The One That Got Away (Part 1)

This was inspired by a post on The Duck Walk.

We were friends for years – at least that’s how we started. We attended middle and high school together, and also most of elementary school.

He was always the fun, nice guy that everyone enjoyed being around, while I held the reputation of being the nice girl that was always in a relationship (this is speculation, of course. I have no idea what ppl thought of me in high school).

The guy whose heart I ‘had’ (we'll call him Nice) wasn’t "the one" (we'll call him Long-term) this story is about. This guy (Nice) was sweet enough, but he just wasn’t for me. The fact the he pursued me with such determination and loyalty, completely scared me. I was a bit thrown by his open - and on many occasions, openly declared - love for me.

We had never dated, nor had we even kissed. He was after me, and I didn’t understand why. I wasn’t that great of a girl (really, I wasn't). I always pegged him for the type that would break my heart once he finally had it.

Women always love a good chase. Once that chase is over though, the final prize doesn’t quite present the same excitement.

Anyway, this is a digression from him (Long-term). The him that this story is all about.

The small high school that we went to afforded me the opportunity to know him, but he and I were never close friends. His crowd was a little more popular than mine (at least that's how I see it), but at a small, private, Christian school, none of that really mattered. Every one was familiar with everyone else. We had actually been in school together since first grade, as was the case with several of the other people with whom I graduated.

It’s funny that it took me close to 10 years to see just how perfect he was for me, and how unfathomably perfect we fit (seemed to fit) together....