I got married when I was 18, so what? {Part 3}

Clay came to study for the test and it was clear I was way more prepared than him. I didn't care, I've always been an intense student. I remember we were sitting on the couch and he kept nudging my knee with his. I loved it. We talked about music, I told him I played guitar, he said he did too, we finished and that was that.

A few days later my car decided to stop working. Well, not really stop working, but the ignition wouldn't turn. I got a ride home but my car was stuck in the wells fargo parking lot! I remember calling my dad, not knowing what to do, and my roommates kept saying, "Call Clay! Call Clay!". I told them no, I'd only hung out with him a couple times. But they just loved him. I don't know if they'd even met him yet, but they loved him nonetheless.

I finally called Clay told him the situation. He immediately said, "I'll be there in five minutes" and he came and picked me up to go look at it. He couldn't do anything about it, but said since he did this favor for me, I had to play the guitar for him. I was super nervous but said, okay.

I played some good ol weezer of course, my go to songs. And he played me a song he wrote (HA! So funny cause he's never played it since and never written anything since...interesting).

I remember each time I saw him after that, he got cuter and cuter. I started noticing how stylish and handsome he was.

Nothing really happened after that until February 14, Valentines Day.

In case you're wondering, this picture is of me wiping the bottom of the tray off on the rug...because in order to harden the chocolate on the strawberries, we just put the tray in the snow :)

I remember being bummed cause I didn't have any plans and my roommates were kinda silly and never wanted to go out! We decided to watch Gilmore Girls and make chocolate covered strawberries and pretzels, pretty exciting stuff. So when the knock on the door came and three stranger girls were there, I was pretty shocked. They said, "Hey, are you Danielle? Clayton wanted us to bring this to you." Side story- this was Jill and her roommates, Clay grew up with Jill and she has since become a great friend- love her. 

It was a pizza box. I was puzzled and then even more puzzled when I opened it. I was looking at the most hideous pizza I'd ever seen. It was all misshapen and odd looking. I was confused. There was a note on the inside that said, "Happy Valentines Day, From Clayton". That was nice, but what's with the weird pizza?

I showed my roommates and they were like- "Oh! It's a heart!" the slices had shifted on the way over I guess and once you put it together, IT WAS A HEART SHAPED PIZZA! I was immediately giddy!

 

I texted Clay and was like, "Thanks for the pizza!" He said, "Well I am working but I knew I had to do something"

I remember distinctly my roommates saying, "He did NOT have to do something- he likes you!!!"

The pizza was delicious by the way. Craigos, for you locals out there.

I think it was then that I realized I was really starting to like this guy. I mean, he gave me a heart shaped pizza! The next day in class I saw him and went up to him and gave him a hug, and said thank you again. After that we started hugging after each class.

One night my roommates and I devised this whole plan to get one of them involved with one of our FHE brothers. We invited all the right ratios of boys/girls for a game night. Clay came, and while we were playing cards, he so nonchalantly put his hand on my leg. It gave me tingles! It wasn't in some creepy grippy way, it was just kind of a placed fist, half opened half closed on my knee. All my roommates noticed and gave me little knowing smiles throughout the night :)

We held hands that night while watching a movie, and then we held hands more after we exited class each day. We held hands on our first real date, and then pretty soon Clay decided to take me and my roommates to Los Albertos to get Horchadas. They are some mexican drink that he loves. While we were there...an AWFUL thing happened.

Lets do a little background. One night after our first date, we were talking in his car and I said, "So how old are you?" and I remember specifically asking him so I could lead in to the whole "Well...I'm technically only 17 cause I graduated high school earlier". I figured I'd ask him, he'd say 21 and he'd ask me, and I'd tell him. But when I asked him he said, "....well....that's kind of a long story. I'm 20." Incase you don't know, guys who are 20 who are mormon usually have one of three stories. 1. Didn't go on a mission, 2. Came home early because of worthiness issuse, or 3. Came home early because of health issues. Of course no one wants some assumption to happen so he told me the long story about how he was sick with some mystery illness and it caused him to come home early from his mission. Needless to say, that story took some time and I completely forgot about telling him my age, and he didn't even ask. Which is why it never came up until...

My roommates and I were teasing each other about something and one of them says, "Well Danielle should technically still be in young womens!" and my stomach dropped. All of a sudden I remember that Clay doesn't know, I'm 17. He turns and says, "...what?" With an awkward smile. I say, "Yeah...I'm 17."

This is another one of those stories where Clay and I don't completely agree, but here's the difference. I know for a FACT- he said the words I'm about to tell you he said. If asked about this memory, he smiles uncomfortably and says, "I don't think I said that..." so I'll let you be the judge of who has the clearer memory on this.

We drove home and Clay and I awkwardly stayed in the car. I don't remember everything that followed but I know the words came out of his mouth "Well it's fun to be a kid every now and then" in the most condescending voice ever. It was clear he wasn't excited about my age and was pretty done.

I stormed into the apartment TICKED. I thought, "He is upset about MY age?! He didn't think I was too immature before? There are plenty of guys who want me! And they even know my age!" ha ha, of course I was totally offended.

Clay didn't call or hug or hold hands after that for a few days. On Saturday he called (apparently after stressing to his friends and them knocking some sense into him. Again- thanks Jill!)  and was all friendly and asked what I was doing. I told him I was studying, too busy to hang out. I was abrupt and short toned. He told me to call him when I finished studying, I told him I'd probably be studying all day.

Later that evening I was SO BORED and my dang roommates AGAIN didn't want to do anything. They kept saying, "Just call Clay", and I just didn't want to! No no no! My pride! How could I betray it! But I gave in and called him and he invited me and my roommates to do night games in a cabin in Ashton.

Of course, he was so smooth and wearing a shirt that made him so so cute (he was wearing blue, I remember, which is my favorite color on him) so I quickly forgot all his offenses. We held hands and cuddled in a dark cabin where we were playing night games, hiding BY OURSELVES and I started thinking...when the heck is this guy going to kiss me? He had been holding my hand and hugging me and taking me out, and I seriously couldn't think of a better situation. And yet, no luck.

Days passed and we kept holding hands and hugging and pretty soon I found that Clay was using every excuse in the book to see me every. single. day. One reason was he had to do a survey for a class and needed my roommates and my opinions (couldn't do it over the phone, had to be in person...right), another was to teach him how to copy and paste (his mouse wasn't working and he supposedly hadn't heard of the whole ctrl C thing...right...he still claims today that he really didn't know), and then we'd start going to Tuesday devotionals together...

Finally one night, March 5 (I don't even remember the date of our proposal, but I remember the day of our first kiss) he kissed me (very quickly) outside of my dorm gate. I smiled and skipped/ran back to my dorm.

From then on the kisses didn't stop.

To be continued