2// The Charming and Handsome Designated Walk Home
It was after one our AFROTC Dining Outs and we were having a party at the Hangar- a house that was chock full of cadets renting it out for the semester. It was closer to Camp Randall stadium and I lived on Greek row, so about a 40 minute walk. I think I had maybe a beer and was ready to go home. A guy that I had been seeing, also a fellow cadet, said that he'd walk me home. Unfortunately he was rather wasted and so I steered my moped over to his apartment and waited for him. Some back story, I was really conflicted with this relationship. In professional and school settings, he was awesome. His job was in a research lab helping to develop cochlear implant information for kids with hearing problems. He was friendly and outgoing, but when he drank, he was a hot mess. We had dealt with so many situations together that just weren't good but the McDonald's incident was on a whole different level. My plan for the night was to crash on his couch, not sleep together, and then I'd walk home the next day. I wasn't drunk but I also didn't feel like scooting home, so I felt that this was the safest option. I had parked my moped in his apartment parking lot and waited and waited and waited.
I finally thought he might have passed out on the side of the road and I should probably save him. That's when I heard him...in the waiting line at the walk-thru McDonald's window. I was fairly pissed. I marched up to that line and before I could lay into him about being such a jerk, I decided I was hungry. Don't judge, shamrock shakes were out and it was like 2 in the morning. He was about 4 people in front of me, with another cadet friend. While I'm waiting in line, one of the four people turned around and said, "that's an Air Force parka if I ever saw one." Turns out the four guys were very attractive Navy ROTC cadets. They're blatantly flirting with me and I'm turning 52 shades of pink when my designated walk home turns around and starts screaming the most random things. Now this wasn't a problem until he started yelling about having sex with me. The Navy boys then decided to defend my honor by telling him off and then parka guy turned to me and said, "I really hope that's not your boyfriend." Cue 52 shades of humiliation and mortification.
I continue the conversation with these guys and while they're picking up their order, these guys realize that my designated walk home has vanished.
Seriously WTF
I can't keep a line of sight on this kid and he's the one who is supposed to be keeping me safe from abductors and rapists. Fan-fricken-tastic. At this moment I realize that I am all alone with four guys that I don't really know. That's when I truly became frightened.
At that moment of peak freaked-outtedness, one of the guys turns around and hands me a shamrock shake and says, "this is to make up for what that dick said. You really shouldn't date guys like that."
And all faith in humanity is restored.
We had such a fun conversation and they repeatedly said, "you cannot seek him out and sleep with him. Don't do it!" The guys walked me home and I wouldn't learn/remember their names until my senior year of college.
I chose this story for many reasons. The first was that my designated walk home was a guy had been seeing to get over a boyfriend who had broken my heart by cheating on me. After we broke up, I sought out any semblance of putting my pride back together and that's when I turned to the handsome and charming designated walk home. The important note is that DWH and I had been seeing each other for awhile before the McDonald's incident and he still managed to leave me in a situation that was really not safe. That walk home with those guys reminded me of my self-worth again and that I shouldn't settle to get over a heartbreak. I was worth a guy who was going to make sure that I was safe and who would never ever humiliate me in front of others. It also reminded me that guys can be gentlemen and I should strive to find one instead of going for guys who treat girls like crap.
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