We met during the second semester of freshman year of high school in 2017—Nick was 14 and I was 15. I had heard about him before and was even friends with his whole group, but somehow we’d never crossed paths (probably for the best, since he had bangs and an Android until right before we met). We were finally introduced through mutual friends in PE. I used to tease him about his funny jog during warm-ups, and when the class held a week-long ping pong tournament, our teams ended up playing each other. By the end of that week, we were talking nonstop. When PE switched to health class, we chose seats next to each other, and every day I looked forward to joking around and sharing snacks with him. As the school year wrapped up, we started texting and FaceTiming constantly. On Nick’s birthday, June 5, I surprised him in health class with King’s Hawaiian Rolls and a birthday balloon. Later that day, I posted on Snapchat that I was sad school was ending because it meant I wouldn’t see him every day—but that didn’t last long. We kept talking more than ever, and one summer night, after hours of texting, we finally admitted we liked each other. At first, Nick asked if I’d just have a “thing” with him until junior year so his friends wouldn’t tease him, but that only lasted a couple of days before he officially asked me to be his girlfriend on July 31, 2017. Of course, I said yes. Our first real date came a month later, when his mom dropped him off at my house. We made banana pudding, watched TV, and realized how easy it was to just be ourselves together. From then on, we spent every weekend at each other’s houses, becoming honorary members of each other’s families. We went on every trip together and quickly became a package deal. When it came time for college, we both chose UNCW—and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We met some of our best friends on the very first day and made memories together all four years. Last year, we “adopted” our first child: a Bernese Mountain Dog named Palmer. Raising a puppy in a tiny apartment was chaotic, but it only brought us closer. Now we’re back home, saving for a house, and dreaming about what’s next. We feel so lucky to have met so young, to have grown up side by side, and to have built such an amazing community together. Most of all, we’re grateful for the love and support of both of our families—because from the very beginning, it’s never been just me and Nick. It’s always been all of us.