Brandon: Haha, this should be interesting...
Cecilia: Hey hey hey you had your turn. *ahem* As has been said before, Brandon and I knew of each other between school, church, and growing up in the same town, but we didn't really associate with one another. It's weird because he was only one grade above me and we know/knew the same people, even hung out with the same people but never together. So weird.
Anyways. In high school, I was involved with band and Gold Voices. My friends that were involved in those groups with me were also in drama so I kinda knew the drama crowd as well.
Brandon: Well I did get asked to join Gold Voices, but I had to turn them down because of my class schedule. So, maybe things would have turned out differently. Who knows.
Cecilia: Right...that would've been interesting....but I'm glad things are the way they are now :) Back to the story- so it turns out that I saw some of the drama productions that Brandon was in because my friends were either acting in it or they were in the pit orchestra. I just never really "saw" him ya know? (He was really good in the productions now that I look back on it and realized that that was him doing the singing and such)
Brandon: What you didn't think anything of me until high school?
Cecilia: Well ya see I don't remember a whole lot of you way back when. I mainly remember high school because you were in drama and such....
Brandon: Wait, you don't remember much? WHOA! There's actually something you don't really remember.
Cecilia: Maybe it's because I want to block out elementary school except the usual info like who my teachers were and who some of my friends/classmates were...anyways. From what I DO remember is that around junior high I mainly knew of Brandon through his brother Cameron and my friend Jennifer Duncan. Cameron and I were in band together (at least for marching band junior high wise and he was a year below me). Jennifer was in the same grade as I was and she knew Cameron and Nathan.
Kay so back to high school. By that time I had heard more about Brandon and how much of a hooligan he was and sometimes I would hear him in the hallways as I would walk to my classes.
Brandon: I knew I was loud and boistrous and obnoxious, but could you really hear me in the hallways, and from how far away were you hearing me? I thought most of my voice projection happened in the auditorium (even though my mom thinks there are times when I'm yelling, but in reality I'm talking normally).
Cecilia: Yes I really could hear you in the hallways. Sometimes I would be coming down the hall and all of a sudden there would be a loud noise a couple feet behind me and I'd turn around and go "oh yeah. There's Brandon...being himself...I wonder what he needs this time....". He never noticed me...but I also was the invisible girl in some ways during high school because I wanted to be. However, if I was in my French class or band (especially band...especially during marching band season) then I wasn't so quiet. I was actually really loud....my friends from band laugh every time I tell them that some people thought I was mute when I was younger.....my siblings laugh too...but overall I just minded my own business and stayed quiet. I didn't really put myself out there too much (that's MUCH different now).
Brandon: Boy ain't that the truth...
Cecilia: *sticks tongue out at you* So high school came and went. I graduated in 2009 and worked 2 part time jobs and attended the student branch until I came down to school in January 2010. By that time I didn't really think of anybody from high school except for a couple friends that I stayed in contact with. This is how things went- went to school from January-July 2010, came home, went to the student branch, worked a couple part time jobs, went back school January-July 2011, came home, and worked a couple part time jobs. When I got home at the end of July last year, I decided to go to my home ward (Lewiston 1st ward) because I thought it would be really hard to go from a huge student ward to a VERY small student branch (it hits 20-30 people on a REALLY good week/weekend but depending on the activity for FHE there's about 8-12 people).
So for the first two months I was home I went to Lewiston 1st ward. I went to the branch on the last Sunday of August because one of the girls from the branch (her name is Tashina) said that the branch needed more people and that I should come. I just thought "Hey why not? It wouldn't hurt to visit the branch just this once." So I went and that's when I first saw Brandon since high school. My first thought was "Whoa. He's changed a lot since high school...he doesn't look that bad.....he probably remembers me from high school...great (this word was said with a lot of sarcasm)....wow. He can really rock that suit....dang."
Brandon: I quote ZZ Top, "'Cause every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man." I mean c'mon, who wouldn't want this.
