Kaitlyn's point of view.

    My name is Kaitlyn Peterson.  I live in Tulsa Oklahoma.  Today is my 18th 

birthday.  It is also prom night.  But, instead of a party or going to my Senior prom I 

was dragged to the wedding of the daughter of my Uncle by his first marriage.  Since 

the only people I knew were  my parents, my brother and my Aunt and Uncle, I was 

so board!  The only good thing that happened today is that I found out that I have 

been accepted to the University of Michigan on a full scholarship and I will be 

roommates with my best friend Rachel.

    Oh well.  Right now I'm sitting on my back porch, listening to my Savage Garden 

cd, and eating mint chocolate chip ice cream. It is a nice night despite the humidity.  

I'm still wearing the dress I wore to the wedding but I have discarded my pantyhose 

and 2 inch heels for my new  daffy duck slippers.  My Mom gave them to me as a 

present for my birthday as a joke.   But they are better than the 2 inch  heels which I 

will have to wear again to graduation and during my 10 day trip to Spain next month.  

I'm going there as a graduation/birthday present from my  parents. Every once in 

awhile my peace and quiet is interrupted by the screams of girls that sound like they 

are at a Hanson concert.  That's because my family and I live next door to them 

and as usual there are girls camped out in their front yard trying to get a glimpse of  

them.  It is  a pain for us but the guys are cool so I guess that makes it ok.  I know 

how hard they worked to get to this point in their careers.  When we moved here 

from Michigan 3 years ago I especially became good friends with Ike since we are 

the same age and have the same interests.  They weren't famous then.

    All of a sudden I hear a thud by the fence in our back yard.  My head shoots 

straight up.    Speak of the devil.  Ike just jumped over the fence that separates our 

yards caring a package.

    "Hey you!" I yell to him.

    "Hey yourself.  Happy Birthday!"  Ike says. 

He is wearing an old pair of blue jeans, an old t-shirt, and a pair of airwalks.  Damn, 

he looks good even in old clothes.  I wish I could do that.  He sits down in the chair 

next to mine. He looks down at my feet and says "nice slippers".

"Thanks" I say swatting playfully at his arm.  "They were a present from my parents." 

 "How was the wedding?"  Ike asks.

    "It was ok" I tell him "but I would have rather been at prom even though I wouldn't 

have a date."

    "I bet." Ike replies and smiles. 

  All of a sudden "Truly, Madly, Deeply" starts to 

play.  It's my favorite song on the cd.

    "Well," Ike says, putting down the present and standing up. "just so you don't 

completely miss out on the experience would you care to dance?"  

        Gulp!  I hadn't expected him to say that.  "Um, sure."  I put my ice cream on the 

table next to my chair and then stand up.  Ike pulls me close to him and we start 

dancing.  He's a great dancer too.  As I said Ike and I are friends but lately I've been 

thinking I might want us to be more.

    The song ends all to soon and we both sit down again.  Ike picks up the present,

hands it to me and says "Happy Birthday"

    I open it.  I pull out autographed copies of their Boomerang and MMMbop cd's 

(which I don't have I'm afraid to say), a Hanson t-shirt, and tickets and backstage

passes to their concert here at the Maybee Center.  I frown.

    "What's wrong?"  Ike asks.

    "Ike, I'd love to go to the concert but I've been accepted to the University of 

Michigan and orientation is that same week as your concert." I tell him.

    "Oh"  Ike seems very disappointed.  "When did you find this out?"