Chapter 1: Blue Turf Daydreams and Disaster
When I picture myself strutting down the quad at Boise State in sky-high heels, a sassy skirt, and a gorgeous long black curly wig, passing by Derek, I just know he’ll be so bewitched by me he’ll lose his mind. The fantasy in my head plays out like one of those campus rom-coms—music swelling, the crowd parting, Derek’s jaw dropping like he just saw Beyoncé in real life. Heel tips click against the concrete, the cool fall-semester air bites my cheeks, tailgate banners flutter by the Student Union, and for one perfect second even the famous Blue Turf seems to glow. Under the wig cap, my scalp itches like mad—and that tiny itch is the only thing tethering me to reality.
That day, just as I expected, he stopped my classmate and said, “Hey, your wig’s falling off.” But his eyes flicked straight to me as he stepped subtly into my path, voice low but pointed. The words cut through my daydream like a cold Idaho wind. For a split second, I wanted the earth to swallow me whole.
Damn! Another day, another social disaster! My college highlight reel was turning into a blooper reel. My stomach knotted, heat flooded my face, and I could feel my ears going fire-engine red.