Author’s Note: This story is a complete work of fiction from the get go and is intended solely for the readers to enjoy. My thanks to EasySpeak for the work of editing this story so that it makes sense and makes it easier to read and understand.

Author’s Note: This story was inspired by a line from George Strait’s song “Nobody In His Right Mind” from which the title was chosen. His song and the lyrics are available on the internet.

It was the first of September and it was the first day of the new school year. I, along with the rest of my class, was starting in the fifth grade. When I got to school that day, I recognized all of the kids that had been in my class last year had returned this year.

But, this year the class included a new girl who had just been enrolled in our school by her mother. The teacher said her name was Ginny Owens and I along with everyone else could see she was a very pretty girl.

The teacher had told the class to introduce ourselves to Ginny. She told each one of us to tell her our name, welcome her to our school and that we were glad to meet her. She also told us to tell her we were glad to have her in our class. The girls all introduced themselves to Ginny and then it was the boys turn to line up and introduce themselves to her.

When it was my turn to introduce myself to her I stepped up to her and said, “Hi, Ginny, my name is Travis Williams and welcome to our school. I’m very glad to meet you and I’m happy to have you in our class.”

She very politely responded, “Hi, Travis. I’m very happy to meet you, too.” I was sure either the teacher or her mother had coached her to make that response to each of us. With that I turned on my heel and joined the rest of the boys in the class.

From across the room I could see that she was very pretty but, when I was up close to her and spoke to her she was just gorgeous. She was very polite and had a warm smile and a nice greeting for all of us.

When I introduced myself I looked into her eyes and saw the prettiest sparkling deep blue eyes I think I had ever seen. Not only did she have those beautiful blue eyes she had very pretty shoulder length shiny blond hair that perfectly framed her beautiful face. I think Ginny was probably the prettiest girl in our class if not our entire grade school.

I think that may have been because of her blond hair since all of the other girls in our class had light brown or dark brown or even black hair. They were very pretty but Ginny was even prettier with her blue eyes and her shining blond hair. It surely was enough to strike a spark in me as a beginning fifth grade kid. My Mom had always told me to be very nice to girls and I certainly wasn’t going to have her mad at me by not treating Ginny like Mom had told me to do so often.

After all the boys had introduced themselves to Ginny, the other girls all surrounded her to talk to her and get to know her. It seemed that they all wanted to be friends with her. Of course, all the fifth grade boys at the age of 10 or 11 or so really didn’t have much interest in girls.

We all thought that the girls were not interested in playing baseball, tag or other playground sports that the boys were all interested in playing. We all knew that she was probably like all of the other girls that wanted to play house and play with dolls.

Ginny had just been enrolled in our school because her family had recently moved into our little town from some other town in the state. Her family happened to move into a house not far from where I lived. And as I walked to school I passed by her house and we walked to school together each day.

I saw Ginny and walked to school with her each day through the rest of that school year. We continued doing that during our remaining grade school years until we graduated from grade school. That changed when we started high school though.

Ginny seemed to have a different schedule than I did when we got into high school. I saw her nearly every day in high school as I was in a couple of the same classes she was in. Her mother always picked Ginny up after school each day and where they went I didn’t know until sometime much later.

But, the friendship we had formed in grade school was just the same. It never really faded when we got into high school. I really liked Ginny and I know she really liked me, too. When we got into high school, Ginny became even prettier. Her face filled out a little more and she began to wear make-up, which made her look even prettier.

Her make up made her really look more like a young woman than a high school girl. She also began to show that she had developed breasts like both of our Moms had. Her shape rounded out into a beautiful hour glass figure. And damn, did she really look good to me and to the other guys in high school who began to notice her, too.

During our junior year I was looking for a date to take to a home football game with me and I asked Ginny. She accepted and I picked her up at her house and we walked to the football field where we met some of her friends and their dates. We had a good time at the game especially since our home team won the football game.

