to help her out.

There was a short span of time when Crackhead did track her down, and they held hands as they walked by the Vietnam Memorial. It was one of those little that I no doubt made larger since she was holding his hand, but it was still there, and served to make me step back a little.

Not that there was reason to, mind you, since she made multiple moves to show some level of attraction for me. She leaned over me on the bus on multiple occasions. She got this shirt from the Smithsonian that had the planets on it, and I was compelled to comment on exploring the universe -- she found it amusing. And at one point, we had a meal so hideous that we chowed down on goldfish crackers once we got back to the bus.

But one event that stuck in the minds of several was on the bus ride back home. She had stood up on her seat to get something from the overhead bin, and the bus had hit a bump. I reached up and grabbed her hips, and she looked into my eyes. She noted that BG and Rox saw a spark right there, and even the Queen saw something in that moment. She also noted that when she was sleeping next to me on the bus, it was the only time while riding the bus she had a restful sleep.

So the groudwork was there. It was all a matter of my speaking up and saying something... but I didn't. I was a big chicken. Things would have gone dramatically different if I had, though. The connection we have would have been realized much, much earlier.

But alas, the US we became would have to wait another 4 years. During that time, we would both be tried by the worst of people either one of us could wish to be in a relationship with. During that time, we would find people that had qualities we liked and qualities we just couldn't overlook.

What placed the final nail in the coffin for me and the Queen during the high school time frame was at the Band Banquet, which was held in the high school cafeteria and which the Queen did not attend. Every year, they gave out an award called "The Crowbar," which is a tongue-in-cheek award for the couple who they were unable to "pry apart" during the course of the year. As irony would have it, the award was won by the Queen and Crackhead. This amused her greatly, but hurt me because I failed to make that one move that would have won her for me at that time. Sure, I got her later, but Crackhead hurt her in the meantime, so in a fit of "if onlyness," I know that if I'd only said something, her life could have been that much better.

I say that now, but I was also a mess at the time, and I undoubtedly could have screwed it all up, so who knows? Maybe the years of trial between then and 4 years later helped to form a more perfect relationship. We'll never really know. It all worked out in the end, and for that I'm happy.

I wish I remembered more, but I guess I blocked it. Too painful, you know? However, before this chapter closes, I do have to mention one more thing that was caught on video tape and gave Darth Vader much amusement after the Queen and I were married and we saw the tape. At graduation, I was able to sit with the Queen again, and being the glutton for punishment I am, I was more than willing to be close to her. At the end of the ceremony, when we were walking up the stairs, I apparently tried to say something to her before she broke off, but she turned on me, and spoke not a word in parting. Video shows I paused for a moment before walking up the stairs and out of her life for the next 4 years.

As I said, it all worked out in the end, but at the time, it really sucked.