Do You Believe in Second Chances?

Dustin Haller

English 1111

Do You Believe in Second Chances?

It was a bright, beautiful, 80-degree day in October. The day could not get any better. Happiness was in the air. All my friends and family were here with nothing but smiles and laughter. I felt warm with joy, but there as a nervousness that I had felt before, just not on this level. I was a theater kid that did many shows. Right before I would go on stage, the butterflies would fly freely in my stomach, my heart would begin to pound against my chest, my hands became clammy, and my breathing would speed up. I was always told, “If you are not nervous, you are not ready.”

        On this day the nerves were noticeably worse. My stomach felt like it jumped into my throat, but I was happy. The happiest I have ever been. No one could take away the smile on my face.

        As my best friends and I get dressed in these beautiful light grey tuxes, we begin to remanence about old times. So many funny stories and crazy adventures. At one point the room got quiet with just faint laughter from the past joke that was told. Then I hear my best friend, sitting in a chair across the room sipping a beer say, “I never thought that you and Lindsey would be together, better yet, getting married.” I completely agreed with him and every laughed about it. None of my other friends really understood why he said it. He did not say this because it was joke. He said it with complete honesty. A rush of emotions takes over me as I begin to think back on how I got to be with my soon to be wife.

        I was heartbroken. She was my first love and she hurt me. I had become to be happy again. Then, I met this girl. She was beautiful. She had the biggest green eyes that I just got lost in. She had a smile that was enchanting. I can remember the first night I met her she was so beautiful. I was awestruck. I asked her to marry me the first time I met her. I had seen a Cincinnati Bengals magnet on the fridge, and asked everyone who the Bengals fan was. She spoke up, “Me! I love the Bengals!” I answered her back with, “Will you marry me?” She laughed and said, “No.” We both knew I was joking, but who could have thought it would come true?

        Lindsey and I began to hang out with each other pretty regularly. I began to fall for this girl. Every time I got to see her my heart would begin to race and butterflies in my stomach would be in full flight. But, in the back of my heart I was still heartbroken. I had been with my ex-girlfriend for three years and I was comfortable with the way things were, and I was nervous about starting something new. But everything was going so great, and I was becoming happy again. Then, I made the biggest mistake of my life.

        Out of the blue I received a phone call from my ex-girlfriend. She had asked me to go on a trip to Norris Lake, Tennessee. At first, I was very skeptical about this and did not want to go on the trip. But, I fell back into my old ways because it was what I was used to for so many years. I was comfortable with the way things used to be. So, I made the decision, as stupid as it was, to go on the trip with my ex-girlfriend. While on the trip all I could think about was the beautiful, green eyed girl that I left in Ohio. I had probably just ruined my chances with her.

        Where I was staying there was no cell phone service. I could not speak with anyone via cell phone. On the drive home from Tennessee my phone rang with dozens of text messages. I knew I had screwed up big, and may have ruined something that could have been great. When I finally returned home, Lindsey would not speak to me. The hardest part of this was, my best friend was dating her best friend, so we would always end up around each other, but never spoke. I once again felt so empty, but knew this time it was my fault. I knew I had crushed her. I knew an, “I’m sorry” would not be enough. So I decided to one text message, “Do you believe in second chances?”

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