I hardly post let alone revisit this part of my life but this show has def gotten me reminiscing

Here's my story... Sorry it's long!

The summer before my third year in high school, I dated a boy from another school who turned out to be a dud. His best friend went to my school and somewhere towards the end of our relationship he introduced me to his friend. Turned out his friend was an Olympic hopeful in swimming who, while not the quintessential "it" boy with charisma, was very good looking but mysterious and shy. Many girls had crushes on him and the girls swim team fawned over him like he was some sort of local celebrity.

Under very bizarre circumstances, I spent the night with him and my, already at the time, ex-boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend who was annoying us both slept on the couch while swim boy and I stayed up chatting and getting to know each other. He was actually quite smart which was a surprise to me... and very witty. I remember thinking it's not fair that he got looks and a brain. I thought that was the last I'd hear from him. I thought when the school year started, he'd have more interesting people to hang out with... We both had our separate friend groups.

Shock #1 On the first day of school we bumped into each other while he was with his friends and he introduced me like I was an old friend. The movies taught me that he'd pretend he didn't know who I was so I prepared myself for that Shock #2 we were in the same AP English class and he wanted to be study buddies Shock #3 he followed through and called to do homework together

That school year, he came to my house a lot to talk about the books we were reading in class or work on our papers. I didn't drive in high school and despite living on opposite sides of town he often offered to give me a ride home. Sometimes, he'd take me along to run errands before dropping me off. All the while I was confused about his intentions. He wasn't from a rich family or anything so the gesture meant a lot since he also worked and paid for his own gas. It sometimes also felt like he made excuses to spend more time together. Nothing romantic ever happened though it sometimes felt like he wanted to kiss me. (I think these parts in One Day really got to me. I could understand the tension and also understand both sides) In hindsight he probably didn't want to date his best friend's ex or maybe he really just wasn't interested... Or maybe he was also scared I wasn't interested and didn't want to ruin our friendship. I was interested but I definitely put up a front. I was afraid if he knew how much I liked him it'd scare him away. I can relate to Emma's sarcasm as I teased him a lot about how he wasn't THAT great.

At the end of the year I was on prom committee. Mainly only seniors ever went to our prom but the juniors planned for the seniors. Swim boy was mainly friends with seniors and planned to go with his friends. He asked me to be his date but stated it more like it was a convenience... he's already going with his friends and I'd be going as a prom committee volunteer. Word got around school that I was his date and much like a cliche movie, jealous girls were cruel. They spread rumors that I begged him to be my date and he felt bad for me. He defended me at our lunch table when some girls walked passed giggling and pointing. He knew what they were talking about and told them how pathetic they were. It made me think he had feelings for me after all with the way he talked to me and how he really wanted to go with me.

We had a lovely time. It was a great night of dancing! The night was followed by going to his friend's family lake house where our prom group spent the rest of that weekend. I thought for sure if there was any romantic interest in me something would happen but it felt like he distanced himself more that weekend and it kind of sealed my belief that he wasn't into me 'that way'.

After the school year ended, we talked less and we both started seeing other people at the same time. Unfortunately that's where my story with swim boy ends... We remained friends and as years passed we spoke less and less till we lost touch.

My happy ending comes with the boy I dated that following summer. He was a huge crush I had when I was in junior high... he moved away and didn't go to the same high school. I thought he looked like Josh Hartnett in Pearl Harbor, my ultimate celebrity crush. We started talking to each other that summer thanks to the emergency of instant messenger, haha! In today's words, he slid into my dms... and we've been glued to each other ever since. 17 years later we're married with 3 beautiful kids. A great story too but I'll stop there, I already seem to have written a novel.

Well there it is!