A Word Like Love

It was 2007. A year bright with possibility and ripe with the idle drama of seventh grade adolescents. We'd had our first fight that year, my bff Katie and I. It was still that time when best friends were forever, when a makeup was not to far in the horizon, and when her moving away in mid-january seemed like the world was crashing down. Though that was only tied with the idea of my first kiss- a pediment that plagued my mind endlessly as I searched through pre-teen magazines for techniques, for tips, for anything I could grasp on to in the hope of becoming as experienced as Katie.

The only thing I needed was a guy. A guy for that perfect moment- in true florida fashion- on the beach- with the stars.

We found him- I say we in that I wasn't alone in finding him. He was all of our's really, the desperate 7th grade girls who fawned over the new kid with bright blonde hair fresh from the midland.

Yes, he was all of ours- until he wasn't. Until he became Katie's and had his first kiss with her. With the beach breeze in his hair as he became just another one of Katie's boyfriends. Just another thing I couldn't have. Another boy I'd chase after who'd choose someone else, who'd choose my best friend.

2012.

5 years after he'd chose her. 5 years after his Pez dispenser valentine. After 5 years spent noticing and un-noticing, loving and un-loving, wishing and taking it all back...

After one night,one movie. and one kiss.... he became something else entirely.

My boyfriend.