The Third Wheel (aka How I saw Sixteen Candles 11 times)

My best friend in junior high had much more confidence than I did. That confidence translated into having many more boyfriends than I did. But, there was something I had WAY over her. I saw Sixteen Candles 11 times.

I saw it first with agroup of gal pals. That was a given. We had to go. We saw everything in that genre as soon as it came out - although I'm sure I couldn't spell "genre" at the time. "St Elmo's Fire," "Pretty in Pink," "The Breakfast Club" - you know the list. The new Brat Pack at their finest. Some John Huston thrown in there. Everything a young girl, dying for her first true love, could want. Heaven.

I went again, of course, just to make sure I didn't miss anything. And back then, movies stuck around a long time in theaters. (No Blockbusters, DVD's or On Demand for us diehards. We spent cash relentlessly for our favorites.)

I think I went a third time, because it was the summer and I had money to burn. Why not...

So then, how did I rack up the other viewings, you may ask? Well, back to my BFF and the boyfriends thing.

One Saturday night we were supposed to have plans and we were going to the movies. Not sure what to see yet, but "Sixteen Candles" was a distinct possibility. Yep, it was still playing. She called to say that had been asked out by "Cute Boy #1." This was quite a development. Conversation ensued. Plotting. Questions and answers. More plotting. Decisions. It was determined, by us (of course), that they should go to the movies Saturday night, and that I should go with them, just in case. This covered a myriad of bases:
A. I would still have plans with her.
B. If he was a bad date, then we could ditch him at some point and have fun without him.
C. Or, in case it was a good date, I would be the "girlfriend" along so the parents wouldn't say no.

Win -win-win. He agreed. We found a mutually agreeable time, and starting picking out clothes.

So, he was a (disappointing) B.

Another week later, "Cute Boy #2" called. Our original game plan seemed solid, but no new movies. We suggested said game plan, he agreed. Off we went to see "Sixteen Candles." Again. Another B. Sigh.

By "Cute Boy #4" and "#5," we had started making a game of it - we made sure we ordered candy we had never eaten. We wore clothes that belonged to the other person. Whatever change-up we could come up with, we did.

Well, you can do the math - I escorted my BFF through 8 dates of varying successes over that spring and summer. It was a learning experience for everyone. She got to perfect her dating skills, and I became the ultimate third wheel. Don't worry about me, I did eventually date and quite well, in fact, with all the practice I had, vicariously. And the other benefit - I can quote every line in Sixteen Candles (yes, still).