After the football game Ginny and I walked over to the local hamburger shop and I bought us each a hamburger, fries and a shake. Then we walked back home. Holding her hand on the way home was a thrill to me I had not experienced before. I think it was a thrill for her. But, she didn’t say anything about it at that time. I think I began to feel my love for her and it deepened as time went along.

A couple of weeks later at our next home game I asked Ginny to go to the game with me. She said, “No thanks, Travis, I can’t go with you this time.” She could see the disappointment in my expression, in my eyes and in my voice. She quickly followed it up, saying, “My mom and I are going out of town on Friday evening and we won’t be back until Sunday evening.”

“Ok, Ginny. Maybe we can go to the next home game or to the movies or something?”

“Yeah, maybe we can do that, Travis. Talk to me after class or give me a call.”

The last home football game of the year and I stopped Ginny after class and asked her, “Hey, Ginny, would you like to go to the last football game of the year this Friday with me?”

“I hate to keep turning you down, Travis but, I’m going out of town on Friday and I won’t be back until Sunday evening. Maybe we can go to a movie the following weekend.”

“Ok, Ginny. I’ll catch you later then.” The following weekend I asked her if she wanted to go to the movies with me and she accepted. I had a great time with her at the movies and she seemed to enjoy it too.

But, trying to get a date with her was really difficult since she always seemed to be going out of town on the weekend. She never explained why they went out of town and I never thought I should ask her either.

I had begun to think that she was trying to brush me off but, one time when she turned me down for a date she told me, “I really like you Travis and I still want to go out with you but, my Mom has taken me to some modeling agencies and I have gotten some of the agency’s modeling work. The problem is that my Mom has said it has to be done on the weekends and not during the school week. She doesn’t want it to interfere with my school work.”

“Ok, Ginny. Now I begin to understand and if I get to bothering you just tell me and I’ll back off, get off of your case and leave you alone.” I’d had every intention of asking another girl to go out with me.

“No, no, Travis. You’re not bothering me at all. I still want to go out with you when I can but, I have to schedule around the modeling work I’m doing. Mom says she thinks that I may be able to make a career out of modeling and they pay me really well to do that, too. Mom and Dad have told me that I can’t really afford to pass up doing that modeling work for them and all the pay goes into my own bank account for me.”

“Well, when you have a weekend free, Ginny, let me know and maybe we can go out somewhere. I’d like to take you to the junior prom, too, if you are going to be available then. Do you think you will be available to go to the prom with me, Ginny?”

“I think so, Travis but, I’m not sure. I’ll have to see when it gets closer to prom time.”

I didn’t hear much from Ginny and one weekend she called me and told me she was going to be free. I asked her to go to the movies and she accepted. I really loved going out with her but, I wanted to have something a little more certain than seeing Ginny only once in a while though.

About a month before the prom when I was seriously thinking about asking another girl to go to the prom with me, Ginny called me. She said, “Travis, I’m going to have the weekend of the prom free. Does your invitation to go to the prom with you still stand, Travis?”

“Sure, it does, Ginny. Will you still go to the prom with me then?”

“Yeah, I will, Travis. I have been looking forward to going with you ever since you asked me earlier. I have never forgotten you and going out with you and especially going to the prom with you.”

“You won’t have to work and tell me a week or a few days before the prom that you have to work and you can’t go to the prom with me, will you, Ginny? I want to go to the prom and I really want to take you to the prom if you can go with me.”

“Oh, No, no, no, Travis. I won’t do that. I have told them that there is one date that I’m going to be off. That date’s going to be the weekend of the prom.” Ginny and I went to the prom and she was by far the prettiest girl at the prom. Her hair and her make-up looked like they had been done by a movie studio and she had the prettiest dress on I think I have ever seen.

She just looked absolutely gorgeous. I was really proud to be the one to have taken Ginny to the prom. The rest of the guys at the prom just couldn’t keep their eyes off of her. I thought that her hair and make-up looking so good was because of her modeling work.

