“I’m sorry about that.” I said as I bumped into someone. It was the first day of school. We were all packed into the gym to get out schedules and locker assignments. I looked up to see who I had ran into, thinking it was maybe a friend who I hadn’t seen since May when school got out. It wasn’t. It was girl, one who I didn’t quite recognize. I ignored it and continued to get in line for my locker assignment. The gym was humming with conversation. I saw friends meeting up again and boyfriends and girlfriends embracing.

I was standing in line talking to my best friend, talking about the new girl I ran into earlier. Then, it hit me. Or, what he said sparked my memory. The “new girl” I ran into was not really a new girl. She had moved a couple years ago and was back. But this time, she was different. When I had last seen her I was a sixth grader back in elementary school. She was now taller, as was I. She had changed in other ways, too. She looked so much better. I’m not one to normally talk about girls’ physical feature, but she caught my attention. I had known her back when I was in sixth grade, but we were only friends and I had never liked her. But now, I felt that things might have been changing.

I continued to wait in line, casually talking to my friend about the semi-new girl. I eventually got up to the table where I received my locker information. Around the gym, there were posters that read things like “Grades 11 and 12 Here” and “Grades 9 and 10” and a few other signs reading things like, “It’s A New School Year!” and, “We’re Glad You’re Back!” But, I didn’t pay much attention to the signs. I was thinking about the girl I had run into ten minutes ago.

I continued my first day back to school, still thinking about that girl. I felt different than I did in May at the end of the school year. At that time, I was in a relationship. It was my first “real” relationship. But, it didn’t seem right. I’ll explain more later, I’m getting ahead of the story.

I was done with the first day of school, and then the first week. I was still thinking about that girl in the back of my head.

One day at school, she talked to me. I now realize, so far in the story, I haven’t even mentioned her name.

“I remember you!” Mary said.
“Yeah,” I replied, “You lived in when we were in sixth grade.”
“Yeah, and now I’m back.” She replied.
We continued to talk to for a few minutes about small things. Thing like how the town had changed since she left and who still lived here.
I kept talking to over the course of a couple of weeks, and I realized that I liked her. I wanted to date her. But, I thought I should stay away form that for a little while. I should get to know her first. And, I did.
We became friends. We talked before school and had a few classes together. Class elections came up and she ran for class president. I decided, her being my crush, to offer to help her make a poster. I had the skills to make the poster and I looked at is an opportunity to spend some time with her.
While I was working on the poster, I was sure glad I had offered to. She practically sat on my lap while I worked on the poster. I enjoyed every minute of it. You may laugh at it or turn your head at it, but I couldn’t help it. I’m a teenage a boy. That moment, I decided I wanted to try to ask her out.
After the poster was done, she thanked me and we smiled at the posters when they were done. She didn’t get her position, and neither did I get the position, but that doesn’t matter. I was concerned about something else now. That was getting with her. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy task, as I’m no popular kid. I am your average computer geek. I build websites, edit the school paper and think a fun way to spend an afternoon is to morph images in a digital image manipulation program. I was afraid that might stop me from dating her.

By now, I was determined to ask her out. I found myself wanting to spend more and more time with her. And I enjoyed every minute that I spent with her. I had told my best friend about my determination, he told me I can at least try. Try I would.

By now, a month had passed. I still liked her and wanted to ask her out. I had thought about doing it multiple times. But I had always gotten scared. But, I had finally decided I was going to do it.

That day, I just had to ask her out. I walked up to her locker and started to make small talk. We talked about small things like school, the newspaper, and then, I did it. I asked her out. I was nervous. My hands felt like waterfalls of sweat. She paused for a moment, and replied. She said no. Or I would say she said no. She said she just wasn’t ready for a relationship. So, at that point I was a little confused. What did she mean by that? Was she really not ready? Or did she just not want to go out with me?

After that happened, I was, like the song says, “Down like the economy.” I tried not to let it get to me, but it still did. We were still friends, but I still wished things would have turned out differently. Before I knew it, our Winter Formal had come around. That was a formal dance, obviously held in winter. I decided that I wanted to ask her to that dance. I started to think about that. A lot. I came conclusion that I wanted this date to be pretty casual. I’m not talking about the clothing. This was the Winter Formal; I was getting my suit ready. When I say casual, I mean the date would be laid back. We wouldn’t be there as potential boyfriend and girlfriend. She was going to be my date. That’s all. After all, every dance is all the more exciting when you have a date.

I was trying to think of creative ways to ask her to the Winter Formal. I thought and thought, but I thought simple was the way to go. I was set. I was going to ask Mary to the Winter Formal.

The Winter Formal was less than a week away. I had tried to ask her three or four times, but I couldn’t. I was too nervous.

Now, the Winter Formal was that Saturday. It was Friday. If I was going to ask her, I had to do it now. I was determined. I needed to ask her. So, pulling my plain simple method, we were walking to our third hour class, when I decided to throw the question out there. And, I did. “Hey Mary, I was wondering if you would want to go to Winter Formal with me?”

The suspense built and was killing me. She put on a superficial smile. “I would like to, except I told my friends I would go with them.”

My heart dropped. I tried to collect myself to reply. “Oh, well, that’s cool.”

The rest of walk to class was quiet. She also didn’t sit next to me like she regularly did.

The rest of that day was a drag. The Winter Formal was okay, and I did end up dancing with her, which was fun.

We became friends. We got closer. I would occasionally bump into her at a basketball game or some other school event, but I didn’t ask her out.

Throughout that time, I became confused. I didn’t know if should keep trying at it or give up completely. I came to a decision. I would talk to her about.

It was a basketball game. It wasn’t the greatest place to talk to her about it, but it would work. I found where she was sitting and walked over to her. “Hey Mary.”

“Hey!” she replied. I concluded that I needed to be clear with my intentions.

“Do you remember how I have asked you out a couple of times in the past?”

She smiled. “Yes, I do.”

“I need to talk to you about it.” I said reluctantly.

She smiled again. “Go right ahead.”

“Mary, I like you. That’s why I have asked you out multiple times. I like and I need to know if I should keep trying.”

She smiled softly. “You don’t need to any more.” I was about to ask her what she meant, but before I could, she kissed me. She said, “I’m ready to date. You tried to get me, and the fact that you kept trying tells me you’ll be the perfect boyfriend. If you’re willing still, I’ll be your girlfriend.”
I looked at her and held her hand. I replied with a simple “Yes.”