Daniel

Let me start from the beginning. When I was in 8th grade, my class visited the high school for a tour and to get to know our future schoolmates. After my group was done, we were just hanging out in the gym talking to some people that we knew. There was this boy there with dirty blond hair and gray-blue eyes. He was cute, alright, but not like "Oh My God" or anything. Yet, I found myself unable to take my eyes off him. He didn't say a word the whole time we were there. After we left, I found out from a friend that his name was Daniel. For the next couple weeks, when I was walking around town on my paper route, I would imagine what it would be like to see him again. I imagined that he would become my friend. I couldn't stop thinking about him!
When school started in the fall, I fell back in with my friends (who were mostly upperclassmen) and began hanging out with a few new people. Our group was expanding! One of the people I was now seeing a lot of was none other than Daniel. I wish I could tell you that we hit it off really great from the start and everyone thought we would be perfect for each other. But that is not how it happened. If fact, at first, he couldn't stand me. Anyone who knew me then could tell you that I was no stranger rejection and was developing the idea that if someone, no matter how wonderful I thought they were yesterday, is going to diss me when they don't even know me, fuck them! They are not worth my time! But, very uncharacteristically, I didn't feel hurt by Daniel. The idea to write him off as just another guy didn't even cross my mind. I continued to flirt with him, and, more importantly I think, be his friend.
I can tell you that a couple months into the year, we were pretty good friends. I talked to him more than I talked to anyone else, including my boyfriend (more about him later). When ever one of us was sad or upset, the other was the only one who could make it right. I still have an IM conversation from those days, in which he signed off with "I'll miss my favorite girl." I told him that I loved him, and for once I didn't add "as a friend", and for once, he said it back. I can remember the magic that I could literally feel unfolding when I was with him. He invited me to go bowling with his family once, and I'm pretty sure his mom fell in love with me right there. It was a good time, (even though I hate bowling). It was strange. With him, there was no inhibitions. I said things to him that I wouldn't tell my boyfriend. I could be myself around Daniel, my boyfriend would say I was stupid. Now that I'm on the subject of him, let me tell you about Schaefer.
Brian Schaefer was a pudgy, fun-loving senior. He was friends with my best friend's brother, which is how we met. I mean, I knew who he was before, we just didn't talk to each other ever. Anyway, we started going out and then the problems started. He seemed embarrassed about me, and he wasn't all that nice, either. He would tell me that I should do this or that like this other chick we knew. He told me he wasn't taking me to his prom because I was too young and I would ruin it for him. To make it simple, he was an ASSHOLE to me when we were dating. And that's another thing. I wouldn't even call it dating, because he always found excuses not to be out in public with me. Yet the one time that we did go to a movie, he told all his friends that I was all over him. YA FREAKIN RIGHT!!! So anyway, every time that he would make me sad, guess who was there to make me smile. Daniel.
The two of us got so close that Schaefer accused me of cheating. I wasn't (or was I?) but I'm pretty sure he didn't care if I was or not. It was just a convenient excuse to break it off. I felt like shit for all of an hour, and then I was over it. I can remember going to school the next day and my friend remarked "Hey, now you're back on the market!" Daniel was standing right there when she said that, and you can guess what I was thinking.
Well, this friend, I found out later, had a crush on Daniel. I had always suspected this, but wasn't sure. In an attempt to be a good friend, I told him that he should ask her out. He said he would not. Then, he said it would be funny if he asked me out right in front of her. I smiled, and secretly hoped he would. He didn't, but a couple days later when he was walking me to class, he kissed me on the cheek. No one knew why I was so happy for the rest of the day!
I remember when I told my friends that I liked Daniel. They were like "WHY??" He was a nice guy and all, but to them, he wasn't boyfriend material. But to me, he was. To everyone else, he came off as anti-social and a little psychotic. But I knew him as he really was. He was the sweetest, most considerate, caring guy I had ever met. I knew that what I felt for other guys was insignificant now. I was head over heels in love with Daniel.
On April 2nd, 2001, we were standing around after school talking. After a little nervous hesitation, he asked me to be his girlfriend. Of course, I said yes, and after a quick goodbye kiss, he went out to his car, and I ran up to the library to tell Christina.
Since then, we have had lots of great times, a handful of bad times, and a couple that were horrible. But we have gotten through everything together. As I said before, you can't judge love by how much you fight. It's much more important to find a way to settle your differences, respect each other's feelings and opinions, and come together to find a solution you both can live with. There is no doubt in my mind, that right now, Daniel is the one Fate has set aside for me. Only time will tell whether or not we will spend eternity together, but my heart tells me that we will.