Ginny and I had a really great time at the prom and after the prom we went to a post prom party. We had an equally good time at the post prom party, too. Several of the guys at the prom and the post prom party asked me how I was able to take Ginny to the prom.

I quickly answered, “Just luck and brains, I guess.”

Ginny’s parents had asked that I bring her home by midnight so we had to leave the prom party before most of the other guys and their dates had to leave for home.

When I parked the car in front of her house I told Ginny, “I really had a great time with you at the prom and at the post prom party tonight. When can I see you again, Ginny? Will I be able to see you again before school is out?”

“I wish we could go out then, Travis, but, with my modeling work and final exams I don’t think I’m going to have the time.” Ginny could see the disappointment in my face but, she knew I understood the situation and she wasn’t trying to brush me off. I think she had pretty much the same feeling for me as I had for her.

I didn’t get a chance to see Ginny during the rest of the school year or the summer since I had a summer job that took up most of my time. I did see her after school started again in the fall and we went to a couple of home football games together. But, she was working a lot during the rest of our senior year at her modeling job. I did get a chance to take her to the movies a couple of times but, our senior year went much like our junior year did.

When I did get the chance to see her I asked her if she would go to the senior prom with me and she accepted. I had to take her home by midnight and when we got to her house I asked her, “Honey, can I see you between now and graduation? If not can we go out to the graduation party together?”

“It will probably have to be after graduation at the graduation party, Travis. Will that be Ok with you?”

“Sure, Ginny. I’ll really look forward to seeing you then, Honey.”

I didn’t get a chance to go out with Ginny until after graduation when we went to the graduation party together. We had a good time at the graduation party but, I had to get her home by midnight just like at the prom. When I parked the car at her house I told her, “It’s been wonderful seeing you again, Ginny. When can I see you again, Honey?”

“I don’t know, Travis. Now that school is out they have said that I would probably be busy all summer until next fall until just before I leave for college.”

“Well, if you get some time this summer, Ginny, give me a call and maybe we can go out somewhere.”

“Ok, Travis, I’ll do that but, it may not be until after the summer when we go to college.” I knew that she really didn’t like not seeing me over the summer any more than I did.

“I wish I could see you more, Ginny because I love you very much, Honey.” Over the time I had fallen in love with her and I finally came out and admitted it and said it to her.

“Travis, I love you too.” She hugged and kissed me and I kissed her passionately. She then went into the house to meet her parents’ midnight deadline for her to be home.

I didn’t see Ginny at all that summer because she was working all summer. I had gotten my job back that I’d had the previous summer. Over that time, I decided not to go to state college but, I chose to go to a university out in West Texas that offered the degree program I wanted to follow.

Just before school was scheduled to start that fall I got a call from Ginny. She said, “I finally got some free time, Travis. Can I see you this weekend? School starts next week and I’d like to see you before then since we haven’t seen each other all summer.”

“Sure, Honey. Is this Saturday night good for you?”

“Ok, Travis. If I don’t see you this weekend, it will have to be next week at school.”

“Ginny, I’ll pick you up at 7 o’clock Saturday night.” I wasn’t going to tell her over the phone I would not be going to State college with her. I knew that it would break my heart and I expected it would break her heart, too.

I picked Ginny up and I asked her if she’d had her supper and she said, No. “Good I haven’t eaten, either. I had to work late this evening and by the time I got home and cleaned up I barely had the time to come to pick you up.” So, we went to the hamburger shop. While we were eating we talked about our summer and what our school schedules were going to look like.

After we had eaten I told Ginny, “I need to get you back home, Honey, because I have a lot of things to do before I leave for school.”

We left the hamburger shop and I took her home where I told her, “Ginny Monday morning I’m flying out to school.”

“Why are you flying, Travis? It’s only a couple of hours drive to State college where we’re going to school. I was hoping we could drive up to school together.”

