To the Only Boy I've Loved Before [#PerfectDate Contest]

Our Blast from the Past

To the Only Boy I've Loved Before,

I still remember the day we first met at math and science camp. I sat down next to you on the bus ride to a weekend tubing trip. I asked you, "is this seat taken?" To which you replied with a smile, "it is now."

You were the boy who was friends with all of the girls, and I was the girl who was friends with none of the boys - except for you.

I thought you were too bubbly. You thought I was too serious. I think the exact term you used to describe me was 'a stick in the mud.'

You liked her. I liked him. At the time, it didn't seem like we were meant to end up together. Who knew our paths would cross again two years later? And I'm so grateful that fate intervened and that you (finally) asked me out to a movie. And not just any movie... it was High School Musical 3!

If I could create the perfect date for the two of us, then it would be reliving our very first. Our first date was the catalyst to our life together. A life that I could only dream of growing up. And being with you has given me the chance to create a family of our own - one built on love and respect instead of the only one I knew which was filled with heartbreak and disappointment.

For our perfect date, I would pay off the movie theater to bring back Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez to the big screen. I would sneak in a box of your favorite Hello Panda cookies for you in my Aeropostale purse. And just as the lights dimmed down low for the previews, I would pull the box out and present it to you. You would blurt out, "I love you," and then try to play it cool to hide your embarrassment. This time though, I would tell you, "I love you too."

We would hold hands throughout the entire movie while sneaking bites of chocolate-filled panda biscuits into our mouths. When the movie finishes, you would still keep your fingers interlaced with mine. And then you'd take me home in your beat-up Toyota Corolla... you know the one we loved so much.

You would walk me up to the front porch, and I'd be just one step ahead because I always walk a little bit faster than you. We would pause right before reaching the top of the stairs. The sudden feeling of shyness permeating in the air around us. And then we'd sneak in a quick kiss before any of the neighbors see.

And I would lean in and whisper in your ear, "thank you for all of the wonderful memories we've shared together and for the privilege of being your partner in this crazy, beautiful thing called life."

Love,
Your Girl