“Lance, Clint, Jackson,” she looked each one of us in the eye, “you boys behave yourselves, I don’t want to hear you three got out of hand at the fair.” My mother grinned as she watched me pull on my favorite cowboy boots. I checked my reflection in the mirror, tucking my clean white t-shirt into my brand new jeans.

“We will Momma!” I kissed her cheek, “Love you.”

The three of us, best friends since diapers, ran out the door to the driveway. Climbing into the car that I had worked so hard all summer to buy. It may have been old, and the rearview mirror may have been glued back on...twice, but I still loved it, because it was mine. The three of us drove off down the road.

The sun was shining, and the temperature was hot. Garth was singing on the radio. We sang along until we pulled into the gas station, humming the rest of the song as we spread out in the over heated little store, buying cokes and paying for half a tank of gas.

The sun was starting to set as we drove around in the parking lot looking for the best space we could find. Now looking back, I don’t remember what joke we were laughing at as we walked up to the ticket line, but it was funny enough to make me double over, and as I straightened up, I was changed forever.

I had a barbeque stain on my white tee shirt
She was killing me in that miniskirt
Skippin' rocks on the river by the railroad tracks
She had a suntan line and red lipstick
I worked so hard for that first kiss
And a heart don't forget something like that

I knew I was gone when I dropped barbeque chicken down the front of my shirt and you threw back your head and laughed the most amazing laugh I’d ever heard.

Walking hand-in-hand down the railroad track you told me about your plans, about your dreams and your fears. You wanted to be a director, you were going to New York in the fall. You told me one day you would be famous and I could say, “I knew her back when she was young.” You were afraid of being alone in a big city, by yourself, but you were going to do it anyway, because you knew you had to try. You talked with your hands and laughed with your eyes.

I had chills running up and down my spine as you chewed on your bottom lip. I used my last bit of courage to lean in. Our lips met and my hands began to sweat.

We spent the few days left of that summer, swimming in the river and kissing under the stars. We laughed and talked, not wanting those days to end, but you went off to college in the fall.

Well it was five years later on a southbound plane
I was headed down to New Orleans
To meet some friends of mine for Mardi Gras
When I heard a voice from the past
Comin' from a few rows back
And when I looked, I couldn't believe just what I saw
She said I bet you don't remember me
And I said only every other memory

“Yeah JC, I’ll be back in New York on Monday. Clint and Jackson are both already in New Orleans. I’ve already laid down my vocals for your ballad. Rip Rock has them in the studio.” I glanced down at my watch and said, “I’m about to board the plane so I’m gonna go, I’ll see you on Monday.”

I flipped my phone shut and dropped it back into my pocket. I handed my boarding pass to the flight attendant and as she pointed to a seat in the middle of first class she said, “We’re happy to have you flying with us today Mr. Bass.”

I remember the line I was reading in a new song Meredith was getting ready to record when I heard the sound that made my heart stop. It was the sound your laughter that brought my head snapping up. I stared at the seatbelt sign, sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for it to turn off.

As soon as I was allowed, I began walking as coolly as possible toward the bathroom, scanning the seats as I went by. As I passed the last row in first class, a small hand reached out and touched my sleeve and as I looked down I saw a familiar smile as you said, “I bet you don’t remember me...”

And I said, “Only every other memory.”

I had a barbeque stain on my white tee shirt
You were killing me in that miniskirt
Skippin' rocks on the river by the railroad tracks
You had a suntan line and red lipstick
I worked so hard for that first kiss
And a heart don't forget something like that

I begged the man sitting next to you to switch seats with me so we could catch up. You laughed hard and long when I told you I was on my was to meet Clint and Jackson, you said you couldn’t believe we were still best friends.

I told you I’d seen both your movies and you said you had all of our CDs.

We smiled and pondered why we’d lost touch, I apologized. You claimed it was your fault, but then and there we both knew it didn’t matter. We didn’t want that flight to end.

Like an old photograph
Time can make a feeling fade
But the memory of a first love
Never fades away

We FINALLY got around to getting married and now I’m stand here, with a glass in my hand, telling God and everyone else that, “I had a barbecue stain on my white tee shirt, she was killing me in that miniskirt, skippin' rocks on the river by the railroad tracks, she had a sun tan line and red lipstick, I worked so hard for that first kiss, a heart don't forget, no a heart don't forget, I said a heart don't forget something like that, oh, not something like that.”

I had a barbecue stain on my white tee shirt
She was killing me in that miniskirt
Skippin' rocks on the river by the railroad tracks
She had a sun tan line and red lipstick
I worked so hard for that first kiss
A heart don't forget, no a heart don't forget
I said a heart don't forget something like that
Oh, not something like that

Lyrics from Something Like That by Tim McGraw