“But, I’m not going to State college with you, Honey. I changed my mind about going to school at state college”

“You’re not?” The alarm in her voice was unmistakable. “Then where are you going, Travis?”

“I’m going to a university out in West Texas.”

“Why are you going way out there instead of going to State college? When did you decide to do that?”

“Because I can get the degree program I want out there and State college doesn’t offer it. I made the decision over the summer. I wanted to tell you about it earlier but, since I never saw you all summer to let you know about what my plans were and that they had changed I really didn’t want to tell you that over the phone. I wanted to tell you in person.”

“Travis, will you be coming back at Christmas and spring break?

“I don’t think so, Ginny. It is so far out there and flying is so expensive. I don’t know when I’m going to be back.”

“Well, what about next spring then after the school year is out?”

“I’ll probably not be back then, either. I’m not going to have the money to travel back and forth between here and there all that often.”

“But, when will I be able to see you again? I love you very much and I’ll want to see you again.” I could see her eyes begin to get damp and watery.

“I really don’t know just when I’ll be back here again. I expect to be very busy with my studies and I have the offer of a part time and summer jobs, too. So, that’s going to keep me from coming back here anytime soon.

I love you very much, too, Ginny. I think I have loved you since I first met you when we were in fifth grade together. I wanted to be with you and I wanted to spend my life with you, too.

It just seemed that I was always in your way and I was pestering you and bothering you wanting to see you, Sweetheart. I think it’s best this way for the both of us. I really want to see you succeed with your modeling career and I don’t want to stand in your way. I wish you well in your modeling career and I give you all my love, too, but, this is goodbye, Ginny.”

Taking Ginny in my arms holding her very tightly I kissed her very affectionately. She continued to hold me as she was trembling in my arms. Then she laid her head on my shoulder and she cried saying through her tears, “I don’t want you to leave, Travis. I want you with me and I want to see you again soon. I love you so much and I’ll wait for you. I’m going to love you for a long time, too, Travis.”

Then I said to her, “I love you very much too, Ginny Owens. Goodbye.” I gently pulled away from her, turned and walked out to the car. I didn’t hear her front door open and close so I presumed that she stood and watched me walk out to the car.

After I started the engine I looked back at the door and Ginny was still standing there looking at me still crying, her whole body was shaking. She looked up at me as I waived to her. Ginny weakly waived back to me and I could see her mouth the words, “I love you, Travis.” as I slowly drove away.

When I got home, Mom asked me, “Did you see Ginny tonight, Honey? And did you tell her you were not going to State college with her?”

“Yes, I did Mom. I told her this is goodbye. And I didn’t know when I’d be back.”

“And how did she react when you told her you were going to a university clear out in West Texas, Honey?”

“She cried when I left her, Mom. She trembled in my arms and she cried on my shoulder. It broke my heart to leave her that way but, there was not much else I could do.

As you know, I had to tell her. She has her college career to pursue and her modeling career to follow, also. I know that I was a hindrance to her, Mom. I really didn’t want to be a hindrance to her in any way. I really didn’t want to stand in her way.

I know that she probably couldn’t work with a clear mind knowing that I wanted her to be with me instead of working. I was in her way and I didn’t want to be in her way or be a hindrance to her either. I really didn’t want to be a drag on her in any manner. So it was best for the both of us.”

“Oh, Travis, wasn’t there any other way you could have told her, Honey? I feel so sorry for her. I’m sure she is really having a hard time dealing with it tonight. And she will have a hard time dealing with it for some time to come especially after she gets to college and has the time to think about you.”

“Mom, there wasn’t much else I could do. I told her I felt like I was bothering her, pestering her and I was a hindrance to her and it was best this way. She could go on about her career without having to worry about me bothering her. I know it was just as difficult for her as it was for me.”

That next Monday morning I flew out to start my enrolment at the university in West Texas. The degree program I chose was a 4-1/2 year program and they said that most students had to take 5 years to get their degrees. I took an extra heavy study load so that I could get out in just 4 years. That schedule consumed almost all of my free time and I took summer classes as well as working to make really sure I could graduate in four years.

