My Worst Date Ever

Name Withheld

Why was this happening to me? I hadn’t expected to hold hands with my date, but I never guessed she would be holding hands with him.

I am what you would call an average high school student. I’m not that popular or good looking. So you can see why I was excited when the new girl at my school agreed to go to the homecoming dance with me. Okay, I wasn’t just excited; I was walking on air. She was a beautiful, blond-haired girl from my ward, and I considered myself lucky to be her date. Homecoming finally rolled around, and I was even more excited.

When I picked her up for the date and met with the other couple we were going to “double” with, my good mood soon disappeared. Once we were with the other couple, my date suddenly seemed more interested in the other guy than in me. I tried to tell myself that I was imagining it, and that everything was all right. But during dinner, she acted as if I weren’t even there.

At the dance I could no longer deny that my suspicions were correct. My date wouldn’t dance with me, but she did dance with the other guy. My heart broke. I got so frustrated that I left and took a walk. While I walked around the school, all I could think was, Why me? I waited to date until I was 16, I’ve tried to do what’s right, so why is this happening to me?

The dance finally ended, and I decided to give it one last shot. We had planned to go to a movie, so I decided we would. The other couple was still with us, and during the movie, my date held hands with the other guy. I hadn’t expected to hold hands with her, but I never guessed she would be holding hands with him.

When I finally arrived back home, I realized that I was all alone. My family was out of town, and it was too late to call a friend. So I did the only thing I knew how to do. I lay down and cried just like a little kid.

After a while, I got down on my knees to say my prayers. I asked for peace. At that moment, my heart was filled with a love that was so powerful and amazing I can’t really describe it. The Savior’s love filled my heart, and I knew that Heavenly Father loved me. After that I could go to sleep and deal with what had happened.

Now that I look back on this experience, I have to laugh. That horrible date is just a memory to me, and my life has gone on. And even though it was a terrible experience, I learned something very important: with Heavenly Father’s love, I can endure.

Illustrated by Roger Motzkus