How The Circus Began

In honor of Valentine’s Day I thought I’d share my love story with you all this week.

I mentioned before that prior to being voted “Most Congenial” Scott and I had only had 2 conversations with each other throughout high school.  After the 4th  photo shoot, we got one acceptable enough to put in the yearbook, and I started to notice what a genuinely nice guy he was.  Sadly though, we had no classes together.  Then we went on the high school leadership retreat at Harvey Cedars Camp in NJ.  We ended up riding in the same van (something we both take credit for) and talking quite a bit on the way there.  I say I noticed he was in that van when I willingly got in it over the one with all my friends.  He takes credit for moving to the front of the van so we could talk.  It is safe to say that we both took notice of each other and spent most of our free time together during that retreat.  On the way home we sat next to each other in the van and talked the entire time.

I was love sick when I got back.  I had butterflies in my stomach and couldn’t eat for days.  I remember gushing to my mom about this guy Scott who was such a gentleman and wondering if he enjoyed the weekend as much as I did.

I was worried that once we got home, it “whatever it was” would end.  I wrote him a casual note to the effect of, “I really enjoyed talking to you at the retreat and hope it doesn’t end now that we are back.”  Yea…I remember the words I penned 12 years ago because I read and reread and agonized over them before tapping him on the shoulder and throwing it in his locker (and then running down the hall…yea that’s me calm, cool, collected) a few days after we got back.

It’s so funny to me that there was a time when I didn’t know how Scott felt about me.  A time when I worried if he liked me and wondered whether we would talk again.  A time when a date with him was just a dream, a “wonder if we’ll ever.”

He got the note I chucked into his locker and returned it with one of his own (in a more civilized manner, handing it to me as he walked by).  We passed notes in the halls for a few weeks and talked at lunch and between classes.  Then the time came to exchange Senior pictures.  I gave him mine and he took days before giving me his.  (Guess I wasn’t the only one agonizing over what to write).

And then finally, he gave me his picture, with this message on the back.

This line right here made my heart skip, “we can always get together after school”…could this possibly be the hint of a date?

We did get together after school a few weeks later.  Come by tomorrow to read all about my calm, cool, collected teenage self on her first “date” when I link up to Kristen’s special Valentine’s carnival.