I met Her at a Christmas concert
in high school.
Actually I met Her during set up.
Somehow I got dragged into setting up for the Christmas concert again that
year. I wasn't even in the orchestra that year but I had volunteered to help
out in the percussion section. Inevitably, I got guilted into setting the stage
the night before the concert. I had been in orchestra the last two years so I
knew what was in store. There would be a lot of moving heavy, dirty risers and
instruments across the length of the school for hours. Everyone involved would
be tired and sweaty and grumpy and then once we were almost done, someone would
make us rearrange everything for the third time. It wasn't something I was
looking forward to.
I walked onto the stage, resenting
the evening that lay ahead. I went to greet an acquaintance. He was talking to
girl I had never seen before. She must have been an underclassman but She
didn't look it. Something about Her pulled me in. It could have been Her
grey-green eyes or adorable dimples (I'm a sucker for dimples) but something
captured my attention and wouldn't let it go. I introduced myself and She did
the same. She was easy to talk with and I could tease Her like I'd known Her
for years. I stayed with Her the rest of the night. We sort of ditched the
group and went back to the music room where I tried to impress Her by playing
the piano. I don't think it worked. She left shortly after but I thought about Her
all night.
The next day I passed Her after
practically every class. I was dumbfounded that I had never seen Her before. I
thought maybe She was going out of Her way to cross paths but I'm sure She
wasn't. We'd exchange flirty glances every time we passed and I couldn't stop
thinking about Her during classes. I wasn't sure I wanted to get romantically
involved, especially with someone two years younger than me. In high school,
two years difference might as well have been twenty. I didn't like the stigma
that went with dating between grades, but it was hard to forget Her. After
seeing Her on and off for about two months, I finally asked Her to go steady
with me and She agreed. Why it took two months for me to muster up the courage,
I don’t know. We’ve been seeing each other for about two years now and I’ve
loved every second I get with Her.
I don't believe in destiny, I
think it’s a load of shit, but I do look back at the events that brought me to
Her and I feel damn lucky. I wasn’t supposed to be there that night setting up.
I wasn’t even in that class. I had considered not even going, but for some
reason I went and I’m so glad I did. What a mistake it would have been if I
hadn’t. It’s not the most romantic, fairy-tale story but it’s our story and I
wouldn’t have had it any other way.
To Her: I Love You and I’ll never
stop.
-Me, The Romantic
