I didn’t have a chance to log in at the hotel. The weekend was amazing. It was non-stop fun the entire time we were there. Here's a run-down of the weekend:

FRIDAY

We left school early morning on four buses to New York. We ate lunch at South Street Seaport and walked around there for a little while. I got some great pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Molly was bugging me about the prom again and I started to consider asking Rob. I knew he’d be a safe date and then it would finally shut everyone up once and for all. I knew it wasn’t want Molly would have wanted but I was beginning to think it was a good idea.

After South Street Seaport we were supposed to go to the Natural History Museum, but the weather forecast for Saturday was so miserable that the chaperones had switched the museum to Saturday so that we could do our city tour on Friday while the weather was nice. We got on some city tour buses. It was awesome. The buses took us everywhere! We drove through Chinatown, Little Italy, past NYU (my heart was pounding just knowing that Josh was close by!), up Broadway and around Midtown. We saw the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Rockefeller Center, the stores on Fifth Avenue, Central Park, the Met, Harlem, Columbia and then back to our hotel. It was really cool and it took all day.

We got to the hotel real late in the afternoon. It took over and hour to get us all to our assigned rooms. I was rooming with Molly and two girls that she’s friends with: Rhonda and Kim. I kind of wished that we were with Lindsay and Jen but we picked roommates in the beginning of the year and Molly didn’t get along with Jen as well back then.

We had an hour before our rehearsal/meeting so I went down to the gift shop to look for some postcards. I wanted to send one to Natalie so she’d see I finally made it to New York.

I was looking at the postcards when Josh walked up to me! He gave me a big hug and all the chemistry and sparks that are missing with Rob were there. And when he hugs me, he always holds on a few seconds longer than people usually do when the hug you. He was there to see his mom so I offered to walk him up to her room. She was right across the hall from my room.

So we get in the elevator and Rich and Paul were getting on with us. They’re seniors and were kind of friendly with Josh last year so they said hello, and then Rich turns to me and says, “Hey, Nicole, don’t forget – you have to keep the door open if you have boys in your room.”

Josh was like, “Boys?” I told him they were talking about him and then told Rich that Josh was there to visit his mother. Rich was like “Sure…” So Josh asked him what exactly he was getting at and Rich said something to the effect of, “if I had someone like Nicole hanging out with me, I wouldn’t be here to visit my mom.” Then the doors opened and we all got off the elevator. Josh just rolled his eyes at them.

I walked him to his mother’s room and said good-bye, but for some reason I turned around and said “Josh.” He turned and looked at me and I didn’t know what I had intended to say so I told him to never mind and ran into my room.

About twenty minutes later Alex, Lindsay, Rob and Kim’s boyfriend, Kevin were in our room hanging out and Josh showed up again. He hung out with us for about a half hour and then it was time for us to go down to dinner.

He walked down with us and I walked him to the door. He gave me a big hug and then pulled back and looked at me. He asked if everything was okay because it seemed like I wanted to say something to him. I did. I wanted to talk to him about the prom, but I couldn’t ask him so I denied it. I noticed he was still holding on to me and I didn’t want to let go. I kept looking into those eyes of his and thinking how close he was. I practically had to pull myself away from him to get to dinner. Standing there, so close to him, was all I could think about the rest of the night.

SATURDAY

We woke up early and it was raining. We went to our adjudication and I kept thinking about Josh. I knew I couldn’t go to the prom with Rob when my heart wanted to be with Josh so badly. I knew that if I went with Rob I’d spend the whole night wondering what it would have been like if I had just found the courage to ask Josh. I’d spend the whole night wishing I were with him.

After adjudication we went to the American Museum of Natural History. It’s not really my thing. I’m not into museums and I would have preferred to spend the day walking around the city and getting a feel for it, but I do have to admit that the museum was a good rainy day activity. And it was pouring out so it was good to be inside.

As we were walking around I somehow ended up alone with Rob. He seemed kind of nervous and I thought, “Oh no! He’s going to ask me to the prom.” But he said, “Nicole, I know Lindsay wants us to go to the prom together but I can’t go with you.” I just looked at him. I wasn’t sure what to say. I think I just mumbled “okay.”

He smiled and told me that it wasn’t about me and that he thinks I’m a great girl, but he saw me with Josh at the door the night before. He said something like, “I saw the way you looked at him, and the way he looked at you. You have to go with him.” He said that I would regret it if I didn’t ask Josh. I knew he was right, but the idea of being shot down was still too much to handle.

