Anyways, I was sitting in the back of the classroom, as is my routine, when the door slams open, revealing long dark brown hair, green eyes, and the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen before in my young life. She walked into the room with large books filling her arms and a class schedule in her hand. She slowly made her way over to the teachers desk and handed her a note to excuse her tardy. Mr. Moore cleared his throat and looked over the slip of paper that had been given to him.
“Well welcome to our classroom Valerie. The only open seat is next to Luke, the tall fellow in the back. We were just starting our lesson so make sure to have your textbook out.”
I was pretty sure my heart had skipped a beat. I glanced over at the vacant seat next to me and excitedly watched as she picked her way through the mass of seated students. She set her flower printed book bag under her seat and sat down slowly, as if she was afraid of the germs on the seat. Valerie shot a quick glance in my direction, and then occupied herself with playing with her layered side bangs. I stared in fascination. I couldn’t help myself. It was a rare event to sit next to a girl as pretty as Valerie was, so rare that I hadn’t even had the chance to meet a girl as pretty as her.
I exited the room with no new knowledge from the lesson but instead millions of mental pictures, of the beautiful creature that sits next to me in science class. I watched as she ducked her head and rushed through the doorway into the crowded halls. I heard whistling from all the boys she passed and all the girls stared as whispered as she quickly walked by them.
I smiled. I was going to have some competition. Her long hair flew back behind her as she went through the maze of hallways. I wondered why she was going in the same direction as I was, then realized I was following her.
Oh well. I thought quietly to myself. She’s going to where I would normally go to get to my next class. I halted in the middle of the rush of kids. It had hit me. I have another class with her. My smile grew as I walked into the room. A paper airplane flew past my head and I ducked as someone threw a paper wad at my face. I had grown accustomed to the onslaught of these popular kids. Still smiling, I settled into my desk in the back and dodged the paper objects being continuingly tossed in my direction. My eyes grew wide as Valerie occupied the seat next to me.
She had changed her clothes. She now wore a purple dress with layers of lace with a thick brown belt resting on her hips. Valerie looked over at me then down at her small hands, her fingernails had been recently painted dark purple, and it almost looked black. She made sure not to touch her nails on anything so her hands moved with a sense of rigidness.
I couldn’t keep myself from staring at her face. She had high cheekbones, I had never noticed girls’ cheekbones before but hers were just so perfect I couldn’t help noticing. Her tan skin coupled with her dark hair made her face look very dark when it was shadowed. Her bright green eyes shone out from beneath her almost black hair, it was almost impossible to look at anything else. I kept thinking how much her eyes looked like emeralds when a flame was lit behind it and the light made the green turn neon. She had put a thick ring of black eyeliner on during passing time because her glowing eyes were framed in black and her eyelids were shadowed purple to match her dress. Her long dark eyelashes fluttered whenever she blinked.
I think she must’ve noticed that I was staring at her, after a while her cheeks turned rosy. She looked at me again but this time she kept her magnificent eyes locked on mine.
“Umm, can I help you?” I could feel my heartbeat quicken as I searched for a reply.
“… Sorry. It’s just that…”
“It’s just what?” Valerie brushed a lock of hair out of her face, revealing her second green eye. My heart rate rose even higher.
“You’re just so beautiful. Sorry, I couldn’t keep my eyes off you.” I mentally punched myself in my face for that one. Smart move guy, now she’s going to be creeped out forever and I’ll never get to talk to her again!
To my great surprised her cheeks turned bright red and she laughed. She laughed. I was frozen there with my mouth agape and I watched her with confusion and disbelief. After Valerie had stopped her fit of laughter she flashed a quick smile at me. Her teeth were incredibly white and perfectly straight. I didn’t what else to do so I smiled a nervous smile back at her. She giggled softly then began writing something on a blank piece of paper.
I also got out a blank white sheet and I started to draw. Neither of us looked up from our work at any time. My hands began to move in an artistic pattern. I drew out a rough pencil sketch on the paper then I got my darker drawing pencil then started the final drawing process.
First her eyes, I had to make sure I did her eyes perfectly. I knew it would make or break the drawing. I made the glimmer in her eyes obvious so whoever saw the drawing would be drawn straight to her eyes. I had to get them as perfect and beautiful as they were in real life.
