Forever and always

1. Third Grade

Third Grade. One of the hardest grades I went through for various reasons inside and outside of school. There was abuse in my home, which I won't go into the details of, but it was traumatizing, of course. On top of that, I had few friends and a bully of a teacher.  Kids are cruel and being a bigger girl didn't help.

It wasn't a day like any other the morning I met him. It was chilly, I remember pulling my sweater closer to my body since it was a little big. The swish of my jeans annoyed me, but that was all i had besides sweat pants so I had opted for them that day.  The walk from home to school sucked. But I made it.

That day though we had a new boy in school he was a grade above me. Or at least I thought he was new. He wasn't, but he was new to me. As I walked up the stairs to our old brick school building I saw him. He wasn't paying any attention to me which is what I preferred. I hated attention, I figured the only reason anyone talked to me was because they were unpopular like me or to bully me.

But he was different. As soon as the "popular" kids or older kids started picking on me he was there, jumping to my defense. I had no clue he had any idea he knew who I was. He introduced himself and gave me a small smile before running off to do whatever he was doing that morning.

We didn't have a lot of interactions besides the mornings and the end of school due to being in two different grades. But every time someone decided to make me their target he was there. Fighting for me.

Then one day it happened. He kissed me after school. I was taken aback and kneed him between the legs. It had sent my brain into defense mode. Running away from him I felt bad but I was scared and not focused on being with anyone obviously because I was only nine.

But that didn't stop him from being there. I remember one particularly bad day with my teacher. He was making fun of me and calling me stupid because I wasn't doing well with math. Like I said my teacher was a bully. His mom and grandmother were there dealing with a call from the office because of a fight he'd been in. His mother was escorting him back to class when she heard my teacher going off. I don't know why she did but I know she came to my defense and started cussing him out.

He didn't really mess with me after that, but the boy was always there lurking and watching me. Making sure I was ok, coming to my aid when others put their hands on me. Then one day I actually met his mom. She was sweet to me, talking to me about what was going on at school but I didn't open up about home. He wouldn't know that til years later.

He was my valentine, I made a specific one for him I don't know what happened to it but I'm sure it was lost. At the close of the third Grade I ended up moving to a different school because we had moved school districts. That was the last time for ten years I'd see him. I remember how angry and hurt he looked but I couldn't do anything about it.

He was my best friend in third Grade and still is today. I'm glad I found him again 10 years later.