That night we had the awards ceremony. The concert choir only got a silver but all of the select groups got gold medals. The evening was fun. We ate dinner and danced. I danced with Rob, Alex and Tom, and I realized that Rob was right. The whole night I wished Josh was there to dance with me. I knew the prom would be even harder.

SUNDAY

The weather on Sunday wasn’t great but at least it wasn’t pouring. We sang in the park that morning. I kept looking around the crowd for Josh. I must have been annoying Molly because she pointed to him and was like “He’s here already!”

After we sang we had a bunch of different options of sites we could see. We decided to go to the Central Park Zoo first. I wasn’t really happy about that. I wanted to see the city but my friends wanted to go to the zoo. And of course, Ms. Nancy had to go to the zoo so that she could follow Josh around.

I was kind of sticking to myself and sulking a little. I wanted to go to city attractions and I was mad at myself for not ditching my friends and doing what I wanted to do. I was also annoyed that Nancy was hanging all over Josh.

Molly started in on me again. “Do you want him to end up going with her?” Molly kept saying it over and over and I was getting really upset.

Josh noticed I was keeping to myself so he dropped back to walk with me. He looked genuinely concerned and said he’d heard I haven’t been my usual happy self and that I wasn’t going to the prom. I wanted to kill Molly for telling him, but he told me Lauren had been the one to inform him. I just told him that there really weren’t any guys that I wanted to go with.

Then someone said, “lets go see the monkeys.” I don’t know why but I thought they were talking about The Monkees music group, and I said to Josh, “I love The Monkees! My mom took me to see them once.” And then I started talking about their songs! Molly looked like she was going to pound her head against a wall, and informed me that they were talking about animals – not musicians. Josh laughed and put his arm around me and said, “Don’t worry. Next time they tour I’ll take you to see them.”

We walked around some more and Nancy was trying to get Josh’s attention, Molly was egging me on, and I was sulking. Finally Josh walked over and said, “My mom is taking a bunch of people over to the Empire State Building. If we hurry we can still make it.” I guess he noticed how much I didn’t want to be at the zoo! I hesitated for a minute because of our friends and he said, “This is your chance to see all of New York! Come on, Nicole.”

The next thing I knew the two of us were saying rushed good-byes and running to meet up with the group heading to the Empire State Building. We got to the south end of the park and saw that the bus was waiting for us. Mrs. Anderson waved us on and we got on the bus and headed down to the Empire State Building.

Against her better judgment Mrs. Anderson let Josh use one of the choir’s free passes into the building. The line to get to the top was long but Kim and Kevin were there so we talked to them the whole time. Josh and Kevin seemed to hit it off and Kim whispered to me, “Are you going to ask him?” I shook my head and she was like, “I think he’s into you. I think he’d say yes. And I heard Nancy was going to ask him. You should do it before she does.”

I thought about it the whole time we stood in line. Something about the idea of Nancy going with him was motivating me to get up the courage to ask him myself.

When we got on the elevator Josh warned me that visability probably wasn’t that great because of the weather, but at least we weren’t walking around a zoo. It struck me as funny and made me feel more relaxed.

When we got to the top I was in awe. I couldn’t believe I had finally made it to the Empire State Building! Josh took me around to every side of the building and pointed out the big attractions to me. He promised to bring me back again when the sky was clearer so that I could see more.

I was so nice to spend time with him without everyone else around, and I felt so comfortable. He was showing me the Chrysler Building and without thinking I blurted out, “Would you go to the prom with me?” When I realized what I said I thought I was going to fall right over but he just smiled and said, “Sure.” SURE!!!!!!!!! As in YES!

Needless to say the rest of the day was amazing! After the Empire State Building the Anderson’s took the group to F.A.O. Schwartz. I bought tons of candy for that night and then it was back to the hotel.

Josh and I met up with our friends and invited them to join us for dinner at the hotel restaurant with him parents. Molly knew something was up with me and grinned when Josh told everyone that we were going to the prom together.

(Poor Lauren, she thought that Josh going to the prom would mean that she would be allowed to go to Molly’s beach house afterwards but Mrs. Anderson still said no. Lauren wasn’t too happy.)

After dinner Josh and I said good-bye and he said he’d call me to figure out the details. Molly and I spent the rest of the night eating candy and celebrating. I think she was more happy than I was!