Cecilia: hahahaha oh babe. You make me smile :) After that Sunday I didn't do anything that involved the branch. I just worked my jobs and at home, watched my brother play football, and hung out with my mom. (It doesn't sound like a whole lot but I didn't get my whole list done that I had for the break). However, at the beginning of October (on a Monday), my brother had a really nasty accident at football practice that involved him tearing up his gum really bad. So my mom and I took him to Dr. Leavitt to get it cleaned up and checked out. Well after my brother's mouth was all taken care of, Dr. Leavitt told me that I should go to FHE that night because they were going ice blocking. I love ice blocking so I decided to go. However we ended up NOT going ice blocking. We played some games instead which was all fine and dandy because I love playing board/card games too.
Well I saw Brandon again. I thought the same thing as before (except for the suit part because he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt). So I didn't really talk to him. We made eye contact but that's about it. I had fun playing games but I didn't think of going back to the branch. I was fine in my home ward to a point.
Brandon: I can't understand why you'd want to stick around in your home ward... to a point. The first opportunity I had to get out of my home ward, I did. I went straight to the branch and didn't look back.
Cecilia: I already said- because it was about the size of my student ward and it would be hard going from something that big to something as small as the branch...back to the story.
Brandon: Size yes, but there is still a big difference, its the sounds of children vs. pages in sacrament meeting and being around people your own age.
Cecilia: That's where 'to a point' comes in silly. Well a couple weeks later I had a complete change of heart. I decided that I was going to go attend the branch and be around people my own age instead of being around a lot of people that were WAY older or younger than I was. My mom thought it was a good idea too. So I changed my records over to the branch and started attending the branch full time. As a result I saw Brandon (and the rest of the people attending the branch) every Sunday and Monday. Soon after I started attending the branch I learned about the game nights that he and Ryan hosted every Saturday night. So I started going to those because that was pretty much my social life outside of work and home.
Brandon: Hey mine too!
Cecilia: Hey hey! What a "coinkadinck"! haha So yeah. Those game nights were the one thing I always looked forward to besides my brother's football games every Friday night (which were SO fun). I started showing up early because I hated being late. I would leave my house thinking I would get there just on time but I always ended up being early. Sometimes Ryan would be there with Brandon and other times it would just be Brandon and I. So (as he said in his post) we would talk about stuff. After a couple game nights I started thinking "He's actually kinda funny...I can see us being friends...not good buddies but acquaintances." The week before Thanksgiving, I cut my hair super short and got it re-highlighted with blond, light brown, and a red-ish brown. A couple days later was game night and no one from the branch had seen me since I got my hair cut. So I showed up to game night early and Brandon was there. I walked into the room and his first words to me were "Why did you get your hair colored like an old woman?"....yeah...I didn't know how to react.
Brandon: How many times do I have to say it? I'm sorry. I didn't know what to think... It reminded me of a Jamaican member who had a wig and the hair was very similar to Cecilia's new hair style... I did think it looked kinda cool, but I couldn't say that. Instead, something much less intelligent came out of my mouth.
Cecilia: I'm just giving you a hard time about it babe :) It's just funny now that I look back on it. (For those of you reading this- when I got my hair re-highlighted, my hair dresser didn't dilute the blond enough so it turned out white until it faded and started looking more blond a month later). So that was the ice breaker for that night. Funny enough, after that night I could see potential dating material in Brandon. However I kinda had a mini battle with myself because at this point I only had about a month left before I would leave for school. I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn't get involved with anyone, especially if their name was Brandon, had red hair, and lived in Lewiston because I wouldn't be coming back, I would just be staying down in Rexburg. This criteria had been set before I started attending the branch and had no connection with Brandon whatsoever.
After I had gone home from game night, Brandon and I texted each other for a little bit. By the end of the conversation, he had asked me out on a date for that coming Wednesday and I had accepted. I was pretty excited and yet kicking myself because I had broke my promise/rules I had for myself. But I have learned that when you set your mind to something, your heart doesn't always agree and does its own thing. Which in this case it did. I kinda talked it over with my sister Sabina and she said that I should date Brandon if he were to ask me to be his girlfriend and if not then don't worry about it because I was leaving in about a month.
