EPTJacqueline made me her friend. She was a pretty girl, constantly vying for my attention and, though her good points intimidated me at the time, they were starting to grow on me. In other words, we became best friends and got crushes on eachother. : x
For the next few years, I'd spend every moment I could with her. We took the same bus to school and sat together every single day. Talked in the morning at school before classes and then played/hung out together every single afternoon after homework was done with. Those looking at the situation would see this as falling into the "friend trap", but to this day I think it was one of the best things to happen to me. I got to know her intimately over those years and get closer to her than any passing interest would have.
A lot of our mutual friends and even just strangers would tell us that we should be going out. We had that obvious of a good time together, were a good match. In fact, it happened pretty much every day on the bus ride back home. We'd be told that we should go out, and we'd both feign disgust and say no, absolutely not. We were just friends!
*cough*
A valid point to bring up at this point is that I had a crush on this pretty girl, who obviously at least liked me in one way, for three years, and I hadn't made a move. Well, two things stopped me; I didn't want to ruin our friendship, which, believe it or not I actually valued...and I was a pussy. My arrogant nature or not, I was a very indecisive child. I'd remain that way for a long, long time. So, how did a relationship of "more" begin?
Jacqueline has always been a girl with spunk. She's tough, strong willed, and isn't a meek, demure woman. She wasn't that way as a child, either. Before I continue, I want to let an issue be known that plagued us at the time. She had an abusive mother, an extremely imposing woman, and she was not allowed to have a boyfriend. At all. It was a Christian household and her mother was (and still is, I believe) image conscious, very much so. And while I was smart and not horrible looking, my family wasn't rich and I while I was a tightwad, I wasn't a Christian.
Anyway, onwards!
At around Christmas of my 7th grade year (by which time I was already failing all of my classes, because I refused to ever do homework despite getting A's on all the tests) I got a surprise. I don't know how widespread the custom is outside of the US, but during Christmas (and other holidays) there are these school-funded things called Candygrams. You send someone a card and a candy through the school system, which is handed out by a teacher in front of your entire class at the end of the day. You can sign the card or not, which leaves things open for mystery. And I got a mystery.
I don't even remember the message anymore, but it was signed "your admirer, DH."
I was filled with excitement and worry at the same time. Though, I won't lie, mostly excitement. Over the next two and a half months, I was given letters from Jacqueline, supposedly given to her from this DH character. They were sappy, gushy letters, written in gloss ink. Really hard to read, actually! But, I loved the attention and I wasn't stupid. I was almost certain that it was her, it was Jacqueline. Had to be. No girl I knew was as smart as her, as each letter was clearly intelligent.
March came and I was told that soon, DH's identity would be revealed to me. I was incredibly nervous and relieved at the same time. I wanted it to be Jacqueline, thought it was Jacqueline, and as a result of the letters, had developed even more of a liking for her already. But, I didn't know 100% for sure. So, if it was, that was awesome, perfect, exactly what I wanted. If it wasn't, then I'd set myself up for the fall and probably whoever DH was, too.
It happened at a roller rink. Small skating place. She took me out of the crowd and stood me near a bench, had me sit down. And she told me. She told me, and I...left. I skated away from her, for reasons I still don't understand. I didn't know it until much later, but I made her run off into the bathroom and cry that entire night, for which I am still very sorry, even though it doesn't really matter to anyone now.
The next day, I wrote her a letter of my own saying that I felt the same. She still has it, along with the hundreds of other letters that I've sent her, as I still have her letters. Now, you may ask of me; why so many letters? Remember the issue from earlier, her being not allowed to have a boyfriend? That's why. We kept our relationship secret from her for three whole years, something I mentioned in this thread. We kept it a secret from all of our families and only our closest friends knew. Pretty amazing to me that we're still together, here and now, seven years after that dubious start. :p
I think that covers the full introduction. I'll continue the tale some other time.
