Huge Smiles

Sunday, February 25, 1996

Dear Ryan,

Hey honey! How are you? I'm doing o-kay-, but could always be better. Lately I've been getting sick quite a bit. My immune system has been getting pretty low because of my low eating habits, and all this weather isn't helping it any. I've been doing better lately though. My mom tries to make me eat at least one big meal a day. She would like it if I ate more, but she's not going to push it. What can I say? When you're not hungry, you just don't want to eat.

School sucks. I hate it. I am getting so behind in all of my classes. I've been missing so much school because I'm sick all the time, and every time I miss a day in school, I found out that I missed a test or something really important. I try my best to keep up but it just doesn't seem to be enough. 

Anyways, you remember when my parents sold my piano, and how devastated I was? Well yesterday they went up to Billings and bought me a keyboard! It is so cool. I can hardly keep myself away from it. I was up so late last night just playing around with it, and seeing what it can do. I guess it was worth it to get rid of that piano, but it did have a lot of sentimental value in it. I taught myself how to play on that piano and it was an important thing to me. Oh well. I guess you can't have everything you want in life.

I have something to tell you. It might make you mad, but I hope you understand. Last week I went out with a bunch of my friends, and we were doing a little drinking. Becky and I went cruising around with these guys, and one of them, well all of them, but one in particular was hitting on me pretty bad. He asked me to go out with him, but then Becky asked if we should get going after that. I said yes to Becky, but he thought I was saying yes to his question. Which under no circumstances I was. I didn't realize he thought I was his girlfriend until two nights later when he showed up on my doorstep in the middle of the night. I was feeling pretty stupid about it. I talked to my mom and she said I should tell him the truth, about you. So I wrote him this note explaining the whole misunderstanding, and he got mad. He told me that he liked me so much, and that if you and I ever broke up to give him a chance. I told him that seeing how long you and I have been together, that I didn't see that happening anytime soon. Ryan I am so sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. I truly had no idea that he thought I was his girlfriend. I just thought he knew about you. Everyone else does, and all the guys I know that like me respect the fact that I have no intentions of cheating on you. I just feel stupid about that whole situation. I should have thought that he would think I was talking to him and not Becky. I'm sorry. I hope you're not mad at me.

Man! This week has been so hectic for me. We just finished this play called 'Oklahoma.' It's a musical, and they chose about 20 people from the band to participate in it. Mr. Spitzer volunteered me for the alto clarinet part, as usual, and I've been so worn out over it. We ran our practices from after school to 10 or 11:00 at night! We did our opening show on Thursday, and it just fell apart. I was so embarrassed. I think everyone else was, too. Then on Friday we did the show again, and it was fantastic! I could hardly believe it was the same play. The audience just roared in laughter, and all the directors had huge smiles plastered on their faces for the whole night! It was great.

Well, I don't know what more to say. I hope to hear from you soon, and thank you for the card. I enjoyed it a lot.

Love Always and Forever,

Rita Rosalita

in my dreams and in my mind, you'll always be there.