So that was my resolution-go on a date with Brandon (maybe two if he were to ask me on another one) and if nothing happened then nothing happened. Well, little did I know that 3 days later he would ask me to be his girlfriend. Which takes us to where our story left off....
Anyways. In high school, I was involved with band and Gold Voices. My friends that were involved in those groups with me were also in drama so I kinda knew the drama crowd as well.
Brandon: Well I did get asked to join Gold Voices, but I had to turn them down because of my class schedule. So, maybe things would have turned out differently. Who knows.
Cecilia: Right...that would've been interesting....but I'm glad things are the way they are now :) Back to the story- so it turns out that I saw some of the drama productions that Brandon was in because my friends were either acting in it or they were in the pit orchestra. I just never really "saw" him ya know? (He was really good in the productions now that I look back on it and realized that that was him doing the singing and such)
Brandon: What you didn't think anything of me until high school?
Cecilia: Well ya see I don't remember a whole lot of you way back when. I mainly remember high school because you were in drama and such....
Brandon: Wait, you don't remember much? WHOA! There's actually something you don't really remember.
Cecilia: Maybe it's because I want to block out elementary school except the usual info like who my teachers were and who some of my friends/classmates were...anyways. From what I DO remember is that around junior high I mainly knew of Brandon through his brother Cameron and my friend Jennifer Duncan. Cameron and I were in band together (at least for marching band junior high wise and he was a year below me). Jennifer was in the same grade as I was and she knew Cameron and Nathan.
Kay so back to high school. By that time I had heard more about Brandon and how much of a hooligan he was and sometimes I would hear him in the hallways as I would walk to my classes.
Brandon: I knew I was loud and boistrous and obnoxious, but could you really hear me in the hallways, and from how far away were you hearing me? I thought most of my voice projection happened in the auditorium (even though my mom thinks there are times when I'm yelling, but in reality I'm talking normally).
Cecilia: Yes I really could hear you in the hallways. Sometimes I would be coming down the hall and all of a sudden there would be a loud noise a couple feet behind me and I'd turn around and go "oh yeah. There's Brandon...being himself...I wonder what he needs this time....". He never noticed me...but I also was the invisible girl in some ways during high school because I wanted to be. However, if I was in my French class or band (especially band...especially during marching band season) then I wasn't so quiet. I was actually really loud....my friends from band laugh every time I tell them that some people thought I was mute when I was younger.....my siblings laugh too...but overall I just minded my own business and stayed quiet. I didn't really put myself out there too much (that's MUCH different now).
Brandon: Boy ain't that the truth...
Cecilia: *sticks tongue out at you* So high school came and went. I graduated in 2009 and worked 2 part time jobs and attended the student branch until I came down to school in January 2010. By that time I didn't really think of anybody from high school except for a couple friends that I stayed in contact with. This is how things went- went to school from January-July 2010, came home, went to the student branch, worked a couple part time jobs, went back school January-July 2011, came home, and worked a couple part time jobs. When I got home at the end of July last year, I decided to go to my home ward (Lewiston 1st ward) because I thought it would be really hard to go from a huge student ward to a VERY small student branch (it hits 20-30 people on a REALLY good week/weekend but depending on the activity for FHE there's about 8-12 people).
So for the first two months I was home I went to Lewiston 1st ward. I went to the branch on the last Sunday of August because one of the girls from the branch (her name is Tashina) said that the branch needed more people and that I should come. I just thought "Hey why not? It wouldn't hurt to visit the branch just this once." So I went and that's when I first saw Brandon since high school. My first thought was "Whoa. He's changed a lot since high school...he doesn't look that bad.....he probably remembers me from high school...great (this word was said with a lot of sarcasm)....wow. He can really rock that suit....dang."
Brandon: I quote ZZ Top, "'Cause every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man." I mean c'mon, who wouldn't want this.
