We met on our very first day of high school, sitting in the same Spanish class. At first, we were just strangers sharing a classroom, but little by little, I started opening up to Carina — mostly by being silly (and maybe just a little annoying) to get her to laugh. Over time, our short conversations sparked a friendship that grew stronger every day, and she even started showing up to my football games unannounced. One day, Carina confessed that she liked me. My smooth, romantic response? “That’s cool.” (Yes… I know.) Not long after, I worked up the courage to ask her out — she said no. I tried again another time — still no. Finally, on December 5, 2017, I told myself this would be the last time I asked. And that third time? She said yes. Since then, we’ve shared so many memories, adventures, and laughs — and I can’t wait to see what our future holds together.