Then her face and facial features, I made sure to make the bold cheekbones very distinct but not too distinct. I used my finger to smear the pencil marks to make her look like she was blushing, like she actually was.
Next her hair, it had a slight wave at the ends and I tried to put as many strands of hair in the drawing so I could to make it more life-like. Her hair made a slight bump over one of her ears and the other side was tucked behind it. I pushed hard on the pencil so the lead came out really dark, as her hair was extremely dark.
Finally came the rest of her body. I could feel my face getting warm as I carefully drew the curves of her hips and chest. I made sure to get every detail of her dress drawn and I made it so that she was standing in a field of flowers and she was holding a small flower in her small hands. I even drew her fingernail polish.
I sat back in my seat and looked over my work with a feeling of accomplishment. It looked exactly like her, but in black and white. She wasn’t smiling in the picture, which made me sad, but I figured the gorgeousness of her face would even out the picture. I heard a gasp and flinched violently as I figured out the sound had come from Valerie.

“How did you do this?” She stared at me with great intensity, her emerald eyes held my sapphire ones in their grasp. I knew I wasn’t going to get out of this one.
“Well you know I just drew it I guess. All you need is a pencil and paper. It’s not that difficult.” My response was modest but I was still afraid she would hit me. She released my eyes and looked at the picture. Her gaze turned back to me and she raised her thin eyebrow as if to question my words.
“No one just draws me for fun, without a reason. Now start talking.” Valerie’s eyes were squinted suggesting that she was frustrated, mad, or confused; I thought all three would fit this situation. I cursed myself silently in my head.
“Okay okay. I drew you because you’re so beautiful.”
“You said that already.” She growled under her breath as if she hated it when I said that she was beautiful, I would’ve thought she’d be used to it by now.
“Well you are. And I thought I could turn someone as beautiful as you into a beautiful drawing. You can have it if you want.” Valerie’s expression softened when I said that. I spoke the truth. I always speak the truth, and she could tell by the way I said it that I was telling the truth. She looked solemnly at her twin in the drawing and slid it onto my desk.
“Keep it.” She gave me a sideways smile which made her face lift, making her cheekbones even more prominent. I could feel my stomach flutter. I took the drawing from the desk and tucked it neatly in the pocket of my binder, being careful not to bend or crinkle it.

We talked for the rest of the period, and in the next class I had with her. We talked about my drawings and about her paintings, the flowers in the drawing, how I came to be a good artist, the time when she got her first paint set and canvas, and how she moved to Oregon from New Mexico. I then understood why she was so tan.
Soon drawings of her littered my bedroom floor and thoughts of her cluttered my mind.
Then came Valentine’s Day. Valerie and I weren’t dating or anything but I texted her every day and we talked on the phone sometimes, that was the most I’ve ever had to do with a girl in my life. People asked me if we were dating and I smiled and frowned at the same time. We weren’t dating is what I told them but inside myself I decided that today was going to be the day that I asked. Valerie was single, which really surprised me, so I figured my chances were pretty good; I was the only guy she ever talked to frequently.
With rose firmly in hand, I picked my way through the couples exchanging gifts, kissing, hugging or whatever else couples do on Valentine’s Day, and made my way over to Valerie who was sitting alone on a seat in the hall. There was an empty seat next to her. She smiled at me as I approached, and I felt my throat close up. Crap! I hadn’t even thought of what I was going to say.
“Uhh, Valerie?” She got up out of her seat and placed herself maybe six inches away from my face and grabbed my hands and held them in her small soft hands. I moved my big hands so that I held hers. I looked down at her then down at my hands which held a newly opened pink rose and her hands. I handed her the rose.
“Well happy Valentine’s Day. It was the prettiest one I could find on the rose bush in my backyard.” She took it and the smile on her face grew immensely and she threw her arms around my neck and gave me the first hug I’ve ever gotten from a girl that wasn’t my mom I’m embarrassed to say.
This is what it’s really about, when those boys thought they would marry the girl of their dreams. I was now one of them. I held her small frame in my big arms and almost cried. I never wanted to let her go, ever.
I realized that after all these years, when I kept going on in my head about how stupid relationships were, that those boys weren’t under a woman-induced spell. This was love. Purely love.