THS Teachers’ Terrific and Terrible First Date Stories

First dates– a rocky subject for some, a hysterical conversation for others and the makeup of a dreamy story for the hopeless romantics. As a student, it’s hard to imagine a Mr. Caudill your age, nervous with sweaty palms preparing for a first date. Don’t worry about imagining it though– his story, as well as five others, are right here for you!

-Mrs. McCartney-

As a sophomore in high school Mrs. McCartney had just started driving. She was trying to get her car to start just after she had finished basketball practice at the high school. Worried about the time, she rushed around to find a friend who could drive her home. Her date began to get worried that she wasn’t coming, and she almost didn’t make it herself. She had a great time though, after she made it there a bit late.

-Mr. Caudill-

It was the day after senior prom, and Caudill, his friends, and all of their dates went to a park for a picnic –it was about 10 people all together. The park was almost an hour’s drive away, on the way up was when the first in a chain of events that went wrong. Caudill and his date had been caught speeding in his little 1988 red Buick LeSabre. “It was just a written warning,” Caudill said. After they were pulled over they continued on their way to the park. Once arriving at the park Caudill and his crew began to unload things for the picnic. “There was a natural waterslide in the park,” Caudill recollected. Distracted by his friends calling him over, Caudill accidentally locked the keys in the trunk as well as never getting out the stuff he needed. He didn’t realize until it was too late and all of his friends had gone off to enjoy the waterslide and picnicking. Caudill and his date were left alone, trying to figure out a way to get the keys out.

Eventually Caudill had decided that he needed to call a locksmith. Being that neither of them had cell phones, and the keys were locked in the trunk, Caudill had to find a way to get into the nearest town to use a phone. Leaving his date back at the park, Caudill had hitch-hiked his way into town. He found a phone and a number for the locksmith, the man on the other line said he would meet Caudill at the park to unlock the car trunk. Caudill Hitched his way back into the park. After waiting an hour and still no locksmith, Caudill had to hitchhike his way back into town–again. He called the locksmith again and told him that he would be waiting at the information center in town to make sure that he comes this time. So he waited until he saw the locksmith’s truck come barreling down the street– it didn’t stop. Upon realizing the truck wasn’t stopping Caudill got up and literally ran after the truck. He chased it all the way down the street until it had stopped for a lady who was inquiring it’s services.

Caudill had caught up to the locksmith’s truck and began banging on the passenger window to catch his attention. Explaining that he was the one who called, he hopped up into the truck and the locksmith drove him up to the park again. By the time they finally arrived at the park it was around 6– the park closed at 7. The police showed up again to remind them of this, and to ask what was going on. The locksmith finally got the car keys out, and the crew began to head home when the car broke down! The parade all pulled over to check out what was wrong. Opening up the hood none of them could figure out what had gone wrong. Everything looked just fine and the gas gage showed that Caudill had a quarter of a tank of gas left.

An older lady came out of one of the neighboring houses and asked them if they wanted to use her phone. “This poor lady had let the ten of us come in and use her bathroom and her phone to call home. Her son had came to see what all the fuss was about and he offered to put a gallon of gas into the tank, knowing it wouldn’t hurt to have a little extra gas. Just like that the car started right up. The gas gage had broken,” Caudill said. “I looked at my date and said ‘The next thing that could go wrong would be a car accident. You’re driving home.,’ and with that I handed her the keys.” All of this and they had only been going out for a day! “The relationship did survive the prom date!” Caudill stated.

-Miss Kowalski- It was a double date in a friend’s basement, they all had went over to watch the movie I Am Legend. Knowing the guy that had asked her out was too shy to make a move Kowalski pretended to be scared throughout the movie so she could put her head on his shoulder and he could put his arm around her. “I wasn’t actually scared though,” Kowalski admitted.

-Mrs. Ruther- Mr. and Mrs. Ruther had met a park for a hike on their first date. Mrs. Ruther tells us that the trails at the park had two entrances. She said that she had waited at the entrance of one of the trails for quite awhile before she just took it as being stood up. Mrs. Ruther got in her car and drove down to the other trail entrance. She stopped because she had seen a guy standing there– waiting for something. She parked and asked him if he was Drew Ruther. Indeed it was him. “The park we met at was actually only a half mile from where we live now. We still walk in those woods together.” Mrs. Ruther said. “Looking back on it, a first date in the woods is pretty sketchy,” the Ruthers tell us. “But we had a mutual friend that we both trusted.” The Ruthers would advise teens to not go on first dates into woods with people that you’ve never met before.

-Mrs. Caudill- The Caudills had been friends for awhile since they had the same friend circle. “It was the week of 9/11,” Mrs.Caudill said: “I remember saying, ‘I can’t cry anymore’.” Mrs.Caudill and a few of her friends had decided to get out and go to Talawanda’s high school football game. Mrs. Caudill had cousins that had played football for Talawanda and Mr. Caudill coached the team at the time. After the game Mr.Caudill had met up with Mrs. Caudill and her friends. They then had all decided to go to Steinkellers. “I know it sounds cheesy, but it was like we were the only two people in the room.” She then proceeded to explain their first ‘official’ date. The couple went out to Olive Garden for a lovely dinner.

-Mrs. Sammons- Mrs. Sammons has a first date story that went just all kinds of wrong. It was with a friend Sammons would hang out with occasionally. He asked her if she would go out and try a new restaurant with him. “Dress up because it’s a nice restaurant,” he told her. Sammons had asked her friends is this date or is this not a date?  The debate went on, most of her friends agreed that it was a  date, but she disagreed. Well, it’s a nice restaurant and we are just friends so it sounds like fun she thought. They never ended up getting to go to the restaurant, something had come up. The two ended up going to a coffee shop. After sitting and chatting for a while, her friend got up to use the restroom. After he left she sent her friends a message in the group chat. “This is totally not a date,” she sent. After realizing that the guy she was with was in the group chat, she realized she had sent the message to him too! He came back and opened his phone and showed her the message and asked what it was about. Sammons told us she tried to make up something really quick on the spot. “Oh see that couple over there– it’s totally not a date they’re on.” It ended after that.