I got my braces on over the summer and I felt alright with myself, more than usual. I came back with all my friends and early on in the year, I found out that my love had feelings for me, told to me by Xavier. He probably had feelings for her too (as did many, many boys at the time; as her beauty started to emerge [I can only remember Alex Carrillo and his inseparable buddy which has no name in my mind]). I could tell you what she looked like only in the imagination of a love-struck fool. She was beautiful, if not getting there; she had her braces on over the summer too. I remember we used to exchange letters, I believe by Marlo (I can’t remember his last name for the life of me, but I know it started with an ‘A’). We finally met about 100 feet from our first kiss, I don’t remember the building name, but it was opposite the side of Mr. Gutierrez’s class. I slipped away from my friends and she was there, I believe it was a Wednesday; we would slip around the other side of the buildings (now we’re by Mr. Dovorak’s). Eventually we would walk across campus, it would later evolve into hand-in-hand.
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I wish I could tell you something else about how my year started, but honestly this is all I can remember and it seems like decades ago, like when I could’ve saved myself. Everyone I could remember would talk shit about us, with the exception of my friends who congratulated me (Even Mr. Gutierrez gave me a thumbs-up).
There was one particular event in my mind, his name was Rolando and after about a week of him talking bull us, I finally slammed my locker and confronted him, dukes up or shut up – he did shut up after that. That was probably the 2nd closes thing to a fight I’d ever experience through grade school.
I remember that I had a self-esteem class (for no particular reason except that they wanted people in it). I also remember being transferred out later on, to Teacher’s Assistant (TA) for a teacher I can’t remember her name, but her husband my love would later have on in the 9th grade. This is when I would see my love eat the floor playing softball, A for effort, A for landing too. I know this was an extremely embarrassing memory for her, but it made me feel like I knew every side later on (which is something I did wish to know at the end).
We walked together in the mornings, hand-in-hand, at lunchtime, break, pretty much every occasion we could think of; it was young love at its finest. I could look into her eyes as she in mine, my heart would rage, my stomach would flip. I was falling for her, hard.
Many things also happened this time, of course I forgot mostly all of them as soon as I said this, but let us try. I know at this point I met my Bernadette (aka Angelica Bautista), she was a gothy girl at this point in her life and she even talked like one (but fear not, she would later develop into a beautiful woman). I remember Justine Kline and Kaitlyn Zagala (or something to that effect), I had a crush on them the year before as well as some of 8th grade, and my love would later resent them both for that simple reason.
I met a great friend named Scott Baertich, who later I would find again in life. Scott was one of my truly greatest friends that I would ever meet to this day. He had his problems like the rest of us but he listened and gave great input when needed. I learned to love this man as a friend and he was the first guy friend I loved like an of-age brother (besides Tony, but I can’t even talk about him).
I remember Mr. Mencilla’s (spelling?) class; I broke the ‘grade barrier’ here. I also met a girl named Melody (who was pretty and I believe turned into a hot girl, not a smart girl) as well as being reunited with Justin Kruise. I did my best to not talk to either of them, they would mainly make fun of me because of my looks, and even still, I was kind to them when I could be. Around this time is when I completely changed into an ass, this disease lasted through high school, and I thank these two girls directly for it.
Around this time, my love and I found a song together, Frankie J’s “Obsession” featuring Baby Bash. I also remember singing Mario’s “Let Me Love You” to her late one night, over the phone. I believe it was this time I promised to sing her Usher’s “Superstar”, a promised unfulfilled to this day (although, a lot of our promises died).
At the end of my middle school days, I remember being with my love, I also remember giving tears-in-eyes Scott a hug because he was going to miss me. I would see him in high school and we did talk just a little after eighth grade, but we lost contact afterwards. It was this time that we shared our first kiss, it was behind Mr. Dovorak’s room, right next to the stairs. She was on the wall, I was up against her, we were the same height at this time and, no matter what she says to this day – she kissed me. I was ecstatic for a long while. The summer passed, the only thing I could tell you is that I listened to a song by Avant “You Know What” featuring Lil’ Wayne
We saw each other again during freshman orientation, beginning 9th grade together. I can’t tell you much about this time of my life, it’s very fuzzy. I remember being in Ms. Smith’s class, Paul Camarena (I believe, this is a great man by the way), Francis Mendoza, among others were in this class.
Passions were hot in this time of my life. By December, I remember we had a big fight, I couldn’t tell you what it was about, but then and there it hit me hard.
I realized I was in love.
It was a rainy week in December, I remember cuddling up on the gym floor in Mr. Keilty (spelling I think is off on this one), we said our feelings for each other, my stomach flipped and I still managed to feel fever like in the sub 65 degree weather (Don’t forget I’m a Cali-boy born and raised – 65 degrees is cold).
And I did, I loved her for the rest of our time together and more, more than I should have.
(This will be my second edit/publish point)
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