Aden Quackenbush

Aden Quackenbush may be a bit of a nerd. But he’s a cool nerd. Apparently, I like that.
Aden and I became friends fast. One day he approached me at institute. When I told him where I was from he mentioned that his aunt lived in my area and described the family. I happen to be close to that family, and I looked at him flabbergasted. A memory flooded my mind like a tidal wave and I just started to laugh. I had met him in High School and I remembered him! But the only reason I remembered him was because I thought he was an arrogant jerk! How could this slightly timid be-speckled barefoot runner be the same jerk? But I knew he was. I couldn’t stop laughing but all I could tell him was that I remembered meeting him.
Throughout the semester it seemed like Aden saw all my doings. From his living room, he could see every time I left or came to my apartment. Unfortunately this was with a different guy almost every time he saw me. I wanted to kick myself when he caught me with Ben (that jerk I almost dated last semester) multiple times and introduced himself to him. I just knew he was so close to asking me out and now he never would!
But I didn’t realize I had a crush on Aden until our Ward Formal. I was kind of surprised when the ward hottie, Zane, was my date from the Date-O-Matic 3000. I would have never guessed that because so many girls in the ward wanted to go with him! So I donned my blue Cinderella-esque dress and got pretty. Aden’s date was one of my best friends. He had gone all out and rented a purple tux for the occasion (I warned you he’s kind of nerdy). We ended up in the food line together and he said “Kylie, you look so beautiful tonight” twice. Twice! My date didn’t even say that! While being waited on by the ward hottie I was wishing Aden had on a blue tux instead. Then afterwards I smiled while my friend raved about what a great date he was and, like everyone else, told me how lucky I was to go with Zane. My mind was yelling “wanting to be with the ward nerd over the ward hottie when you’ve got the ward hottie? What’s wrong with you, girl!”
The Sunday after that dance I saw Aden waiting in the lobby after church out of the corner of my eye. He ran up to me as soon as he saw me and walked as if he had just randomly run into me and we happened to be walking together. I was delighted by the adorableness of his timid approach! He told me how much he loved my testimony that day and how happy he was that he was friends with such an amazing girl. Wow! I told him I thought he was pretty awesome too and we happily sat together for Sunday School.
In the midst of finals I kind of forgot about Aden, my awesome slightly nerdy friend who still hadn’t asked me out. I got back in Provo a few days ago and didn’t make the effort to talk to a single boy. So I was surprised to get a call out of the blue from Aden himself asking me on our first date! I was very conflicted because I don’t like saying yes to a guy who asks me out right before we go, but I wanted to go and I really didn’t have plans, so I abated my inner dating Nazi by telling Aden how amazing it was I didn’t have plans tonight and then accepting.
When I saw him I was shocked to see he had lost his black-framed glasses! They were so endearing! He informed me he had lasik over the break and I hope he wasn’t sad he did when I mourned the loss of his four eyes.
Since we both hadn’t eaten he offered me the meal he concocted of rice, tomatoes and beans. It was surprisingly delicious. We invited his roommate Reginald (possibly the most awkward guy I’ve ever met who happened to write the code for the Date-O-Matic 3000) to eat with us and he accepted our invitation. I felt really bad when I realized I had left the apartment when Reginald was mid sentence!
Aden and I saw a captioned French film at the “International Cinema” which I really enjoyed. Aden is so cultured! When we were leaving the building Aden stopped and exclaimed: “I left my pen!”
I said “Um, okay…” I didn’t know people got so attached to pens.
He said “I love that pen! I’ll run ahead and get it!” I tried to tell him I would hit up the restroom while he was finding his pen but he was running away before I got the chance so I text him “I’m going to go to the bathroom!” so he knew where I was.
But he didn’t text me back and afterwards he was nowhere to be found. I ended up calling him to find him and he had no idea where I was. A.k.a. he had not checked his phone! Which means he got a text from me after the date that says, “I’m going to the bathroom!”
Oh the horror! Why in the world did I have to send that text? I have no idea how he interpreted that one. He’s probably thinking, “Woah this girl is getting way to personal. It’s only been one date and she’s telling me when she poops!”
Maybe I’ll make a habit of sending daily texts like “I’m in the shower! I’m shaving my armpits!”
Before he read the dreaded text and after he found his beloved pen, we went to a “Superhero” themed event on campus. This means the place was crawling with bewildering superheros like “Trashbag Girl” and “The Carebear Boys” in Carebear outfits designed to fit 5 year olds.
Most of our time at the event was spent sipping hot chocolate and having an enthrawling discussion. For a sciencey guy, he has one of the most artistic minds I’ve explored. We discussed sophisticated books we enjoyed, social issues, food industry, things like that. It was fascinating.
He doesn’t like to dance nearly as much as me, but he humored me and jumped into the dance going on at the event for the last three songs. He had fun too.
That’s basically it!
That was last night and this morning my friend and I went for a jog. We were talking outside of our complex and here walks out Aden with another girl from our ward. When he saw me he gave a little jump and we exchanged hi’s. It looked like they were going to the grocery store or something. They seem like really good friends, and maybe he likes her. Then what is he doing asking me out? I guess I really can’t blame him after passing by his window with a new boy every day last semester.
Well it's time to text Aden. I’m off to the bathroom!