ONCE UPON A TIME.... Back in the fall of 2010, Megan was at a dreaded Saturday high school track practice. As someone who had been designated as a member of the throwing team (shotput, discus - hard to imagine, we know), these practices were the worst. While she stretched, Megan gazed with distaste at her imminent future - a few miles of running with two sandy loops halfway through, looming overhead at 60-70 degree inclines. Little did she know, this morning's workout was about to get much more interesting. MEANWHILE.... Rachelle was just arriving to her first ever track practice - one she had been coerced into by her math teacher, who served as a coach for the track team. The coach had spotted her throwing potential instantly and finally convinced her to attend a practice and see about joining the team. With her best "Let's get this over with" attitude, Rachelle headed over to where the other throwers were warming up. FINALLY... They met. To Rachelle's dismay, Megan was beyond thrilled to welcome the newest member of the throwing team and spent the next few miles chatting Rachelle's ear off and interrogating her. Even with Rachelles “tough” and “too cool for you” defenses, part of the way through their run, Megan declared, out of the blue, "We're going to be best friends." Rachelle just continued on her way, trying to survive the awful run and thinking to herself how weird this girl was. Megan, however, was confident in her statement and forged ahead, strengthening their friendship at every track practice in the months to come. Somehow, Rachelle was taken by this girl that had inserted herself into Rachelle's life and over the course of many months, found herself falling for this overly chatty, terrible shotput thrower. When the time was finally right, Rachelle asked Megan out (because that's what you did back in high school) and received a resounding "Yes!" and the two were no longer just best friends, but high school sweethearts as well.

THE ROMANTIC Once Rachelle gave in to her feelings for Megan, she knew fairly soon that she wanted it to be forever. THE PLANNER Megan, who embraced the same long-term feelings and knew Rachelle's impulsive tendencies, told her that Megan must graduate before she could propose. Even though she set the stipulation, that didn't stop Megan from dreaming of and planning their future. By the time Megan graduated, most of her friends knew of at least 2 versions of wedding plans and were just waiting for the engagement to be announced. THE COUCH For the 5 years Megan attended Northeastern, the two spent most weekends in Megan's apartment with her roommates. Often, they'd find themselves on the well-used and abused couch that had just barely squeezed in the door by bending walls and wouldn't be getting out. What a couch, velvety black, with overly wide cushions and ever-broken springs that caused those seated to be slowly swallowed as they sat. On a Saturday evening in May, the pair once again found themselves on the couch. They'd spent the day celebrating their 7-year anniversary at the Museum of Science with Megan suspiciously anticipating a proposal. At the Theater of Electricity, Megan, yet again, mentioned the weddings held there. A gruff "I know," in reply told Megan Rachelle didn't want to discuss it and dreams of a proposal dimmed. They had a romantic dinner (rare), and ended back on the couch watching Princess Diaries and eating chicken wings (much more their style). By midnight Megan's hopes of a proposal vanished. She was nestled on the couch, ready for bed, when Rachelle handed her "another graduation present". Puzzled, Megan opened "Loving You 101", painstakingly composed by Rachelle over the year, to 7 tabbed pages, 1 for each year they'd been together. At the last tab: "The End...or is it?" Rachelle reached behind Megan's head and pulled out a ring, as Megan read the next and final page: "Will You Be My Forever and Always?" Spoiler: the answer was yes