Mom called me every couple of months and let me know what was happening there at home. During Christmas vacation Mom called me and wished me Merry Christmas. Then she told me, “Travis, Ginny called us and asked about you. She wanted to know if you planned to come home for Christmas.” I told her “I didn’t think so because of your study load and you were working a part time job, too. And you were working over the Christmas holidays, as well.”

At the end of the spring semester Mom called me and we visited. Again she said, “Ginny called and asked if you were going to be home for the summer.” Mom told Ginny “No, he is taking summer classes and working and won’t be coming home this summer.”

Mom continued, “Ginny’s modeling work was coming along very well. Ginny says she has been very busy over the school year and she will be working over the summer, too. But, she really wanted to see you if you came home for the summer.”

Mom even sent me some pictures of Ginny she had found in a fashion magazine. Man, did Ginny really look beautiful in those pictures? She looked like a teenage high school girl in the casual clothes she was modeling. The same thing happened during the next school year and I didn’t have the time to come home then, either.

Just before Christmas break of my third year Mom called me and asked, “Travis, do you think you can come home to see us at Christmas, Honey? It’s been over two years since you have been home and we haven’t seen you in all of that time. We really want to have you come home so we can see you this Christmas, Travis.

Besides Travis, Ginny keeps calling and asking about you. I know she really wants to see you, too, Honey. If you can get away for a few days over Christmas, your Dad and I’ll send you a round trip plane ticket to fly home.” I think that Mom was asking for Ginny almost as much as she was asking for herself and Dad.

“Ok, Mom. Let me see what I can do to arrange to come home then. I think I may be able to get away for a few days over Christmas. I’ll have to talk to my boss and get his approval.”

The next morning I talked to my boss and told him I wanted to take several days off to go home to see my Mom and Dad. I also told him that I hadn’t been home to see my parents in over two years. He said, “You can take the days off, Travis.” Since Christmas was at the end of the work week I chose the three days before Christmas Eve and Christmas and that gave me the weekend to go with it.

I called Mom back a couple of days later and told her, “I can fly home for a few days, Mom and visit with you and Dad then.”

I don’t know that I had ever heard Mom get so excited once I told her my news. She said, “Oh, Travis that makes me so happy to know you are going to be here and we can see you for Christmas, Honey. Your Dad and I’ll pick you up at the airport when your flight gets in.”

I caught the flight home and when I got to the baggage claim area, Mom and Dad were waiting for me. Mom wrapped her arms around me and she appeared to be very happy to have me back home. I could see the tears of happiness in her eyes and the happy expression on her face. Dad grabbed my hand and shook it and hugged me too. As Dad stepped back Mom stepped in and said to me, “Travis, look who we brought with us to pick you up today.”

Ginny stepped out from behind Mom and we took each other into our arms. With tears in her eyes she said to me, “Hi, Travis, it’s so good to have you home and it’s so good to see you again, too, Honey. I can’t tell you how much I have missed you, Travis.”

Then she gave me the most affectionate kiss I’d ever had from her or anyone else. She put her cheek next to mine and whispered softly in my ear, “I still love you very much, Travis. I told you just before you left that I’d love you for a long time.” Then she cried tears of happiness on my shoulder.

I whispered back in her ear, “I’m so happy to see you again, too, Ginny. This is such a pleasant surprise to have you here to meet me. I sure didn’t expect to see you again. I have really missed you, too, Honey. And I still love you just as much as I did the day I left here.

I figured that you were so busy with your modeling career; you didn’t have time for me anymore. I never expected to see you here, Ginny. I figured that you went on with your life and completely forgot about me and found someone else.”

She just looked at me, smiled and said, “That is something I really want to talk to you about later, Travis, Ok?” I wiped the tears out of her eyes and off of her pretty face.

