I remember when I first met Andrew. It was my first day at a new high school, sophomore year, in Spanish class. I walked in and took a seat near the window, mostly keeping to myself. Then, I heard the strangest voice that had ever entered my ears. It sounded like a cross between the scratchy voice of puberty and a thick British accent. I turned around and saw a tall, thin boy sitting in the back row cracking sexist jokes. I thought for sure that he was the most repulsive person I’d ever seen. His glasses were crooked, his hair was all messed up, and his shirt was too small. I quickly turned back around and swallowed the vomit that had collected in the back of my throat. I didn’t think much of him ever again.
That is, of course, until junior year started.
I remember walking into English class 8th period and seeing him sitting there, cracking racist jokes this time. I remember thinking to myself “oh god, not him again.” I remember being seated next to one of the few people I talked to, who happened to be friends with him. Through our mutual friend, we got pulled into a lot of conversations together, and I realized that he wasn’t that bad of a guy after all. We actually became pretty good friends throughout the school year, despite the fact that I only spent just under an hour with him each day.
Remember how I said I met Andrew after moving? Well, before I moved I had a boyfriend in my old city that I decided to stay with. We stayed together for over a year and I honestly thought that he was “the one”. When we broke up just weeks after our 1-year anniversary, Andrew was there to dry my tears. When my ex-boyfriend went from promising me he’d never move on to getting a new girlfriend and treating me like dirt, Andrew was there to help me plan a 600-mile road trip down to his house to “show him what he’s giving up”.
I remember the first time we talked on the phone. We talked for an hour and a half about all sorts of things, from TV to music to our future plans, to our families. Despite the fact that we shared absolutely no interests, I hadn’t been that happy in a long time.
On May 26, 2010, Andrew called me and, in a shaky, nervous voice, asked me out. I said yes.
At first, he didn’t believe me. I had to repeat myself three times before he was convinced that he wasn’t dreaming, hahaha. Almost five months later, we’re happier than ever. He’s both my best friend and my boyfriend. We can read each other better than anyone else can. He always knows when something’s wrong and won’t rest until it’s fixed. I love him, I really do, and I never want this to end <3