by Sheri White
In early summer of 1981, I was a member of our church’s Teen Club (shut up). I mostly joined to please my mom, who figured I wouldn’t be doing anything I shouldn’t if I were a member. I did have some fun and actually met a cute boy named Joe.
Joe was funny, smart and together. There was no drama with Joe, and after all the drama with Kevin, this was a relief. We did wholesome things together like Teen Club dances, walking hand-in-hand around the neighborhood, and going to the movies.
It was great – until our first kiss. It was a bust. No spark, no fireworks, no making me weak in the knees. And to add to that, unfortunately, he was a very bad kisser. I hadn’t kissed many boys yet, but I knew a good kiss when I got one. But how do you tell someone he’s a bad kisser? I decided to give him some time; maybe his kissing would improve with practice.
One night we went to see Superman II. I hadn’t seen the first Superman movie, so I wasn’t sure what was going on at the beginning when he was turning back time so Lois Lane would be alive. But Joe explained the basics of the first movie to catch me up.
I got really into the movie after the first few minutes. And Christopher Reeve was HOT. I wanted to focus on what was going on up on the screen, but Joe had other ideas. He wanted to make out. I was never one for making out during a movie, even though it was the popular thing to do. Why go to a movie and not watch it? It never made sense to me. So I’m trying to watch Lois Lane getting close to the truth about Clark Kent and Joe keeps kissing me on my neck. Gah!
Lois Lane was a lot better off than I was. Superman may have given up all his powers for her, but I bet he was still a great kisser. Joe was a “wet kisser;” I’m sure I don’t need to describe what that means. He was very fond of French kissing as well; I wasn’t a fan. Don’t get me wrong, Joe wasn’t climbing all over me or anything, he wasn’t a jerk. He was just a little too eager and awkward and it made me uncomfortable.
He did finally get the hint when I kept turning my head to watch the movie. So I was able to see Superman defeat the bad guys – but I hated how it ended. Wiping Lois Lane’s memory so she wouldn’t remember anything? He should’ve given her a chance to get over the relationship first and let her have memories to cherish. I did enjoy Superman going back as Clark Kent to the diner and kicking the guy’s ass who had beat him up when he lost his powers.
Then Joe went to Italy with his family, and I quit going to Teen Club since the pool was much more fun and interesting. I got a really nice post card from Joe, and it said he couldn’t wait to get back and see me. But the pool had something else the Teen Club didn’t have – Kevin.
We got back together during Teen Night at the pool. I felt bad about Joe, but we weren’t going together, at least not in my mind. But we were in Joe’s mind, and when he called after getting back from Italy, all excited to get together with me, I didn’t know what to do. I always hated hurting anybody’s feelings, but I knew I couldn’t string him along.
I saw him one last time to let him know we were over. It wasn’t bad enough I was breaking his heart, he had brought me back a gift from Italy – a beautiful wooden jewelry box. GOD. I tried to give it back, but he wouldn’t hear of it. I still have it, and the postcard.
Joe and I became friends later and when we both had to go to summer school, he drove me. We had a lot of fun, and he and Kevin met and got along. Joe went to my school’s brother school, so we saw a lot of each other at dances and sporting events. It worked out OK.
But I never could resist Kevin.