“Ok, Ginny. You look even more beautiful than you did before I left here. Mom sent me some pictures of you out of a magazine and you looked just absolutely gorgeous in those pictures. I just don’t know what you see in an ordinary looking guy like me.”

She kind of blushed and said, “Yeah, Travis, I talk to your Mom from time to time and when she asked me, I told her about the magazine she could find those pictures in. Your Mom told me she went to the store and bought the magazine and she sent those pictures to you.

Like I told you back at the baggage claim, I still love you very much, Travis, and you are not ordinary looking. I think you are handsome and most importantly I know that you love me. That’s what I see in you, Honey.”

Ginny and I walked to the parking lot and we got into the car with Mom and Dad. Our conversation would continue later when we got to the house. Ginny had her arm wrapped around mine with her other hand on my arm like she was afraid I would get away from her. I thought she felt like I might get away from her and she wanted to prevent me from leaving her again.

It was very late in the afternoon when we got back to our house and Ginny came in the house with us. Mom told me, “Travis, Ginny’s parents have been out of town for a few days before Christmas and I invited her to stay here with us while they’re gone. She has been staying in our guest room while she’s been staying here with us.”

After we had eaten our supper we went into the living room with Mom and Dad sitting in their favorite easy rocker recliner chairs. I sat down on the love seat and Ginny sat very closely beside me. She had her arm through mine very possessively. Mom and Dad asked me about what all was happening with me at school.

They also wanted to know about the work I was doing part time and my summer job as well. I told Mom and Dad, “I’m determined to finish my degree in 4 years instead of the 4-1/2 years it takes most people and I’m still on schedule to do just that. It requires me to take an extra heavy course load to accomplish that and it takes up a lot of my time to study for those classes, too.”

Mom and Dad then asked Ginny about her school and her modeling work as well. She told them, “My school work is going well. I have been on the dean’s list each semester. My modeling work is going well and it’s well paid, too. But, I don’t know just how much longer it is going to last, though.”

“Why is that Ginny?” Mom asked her.

She responded, “They keep telling me that the line of modeling I have been doing is for teen age girls. And I’m past my teen age years. They say I now have the body of a mature young woman. And it has been getting more and more difficult for them to sell my work as a teenager.”

We finished our visit with Mom and Dad and they decided they would go to bed. They said good night to Ginny and me as Mom said, “You two can go to bed when you really want to.”

When Mom and Dad had gone to bed Ginny turned to me and said, “Travis, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I don’t think my modeling work is going to last much past this semester or maybe even next summer.

They keep telling me to lose weight. And if I can’t lose the weight they won’t have any further work for me. They say that they want models that are almost skin and bones and I’m not going to starve myself into that kind of shape.

I just don’t think it is healthy to do that. They want my cheeks to have that sunken look. Some models even have their back teeth pulled to get that look but, I’m not going to do that either.”

“Well, what are you going to do if they have no more work for you, Honey?”

“I’m going to finish out this next semester and then I want to come out and stay with you. I have lost you once and I’m not going to let you get away from me again, Travis.”

“But, what about your degree, Ginny? You will have three years of work toward your degree and being on the dean’s list to boot. You shouldn’t walk away from that. At least not on my account anyway, you’re not. I won’t let you do that to yourself because of me. I love you too much to let you do that to yourself, Ginny.”

“I’m not going to walk away from it, Honey. I have checked and your university offers the same degree program of Finance Management and it looks like all or nearly all of my credit hours will transfer out there. I should be able to complete my degree in one year and graduate with you. In addition, that will satisfy the school regulation that the last year has to be in residence to have the degree conferred there.”

“But, Ginny, I only have a one bedroom efficiency apartment and I can’t afford to get another more expensive apartment, Honey. It only has a double bed in it and I don’t have a car out there either. I have to walk almost everywhere I go. Of course, they say that walking is healthy for you so, I guess that is the upside of it. But, the down side is that you don’t get anywhere very fast.”