Not all love stories start with a rejection… but ours did. Back in middle school, Athina was hanging out at a park with friends when they ran into Froi and his family. Her friends immediately decided to play matchmaker and somehow got his phone number so she could text him. There was just one small problem: the two of them had never actually met. So when Froi received a random text from a stranger, he responded the only way a confused middle school boy could: “Sorry, I don’t know who you are.” Romance at its finest. Things only got more awkward the following school year when Froi ended up being the TA for Athina’s pre-algebra class. Faced with the boy who had unknowingly rejected her, she handled it in the most mature middle school way possible—by pretending he didn’t exist the entire year. Fast forward to junior year of high school, when fate (and some very determined friends) stepped in again. Both of their friend groups decided they needed homecoming dates… and somehow came up with the exact same idea: set them up together. After some behind-the-scenes matchmaking, Froi messaged Athina the day before homecoming to make sure she actually wanted to go with him. Once she said yes, he went all out with giant poster boards to ask her—so memorable that she still has them today. From that night on, they’ve been inseparable. They’ve grown up together through high school and into adulthood, building their lives, careers, and countless memories along the way. Now they’re excited to celebrate their next chapter surrounded by the people they love. All thanks to one awkward middle school text… and a last-minute homecoming date.