Homeroom freshman year of high school is when I met her. “I think you’re in my seat.” was the first thing she ever said to me. That was the first sign that love at first sight could be real. Having homeroom together, I stole glances every now and then and made conversation when and where I could. In the second half of the year, we had computer learning where we started to become acquaintances. To my surprise (and probably her dismay) we spotted each other at marching sign-up day. My crush on her was inevitable as we talked more and saw each other multiple times a day throughout the summer and into the new school year. Hanging out with her at the sophomore year state competition in Rutgers is still a core memory when thinking back on the entirety of high school. When Valentine’s came around, it was the first time I was genuinely nervous to give a valentine to someone (the only one I’ve officially given and the only time one had been rejected). I got her number at the end of that year, officially making us pretty good friends (in my head). One night at the start of junior year, hanging out after a game at the Reo diner, I confessed to her friends that I definitely had way more than a crush on her. Everyone told me I should text her how I felt immediately, and that it would go well! However, I never got a response. It wasn’t my first rejection so I never took it to heart. But it felt a bit awkward in passing. Eventually, we reconnected when she returned to school after taking time away, officially making us closer friends than before. Not too long after, it was no longer just me crushing as I was so in love with her. Senior year brought us many things. I confessed yet again that I had feelings for her, and her first confession to me that flew right over my head (for an entire month)! On December 5th, 2015 we snuck out to the high school football stadium with a water bottle of Jack Daniels (shoutout to my supplier!) and not enough layers to stand the 30-degree weather overnight. And it was the morning of December 6th, 2015 that marked the start of the last new relationship I’ve had. Through many trials and tribulations since; learning each other and ourselves over these past almost ten years means so much to me. I couldn’t ask for a better partner to share the next ten and so so many more with!

It was senior year of high school when I knew I had caught feelings for someone I considered a really great friend. We had spent years on and off talking casually, though I knew he had feelings for me that I hadn’t reciprocated until then. It was the summer before our final marching band season, and we had gotten really close. I just remember thinking about how goofy he was and how open he was with everyone with his personality. The random cartwheels to conversations about our families and the way we viewed life. We agreed on so much and he became someone I felt safe to go to for anything. He was very flirty, though trying to be coy about it. But I already knew he had feelings and it was taking a lot of courage on my part to admit it to myself and to him. By November, I knew my feelings were legit, and that it wasn’t something that was going away. We ended up having a conversation late at night, where he again admitted to having feelings for me, and I awkwardly confessed back in a way that he didn’t understand was me admitting to feelings. So it wasn’t until another month later when I lied to my parents about a sleepover that never happened and stayed out all night walking the streets of Woodbridge with J’Kye. We were only 17 and thought we knew everything we needed to about being safe, and decided we would try whiskey for the first time. It was brutally frigid that night, and let's just say the alcohol did NOT keep us warm. So we snuggled in close to keep the wind from our faces. By 6am, we were still very sober and very tired. J’Kye had to get home before anyone caught him gone, so we sat outside a bench from his home for a couple more minutes. He wanted to kiss me for the first time and was so nervous. It must’ve taken him forever to gain courage, but he pecked me super fast and then hid his face and apologized. We laugh about it now, because I would not let him leave on that, and made him give me a better one before he ran home. I will never forget the butterflies he gave me that first time, and every day since then.