Cecilia: hahahaha oh babe. You make me smile :) After that Sunday I didn't do anything that involved the branch. I just worked my jobs and at home, watched my brother play football, and hung out with my mom. (It doesn't sound like a whole lot but I didn't get my whole list done that I had for the break). However, at the beginning of October (on a Monday), my brother had a really nasty accident at football practice that involved him tearing up his gum really bad. So my mom and I took him to Dr. Leavitt to get it cleaned up and checked out. Well after my brother's mouth was all taken care of, Dr. Leavitt told me that I should go to FHE that night because they were going ice blocking. I love ice blocking so I decided to go. However we ended up NOT going ice blocking. We played some games instead which was all fine and dandy because I love playing board/card games too.
Well I saw Brandon again. I thought the same thing as before (except for the suit part because he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt). So I didn't really talk to him. We made eye contact but that's about it. I had fun playing games but I didn't think of going back to the branch. I was fine in my home ward to a point.
Brandon: I can't understand why you'd want to stick around in your home ward... to a point. The first opportunity I had to get out of my home ward, I did. I went straight to the branch and didn't look back.
Cecilia: I already said- because it was about the size of my student ward and it would be hard going from something that big to something as small as the branch...back to the story.
Brandon: Size yes, but there is still a big difference, its the sounds of children vs. pages in sacrament meeting and being around people your own age.
Cecilia: That's where 'to a point' comes in silly. Well a couple weeks later I had a complete change of heart. I decided that I was going to go attend the branch and be around people my own age instead of being around a lot of people that were WAY older or younger than I was. My mom thought it was a good idea too. So I changed my records over to the branch and started attending the branch full time. As a result I saw Brandon (and the rest of the people attending the branch) every Sunday and Monday. Soon after I started attending the branch I learned about the game nights that he and Ryan hosted every Saturday night. So I started going to those because that was pretty much my social life outside of work and home.
Brandon: Hey mine too!
Cecilia: Hey hey! What a "coinkadinck"! haha So yeah. Those game nights were the one thing I always looked forward to besides my brother's football games every Friday night (which were SO fun). I started showing up early because I hated being late. I would leave my house thinking I would get there just on time but I always ended up being early. Sometimes Ryan would be there with Brandon and other times it would just be Brandon and I. So (as he said in his post) we would talk about stuff. After a couple game nights I started thinking "He's actually kinda funny...I can see us being friends...not good buddies but acquaintances." The week before Thanksgiving, I cut my hair super short and got it re-highlighted with blond, light brown, and a red-ish brown. A couple days later was game night and no one from the branch had seen me since I got my hair cut. So I showed up to game night early and Brandon was there. I walked into the room and his first words to me were "Why did you get your hair colored like an old woman?"....yeah...I didn't know how to react.
Brandon: How many times do I have to say it? I'm sorry. I didn't know what to think... It reminded me of a Jamaican member who had a wig and the hair was very similar to Cecilia's new hair style... I did think it looked kinda cool, but I couldn't say that. Instead, something much less intelligent came out of my mouth.
Cecilia: I'm just giving you a hard time about it babe :) It's just funny now that I look back on it. (For those of you reading this- when I got my hair re-highlighted, my hair dresser didn't dilute the blond enough so it turned out white until it faded and started looking more blond a month later). So that was the ice breaker for that night. Funny enough, after that night I could see potential dating material in Brandon. However I kinda had a mini battle with myself because at this point I only had about a month left before I would leave for school. I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn't get involved with anyone, especially if their name was Brandon, had red hair, and lived in Lewiston because I wouldn't be coming back, I would just be staying down in Rexburg. This criteria had been set before I started attending the branch and had no connection with Brandon whatsoever.
After I had gone home from game night, Brandon and I texted each other for a little bit. By the end of the conversation, he had asked me out on a date for that coming Wednesday and I had accepted. I was pretty excited and yet kicking myself because I had broke my promise/rules I had for myself. But I have learned that when you set your mind to something, your heart doesn't always agree and does its own thing. Which in this case it did. I kinda talked it over with my sister Sabina and she said that I should date Brandon if he were to ask me to be his girlfriend and if not then don't worry about it because I was leaving in about a month.
So that was my resolution-go on a date with Brandon (maybe two if he were to ask me on another one) and if nothing happened then nothing happened. Well, little did I know that 3 days later he would ask me to be his girlfriend. Which takes us to where our story left off....
