Just This Perfect Love Story

When you meet a person, you never think, “I wonder how this person is going to change my life.” You really never do. I’ve never thought it at least, but every person you meet DOES make an impact.. think about it right now. Any person that you have became close with, bonded with, shared similarities or hate with, they have changed your world. They have changed the way you think, little or big; they have changed you. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

Love is the one thing that will change you in a way you can’t control. It can make you a better person because you thrive to become a better ‘you’ so the person loves you more and more. And you try. You try really hard to make sure everything is perfect so you can feel secure and make sure they will never leave you. Or it happens differently. You don’t happen to fall in love, but the other person did. And they love everything about you. The things you don’t control, just the way you are. The person you met now knows how you smell at every point in the day, how you look without all the make-up, how cranky you get when you’re tired, and still loves you. When I met Mike I had no idea how much he’d change my world.

“Let’s go! Come on! Let’s leave already!” It was about 8pm, I was in the bathroom getting ready, and I could hear Patricia yelling, waiting impatiently, she was ready to go. We were going to see Excision, a dubstep artist that night at Congress Music Hall. I begged my boyfriend to come with, but he didn’t like that music. It wasn’t my first concert. He never came to any concerts with me. I always went with my girl friends, we always had a blast. This night, me and my best friend Patricia were going, just the two of us and we were gonna have a sick night.

“Coming!” I shouted.

“Do you have your ticket and ID?” Patricia asked.

We checked made sure we had everything, I had my bandana, my fake, my ticket, phone and money. We were ready to go. Her mom drove us to the train station. I don’t remember too much about the way there. The part I always remember is the anxiety I get when we reach the front of the line and the security checks our ID’s. I never had a problem getting in. I used ID’s that looked nothing like me, I don’t think I pulled it off well, but if the girl in the ID had green eyes, I would wear green eye liner and paint my eyelids green. I loved the adrenaline rush I’d get after my ID was checked and ticket was scanned. I was 15 years old, and in a 18+ club. It felt awesome.

When we first got in, it wasn’t packed, people were scattered all along the walls and middles, and back and front, groups standing around and we always found at least 20 people we knew. As the night went on, it got packed; really packed. As the night went on, it became dark in the concert hall, except for the lazers and lights lighting up the arena, and the lights would make all the smoke of cigarettes visible. The music was loud, and good. I don’t remember too much of the night now, this was last January, but it was starting to get late, and the concert was soon to be over, and when I looked at the time I didn’t want to take the train back home alone with Patricia.

We were near a group of people, and a face seemed really familiar. He was wearing a snapback, cut off, and had a cigarette behind his ear. I’d seen him at a party before, but we didn’t talk. I caught him looking at me that time, but I had a boyfriend and didn’t think anything of it. He had a girlfriend too. She was at the party where I first seen him, and she was at the concert with him on this night too. I guess my friend Patricia knew him. Something in me decided to ask him how he got here tonight, if he took the train or drove. Maybe I was thinking we could take the train back together as a group so it wasn’t as scary, or maybe I was hoping he drove, or maybe I just wanted to say anything so I could have his attention for a little while.

“Hey did you drive here?”
“Yeah why what’s up?”
“Who’d you come here with?”

“My girl and my guy Pat”

My girl. I didn’t know him yet, but I didn’t like that. Pat. That’s where I seen him. I seen him at Pat’s house party. Aside from that… perfect. “He has room for 2 in the car,” I thought.

“Well could you give me and Patricia a ride home? I think you know her?”

“Yeah ! Were leaving now, lets go !”

After leaving the concert, we walked to his car down a busy Chicago street, everyone was still going crazy from the concert, traffic emerged in a matter of minutes, lights came from all direction, security and police officers were standing in the middle of the street with their pointers directing the way. As soon as we got in the car, I remember I was sitting in the backseat with his ‘girl’ and my best friend Patricia, in the front seat was Mike and Pat. I sat in the middle, lucky me I had the whole view, I was the one that was gonna get to talk to him tonight. And I did, we instantly clicked. He laughed at all my jokes and I laughed at all of his, and after a while we all forgot that his girlfriend was even in the car. At one point I remember he asked if he could drop her off! No one was sober, and we were all having a good time laughing, joking, staying out late. After a long night, we all went home.

I woke up the next morning with the sun in my eyes, my phone had been blown up, it was almost noon. We were still tired. My boyfriend called me, and my parents. I decided to give him a ring.

“Hey whats up?”

“Finally! What are you doing?”
“I’m at Patricia’s, I just woke up.”
“Come over!”

“Okay.”

Patricia and I ended up going and getting Jamba Juice and some Taco Bell, and after that she took me to his house. I was still extremely tired. I don’t even remember being there. I remember I came by and fell asleep on his bed in an instant. When I woke up, I saw Patricia texted me to hang out. She said her and Mike were gonna pick me up from my boyfriend’s. I was so excited. I’d never been so happy to meet someone. To talk to someone. Everything he did amazed me. Everything he did, was with such confidence. He wasn’t afraid to blast his favorite song in the car, even if everyone thought it was goofy or didn’t like it. He seemed to me like he had a part of me. I adored him. I thought he was absolutely perfect. He had a sweet face, great smile, he was well over six feet tall, and I loved the way he styled his hair. I loved all the music he played. He had a nice car. He was in college. He was so perfect.

If you ever meet someone that you begin to learn things about a person you don’t want to believe are true, and I began hearing a lot about Mike Park. We had talked for about a month, and a picture went up on Facebook of us. One of our friend’s posted it while we were at a party, and instantly people started hating me. I was so confused. I guess one of my best friends had been screwed over by him. But I didn’t know. When I met her, I had a boyfriend and she was dating some other guy. We weren’t that close, I didn’t know about her past, and I only knew her for a little while. Long story short, she ended up turning everyone I knew against me. She started trying to talk to Mike, he would show me and ignore her texts. She called him over winter break saying I cheated on him. She would say things to me in school when I walked passed her.

I wasn’t worried. She would say things to me, and I’d tell her to come say it in my face,but she never did. She was two feet smaller than me, and although she pissed me off constantly, I knew she couldn’t do anything. I had what she wanted, and what I had didn’t want her. If I ever saw her at a party she would stare at me like a psychotic b****. I brushed it off, I met new people, me and Patricia stayed best friends, and Mike and I kept falling in love.

As if a crazy ex wasn’t enough to keep me away, his coke addiction wasn’t either. When I met Mike, I portrayed him a lot differently in my head. It wasn’t until a month or two later I saw him doing it. It disgusted me. I felt awkward when I saw it. He picked me up once and him and his friend were doing it there right in front of me in the front seat, about a block away from my house. I didn’t expect to see that when I came out that night. I was in my pajamas, sitting at home and he told me to come out because he’s picking me up. It made me feel so uncomfortable. So uncomfortable. I was mean the rest of the night. I wanted to go home. I wanted to tell him to stop doing that s***, but who was I to tell him how to live his life. The next time I saw Mike, I told him if he does it again, I’ll never talk to him again.

The year I spent with Mike changed my life just as much as it impacted his. All the things I’ve went through with him this year, I will never forget; all the great memories that I wouldn’t want to share with anyone else. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with him. He has given me the opportunity to be myself, feel loved, and change his life for the better. People don’t realize the small things that can change someone, and sometimes they won’t remember what you’ve said, but they’ll remember how you made them feel.