In what I now believe to be the greatest school subject ever-Chemistry- I learned that there are many different paths in which one chemical reaction can proceed in order to produce a desired product. In all reactions there is a main pathway as well as a less traveled route to reach that final product. Lauren sometimes says that OUR reaction took the less traveled path; nevertheless, I believe that it was the perfect one to create our final product-the Parkers. There are two sides to every story. I would most definitely agree in the case of mine and Lauren’s. Our stories of what happened this past year at BYU have many of the same fun and amazing feelings…..but it is now MY turn to tell you what I was thinking throughout the great school year of 2010-2011.
First things first, I had my eye on Lauren Dru Pennington since the start of our chemistry lab fall semester 2010. I saw her and all I could think about was, “Can I please just LOOK at your hair? Stare into your blue eyes? Ask you to smile?” She had the most gorgeous locks I had ever seen. She had the most beautiful eyes I had ever spied. She had the cutest smile which I rarely saw……she is VERY serious about her chemistry. I had seen her in lab and she was always surrounded by these guys who never left! I thought that she was dating someone and I was not going to be the typical BYU guy just storming in thinking he is the absolute coolest in the world.
I was studying in the TA lab with a friend for an upcoming test when wouldn’t ya know, Lauren walked in…..by herself! I was studying hard and really needed a good grade on this test. I was surprised when she came and sat at the table next to me. After some introductions which were not induced by me, we made our first verbal contact! I couldn’t have been more embarrassed when the conversation turned to relationships and the lack of tact which some of the weirdos exhibited at the table. I did not want to say a single word because I feared Lauren might think that I somehow was exactly like the other guys. I wanted to say a lot of things, but was kind of embarrassed because of the company we were in. They asked me about my love life and I didn’t have much to say. I kept looking at Lauren out of the corner of my eye to see how focused she was. She never even looked away from her notes and her book! This led me to do the same.
Lauren is right. We never talked again that whole semester of lab. One of the reasons why has already been discussed- boys would never leave her alone! However another reason why I was so reserved around her is because I really did not think that she remembered me or my name. I could picture in my head how the conversation would go…..ME: “Hey Lauren how are you?” Lauren: “I’m good, what was your name? Do I know you?” Oh gosh…..I couldn’t bring myself to talk to her. So after the first time we were right by each other and didn’t talk, the fear of that awkward conversation only intensified. At long last on the final day of class the best thing ever happened! I walked in to check out of lab and that beautiful girl was standing all by herself! I mustered the courage to talk to her. The feared conversation wasn’t fearful at all. I could tell right away that she was just the nicest girl and easy to talk to. Why hadn’t I talked to her earlier?! That day she added me on Facebook! HAHAHA I was so happy that right away I messaged her and told her of my love for her! Okay okay, I just made small talk. We left for Christmas break to our respective areas of the country and we kept messaging back and forth. From those little messages on Facebook I knew that she was HILARIOUS. She gave me her phone number.
I could not have been happier to see that she was in my Organic Chemistry class in January. There she was again!....surrounded by the riff raff that BYU seems to always produce. That first day of class I texted my confidant Erik Bremer (who frequently builds my confidence and would give me advice on love). I immediately gave him the news that the girl I had told him all about over Christmas break was in my class! He told me to sit by her and I quickly responded that there were too many males surrounding her to make such a bold move. I couldn’t let another class period pass without at least trying to make some kind of connection with Lauren. I texted her and as a result of it, she so kindly allowed me to sit by her every single day of class from then on.
Later on, after a couple weeks of dating, Lauren actually doubted the conversation I had with Erik. Erik kindly submitted to my request to text Lauren what I had told him that first day of class.
Studying chemistry seemed like an easy way to get to know Lauren. It allowed me to spend time with her, which is all I wanted to do. The first time she came over to study I was running around getting everything just perfect-cleaning the kitchen, wiping down the table, putting on my favorite shirt, and making sure to put a piece of gum in my mouth. Needless to say, I was flustered, nervous, and SOOOOO excited! It didn’t take long for me to realize that she was so smart! I could have sat there and listened to her explain the reasons why molecular orbitals bond with one another for a million hours-and I did. Our studying time turned into snowboarding and our first date. It led to spending four hours with each other, then eight, then twelve. We spent all of our time together. I loved being with her as much as I possibly could.
I LOVED this day.
Everything with Lauren seemed to fall right into place. I adored her from the start. During this time, all I could think about was how I would take our friendship to the next level. Lauren had told me about many different guys who had tried to woo her into a relationship. She did NOT have many positive things to say about dating and relationships. Because of this valuable information that I had, I knew that I couldn’t just expect her to want to be with me because of my impressive study skills. This led me to the “become great friends” tactic. I couldn’t make any rash or unplanned moves or else she might think things were weird and not want to study anymore. I could NOT have that happen! Mission ‘become great friends’ had been underway since the beginning.
Lauren and I did become the best of friends. There were a few moments in the beginnings of our relationship that I just knew that she was the one for me. We could laugh at anything together. She always thought I was so funny (or at least she made me feel like I was). I couldn’t understand it! She and I would just laugh and laugh and laugh. The greatest thing was that I thought SHE was the funniest being that had ever lived. She always had something up her sleeve! On the day of our first test, she was soooooo funny! Her eyes were as big as watermelons and she kept saying, “What a rush!” Her adrenaline rushed all day long in anticipation of the BIG test. I could not get enough of her! She would remind me every five seconds that this test would dictate our futures of becoming doctors and if we failed, then we wouldn’t be able to get into medical school. I would just smile and laugh. I definitely did not share in her doomsday attitude about our first test (although I probably should have). I was in love with her! During that first test, I sat behind her a couple of rows back. She had no idea I was there. I watched her the entire time! The only reason it took me so long to complete my test was because my mind was NOT on the right kind of chemistry. I wanted to be all hers and she didn’t even know it. As I sat watching her in the test, all I could do was smile because I knew that she was something special.
Another moment when I knew that she was the one was when she invited me to meet her family. We spent all of our time together but were not “officially” dating. I was a titch nervous, but it faded away because I LOVED her family from the moment I met them in that small pizza shop in Provo. Her mom even brought up the general topic of marriage as we sat there on those benches eating pizza with forks. There are few things that I have loved more than watching Lauren squirm due to embarrassment. That night as all of us joked, laughed, played card games, enjoyed her nephew and niece-Weston and Addison, and talked about Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, I realized all the more how much I adored Lauren. Seeing her in front of the ones she loved made me love her a buhjillion times more. Everything that I have learned and discovered about Lauren has made me love, adore, admire, respect, appreciate, and treasure her. She is the funniest, prettiest, wittiest, smartest, most entertaining, and let’s not forget the GREATESTJ.
I love Lauren because she's GOOFY!
Lauren has had a special place in my heart since the very first time that I met her in that crowded chemistry lab. She has made my life happier than I could have ever imagined. I’m the luckiest man in the whole world because I have Lauren Dru Pennington by my side. I will forever be indebted to her for loving me.
Lauren:
I love you more than snails love their shells.
I love you more than lizards.
I love you more than goofy loves to laugh.
I love you more than Grace loves Jimerella.
I love you more than the hills love to roll in the Palouse.
I love you more than Franklin will love to do math and hang out with you.
I love you more than gummy sour candies.
I love you more than the Lakers.
I love you more than the best basketball game.
I love you more than Encinitas.
I love that the future will be OUR future.
You, Lauren, are my best friend and I will always love you.
Love,
David
