Your Stories

Peoria, IL, USA on the 17th of August, 2015, at 11:00pm

By Brian S

I was in the third grade when the love of my life walked into the classroom. Who would have thought that 10 years later, on August 17th, 2015, I would have the opportunity to rekindle my warm relationship with her.

She and I had the cliché on-and-off-again elementary school relationship of "dating", but never actually spending time with each other outside of school. Being born in the age of technology, the majority of our communication consisted of online chatting and texting on our parents' phones. Sneaking a few kisses by the water fountain after school; sitting by each other at every school assembly so she could subtly lean on me; holding hands while no one was looking, then shying away when attention came our way; these are just a few of the fondest memories we share together - and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

"The best things in life are worth waiting for" - this is a phrase that now makes so much sense to me, because in the past, I wasn't ready to call the girl of my dreams mine. I wanted her more than anything in the world. But because we were young and inexperienced, we did not understand how to preserve the love we had for each other.

On to high school we went. During this time, we travelled our separate paths for three whole years. Three years of no communication outside of the friendly "hey how's it going". Looking back, those three miserable years were the best thing for us. We matured, underwent experiences that changed us, and figured out who we are.

She fell in love with someone else. They dated for over two years and I was heartbroken. It was a bittersweet feeling - knowing she was happy was the joy in me, but knowing she was happy with someone else was the bitterness I held inside. I always thought they would get married and live happily ever after so I tried to move on, as well. I was unsuccessful. Through all of the girls I talked to, or went out on a date with - I never kissed any of them. I had many opportunities to do so, but I truly didn't want to. I wanted to wait for the girl who left her mark on my lips. So that's exactly what I did.

Going into senior year, I was totally and completely unaware that her and her longtime boyfriend broke up that summer. Sitting in my friend's basement at 10:45p.m., I get a text out of the blue from her asking me to hangout at the local park. With no thought, I hopped up like a spring and ran to my car to drive over to meet with her. With three years of absence in each other's lives, we picked up a heartfelt conversation with no awkwardness like we never skipped a beat. She told me that she was heartbroken and for some reason that she couldn't understand, she just wanted to be with me. Not romantically, but just as a loving friend to comfort her. But it was at that moment, on that picnic bench in the park on August 17, 2015, at 11:00p.m., that our stars had finally aligned.