Fall was among us. The once green leafs began to change. The trees were blazed with orange and red and brown. The air was cool and fresh. It was the beginning of my freshman year of high school. I walked into the school, not knowing what to expect. First period and there you were. Your big brown eyes watching me as I pranced through the door. I felt them on me, holding a look of approval. My cheeks blushed a deep red and I glanced down at my black converse. The final bell rang and the teacher bounced into the class. She held a freshly printed seating chart. I silently prayed I would be sitting next to you. The teacher yelled out names while pointing to seats. My wishes came true because there you were, directly behind me.

The next day you tapped my shoulder. That strong hand reached towards me and I saw hope.

?Hi, I?m Lucas,? you uttered carefully. I took your hand in mine and wished I didn?t have to let go.

?Danni. Nice to meet you.?

From that day on it just got better. You said you couldn?t get through the day without hearing my voice. And then homecoming came. I dreamed of you asking me to go with you, but I never believed it would happen. The days slowly dragged on. Two more days. I wasn?t going to go. I gave up on my hopes. Then you came into first period with a single rose. I asked questions, but got no answers. The end bell dinged. I got up to trudge down the stairs to second period. You stopped me before I could get far. You knelt down and presented me with the rose. People stopped and stared.

?Will you give me the pleasure in being my date to homecoming?? That deep voice made my heart melt.
?Of course,? I stammered.
You pushed yourself of the floor and wrapped your strong arms around me. I?ll never forget that feeling.


Winter came. The snow began to fall. We got more snow then usual that year. We spent the days sledding and building snowman. Then we snuggled by the fire, sipping hot chocolate and making plans for the future.
Christmas came. You handed me a small box with snowmen wrapping paper and a carefully tied with a blue ribbon. I tore the paper off revealing a golden necklace. A heart charm dangled from the end. The small letters spelling out I?m forever yours made my heart beat faster.
You took your present out of my hands. Careful not to rip the paper you opened it. A scrapbook was now in your hands. You flipped through it chuckling at all the goofy pictures. Then you came to the poem at the end. A tear escaped you eyes as you read it. You hugged me and didn?t let go.

Spring rounded the corner and the rain came with it. You hated the rain. I loved it. You would rush me inside after we walked home together. I begged for just a minute in the rain.
One night you knocked on my window. My eye fluttered open. A glance at the clock told me it was three in the morning. I opened my window and started at you. You were drenched.
?Come on,? you whispered.
I climbed out my window. You grabbed my hand and pulled me to the middle of the street. I was freezing in my tank top and booty shorts, but I didn?t care. You pulled me close and we started dancing. My head rested on your chest. The only sound was the pitter patter of the rain hitting the cement. Your hands cupped my face. I looked up at you. I knew what was coming next. My heart started beating faster. You brushed your lips against mine. A bright light lit up the night sky. Thunder cracked. I took your hand and we darted back to my still open window. You pushed me back in. I leaned out and kissed you one more time.
Spring break came and we spent every waking moment together. We spent a day in Seattle. We walked aimlessly around Pike Place Market for a few hours. You bought me a flower bouquet. We went down to the beach for a day. We splashed around in the water. You brought your quads. I didn?t know who to drive. You tried to teach me and failed miserably.

Then school ended and summer break began. I couldn?t think of any better thing. It started off great. Hanging out all the time. Then the war began. Your parents divorced and you were going to be off to New York at the end of the summer. We tried to make the best of the time we had, but it was impossible. I couldn?t help but think that in just two short months you would be leaving, never to see me again.
The last memory I have is us lying in the soft grass, hand in hand, looking at the stars. We both wished this night never had to end. It was our last night together. Tomorrow morning you would be off to New York. We decided that it would be best that we didn?t date after you left. It was the toughest thing I had ever done.
Now I sit in my room, the only light coming from my computer, I think of you. I haven?t talked to you since that night. Many thoughts ran through my head. What were you doing in New York? Did you remember me? Do you still love me like I love you? I look down at that necklace you gave me so many years ago. I?m forever yours.