73 Memories

The Eighth Memory

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I can't explain to you why this means so much to me, even after all these years.

The day of presentations. I was completely fine that day, at least until presentations. We got our history poster set up in front of that class, and I opened my mouth to speak.

But I couldn't. I was frozen. As soon as I looked out at the thirty people sitting, watching, I started to panic. No one could see me panicking though, because on the outside I was frozen.

Somehow, I had managed to get myself to turn my head to look at you. When you felt my gaze, you turned away from the history project and you saw what was wrong. I watched as your eyes turned a little softer and you smiled at me warmly before you started to speak.

You said everything I was supposed to say and everything you were supposed to say, too.

After our presentation, we had to sit through eighteen more. I wasn't watching the presentations, though. I was watching you. Finally, I decided to pass you a note.

Thank you.

You responded quickly. Don't thank me.

Why not? You saved me up there.

Of course, I did. Why wouldn't I?

Because you once referred to yourself as a cliche' bad boy dialed down my 40%

Okay, so I exaggerated. But still, don't thank me.

When I read what you wrote, I instantly knew what I was going to say back. Thank you.

You sighed, but nonetheless, I could see a smile bloom on your face. You folded the paper up and stuck it in your binder. I had wondered at that time what you were going to do with it, but I know now. You kept it. And later on, you framed it.

At the end of class, you and I walked out together. You even followed me to my locker. You were speaking, but I wasn't really listening. Sorry. I was thinking, though. I was thinking about whether or not I should do what I wanted to do, because, for some reason, I felt like you had disabled a bomb for me. And I'll tell you something you know. My father wouldn't even do that for me. And so, when I opened my locker and put my books down in it, I turned to you.

I looked at you and when you realized I was waiting for you to stop speaking, you shut your mouth.

I remember I had to tilt my head up towards you so I could look into your gray eyes.

And then I stepped forward and hugged you. You were tense at first, but I'll assume when you realized I wasn't trying to tease you or something, you relaxed, and you put your arm around me, and you squeezed me back.

I smiled against your torso, hoping you couldn't feel my grin. When I got my lips under control, I pulled back and looked back up at you.

"Thank you."

But the thing that surprised me most was that when I looked at your face, you had a huge grin on it just like I did before I pulled away.