Danielle Blog

Friends First – the beginning of a life-long love story

It all began the first day of our senior year of high school when I showed up at school with my new hair-do. I’d spent a large portion of the previous year growing out my bangs and hair, not so that I could attract guys, although that was a surprising benefit, but so that I would no longer have my 80′s Richard Marxish hair (as one friend so aptly named it years later). So, I arrived at school with this new look and caught HB’s eye. He came over, we talked, and I was surprised how attracted I was to him. What made the attraction so surprising was that he’d been around the entire previous year, and I’d never felt an inkling. However, at the time, he’d been dating one of my good friends, which made him soooo far off limits that I’d probably turned off my attraction radar with regards to him that year. Although there was that one time when I noticed his nice legs in his track tights…

Anyway, now that they were broken up and he was no longer off limits, I thought “hmmm… there could be something here.” But when I sought him out later and we finally got a chance to talk in more depth, I realized that he was pining for a different girl in our grade.

sigh

Regardless, we began sitting next to each other in British Literature, in the back of the class no less (and for those of you who know my preference for sitting near the front of the class, or seminar, or church service, you name it, you’ll realize what a sacrifice this was for me). We’d talk before class and share jokes and thoughts during class.

Our friendship was really cemented about a month or so after the school year began when I was at an after school activity tie-dying shirts and HB came and hung out with me. We started talking, and we just kept on talking long after the sun went down and everyone had left.

We became each others support when one was sick, or stressed, or having relationship woes. We were also together for a couple of assignments in British Lit. One of them was to memorize and recite a scene from Macbeth, which required several after school rehearsals together.

Another key moment was when we’d eaten out together and went for a walk afterward. We played in the puddles, splashing and splashing and laughing and giggling together. We had a conversation about the possibility of dating. But in the end, we decided that our friendship was too important to risk or ruin it by dating.

Around this time, I had a long conversation with my friend (his ex-girlfriend from the previous year) to get the good, bad, and the ugly. I took all of it with a grain of salt, but I began to look for some of the things that had been problems for the two of them. She gave me her blessing, so to speak, to date him if I wanted. But at that point, I definitely wasn’t ready.

During this time, we kept growing closer. We had numerous late night conversations about anything and everything, including but not limited to family, the past, beliefs, and religion. We gave each other cards about friendship and continued going for walks together.

The day before Thanksgiving break, he asked me to the Christmas dance, just as friends, of course.

Thanksgiving break and the time apart made us both realize how much we’d missed the other. And once we were back at school together, we talked about our surprise at missing the other so much. I remember it feeling so awkward, knowing that my feelings for him were deepening, but not knowing how he felt about me. Not wanting to put myself out on a limb by bringing up the topic of dating again, but being afraid that if I didn’t reach out and take this chance, it might never come again.

A couple of days later, HB emailed me a letter that brought up the topic of dating. I was so relieved. And thrilled! and Excited!
I, of course, told him I’d had similar thoughts and we went out on our first date that Friday. We walked, threw leaves at each other, and played on the jungle gym equipment. I can still remember the moment when we almost kissed. I’d been sitting, and it was getting close to curfew. So, HB walked over to pull me up. His mouth was about an inch from mine as he said something that I can’t even remember but was probably along the lines of “We have to be getting back.” And I probably said “yes”. What I DO remember is my heart racing and feeling his breath as he spoke and getting all tingly inside. I love that feeling.

It wasn’t until the following weekend, the night before the Christmas dance that we finally kissed. Talk about tingles. mmmm… The Christmas Dance felt like our first big date. I loved dancing with him. And still do.

Our relationship continued to grow, we realized we loved each other. I scared him by admitting that he might be “the one”, but he was feeling the same way, so it wasn’t all that scary.

We went to our senior prom together.

And how could I resist a guy who would flout convention and wear Chuck Taylors to our senior prom?

So, now you know the beginning.

That was 12 years ago.

And our love? It just keeps growing, and getting more and more beautiful as the years go by.