::UN-named::

     We met just before highschool registration 16 years ago. I was to be a freshman, and he a junior.

 

     I showed up on that Friday, the last weekday before school started on Monday. I'd let communications slip with my few friends over the summer, so I was here all alone. I walked to school, like I had nearly everyday of the past eight matriculating years. My mom, always working early mornings, could seldom spare the time to give me a lift. Which was fine, I understood. She was a single parent, and needed to work to support us.

     The highschool was big, bigger than the school I was in last year. I think all altogether, this massive campus took up 12 residential blocks. It was rather intimidating. It was old, probably around 100 years old actually. And it's tall cement walls were blocking out the sun. I counted 25 steps up to the entrance of the administration building. Taking shakey breathes, while straightening out my top, smoothing back my hair, and triple checking that I had the letter the school had sent me in the mail with my new ID number on it. Folding it into quarters, I stowed it away, back into the pocket of my jeans. This is it!

 

      As I opened one of the heavy double doors to the building and stepped in, I was immediately shoved back out! Wow, there were a lot of people here! Okay, I'll just wait a few minutes, surely the crowd will have moved a little, seeing as they were blocking the door. I counted the seconds on my wristwatch, eager to get this day over with. I'd like to start my last weekend of freedom as soon as possible. I had planned on spending my last 48, and some odd hours, basking on the beach about 2 hours from here. The sooner I registered, the sooner we would hit the road. I couldn't wait!

     Okay, it was time to try again. I gripped the door handle, and gave it a slow but strong push, using all my weight in case the crowd pushed me out again. I met some resistance, and pushed a little harder. Once I had a clear path, I tried to squeeze through the foot wide crack I had managed to create. My obstacle, a taller than I blonde, turned around and looked at me annoyed. Her eyes made a quick scan of me, and her face contorted into a look of disgust. Okay, great first impression. I wasn't aware there was a fancy dress code for registration! I guess my ragged jeans, purple fitted tee, and knock off converses weren't good enough for them. Well tough!

     With half my body wedged in the doorway, I felt it starting to close on me again, much heavier this time. I looked up to see the taller than I blonde, and a couple of equally tall girls pushing againist the door on purpose, trying to shut me out. Goodness, there mothers must have fed them Miracle-Gro, because I swear, these girls were Amazons! I wasn't one to be pushed around, so I braced the doorframe and shifted all my weight. With my hip, I pushed as hard and as fast as I could, causing the door to move about 5 inches in my favor. Yes! I'll show them!

 

      I returned my gaze, smuggly, back to the group of girls. The taller than I blonde, had a drop of blood trickling down from her nose. Holy Crap! I'd knocked the door right into her face! She lifted her hand to wipe her nose, and saw the blood. Crap! I think I just started World War III. I heard one of her friends gasp, "Eww, Brittany you're bleeding!" she cried. This girl was about an inch shorter, not as blonde, and looked like she might faint at the sight of the blood. Okay, well at least I knew the name of the girl I just indirectly punched in the face. Her eyes rose from her bloody hand, slowly to my face. Okay, now I was a little scared, she looked like she wanted to murder me! Crap! This was all I needed, to get in a fight before school even started, and tarnish my perfect record. This would definately put a hitch in my coastal sun-bathing plans.

      Brittany's two friends seemed to have whispered amongst themselves while I was silently cursing my headstrong ways, because the next thing I knew they were all pushing on the door, trying to slam it on me. I held strong for a few seconds before I lost my footing. With one final thrust from the evil trio, they got me. I stumbled backwards and lost my balance. I was going down.

  

      I looked up to see the door slam. Through the small 'too tall for me' windows on the door, I saw the three girls laughing at me. I shut my eyes, held my breath, and prepared for the impact. This was going to hurt. Before I could register what was happening, something, no someone, had broke my fall. I was now laying on top of an unsuspecting innocent bystander. Great! Surprised, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw were the three girls through the windows. They were no longer laughing, or even smiling. They each had a shocked expression, with little "o's" forming on all three sets of lips. Oh no! I must have fallen on a teacher or something. This must be serious because the evil trio now looked a little scared.

 

      I was so embarressed! How could I have stumbled into such a mess?! And school hadn't even started yet! My heart began to race. Suddenly, I felt a pair of hands rubbing gently on my arms. I looked down, MAN HANDS!! Pretty, large, soft... MAN HANDS!! Crap! Did I land on the principal??? His hands squeezed my shoulders, and then ran down to my elbows. I involuntarily shuddered at the sensation of his touch. I could feel my face heat up. Then there was hot air behind my ear, and some words. "Are you alright?" a smooth, beautiful voice sung to me. Holy crap! Our principal has a hot voice! I regained my ability to speak and muttered, "Uh yeah, I'm okay." My voice came out thick as I struggled to loosen the lump that had formed in the back of my throat. "S'good thing I was there to catch you..." he paused, waiting for me to fill in the blank with my name. "Jane," I barely choked out.

 

      "Right, it's a good thing I was there to catch you Jane," he whispered in my ear. Wow! Okay, he just sent shivers throughout my whole body! A few more seconds passed, and I was completely tongue-tied. Not one thing came to my mind as I sat there, enjoying the feeling of the stranger behind me. He chuckled, and started to move so I could get up. Feeling as awkward as a bull in a china shop, I tried to right myself and staggered. Flustered and a little dizzy, I tripped over my own feet, bracing myself once again for impact. A strong arm steadied me, this time flying around my waist just seconds before I face planted into the giant shrub just right of the door. "Oh my God," I silently prayed. "Don't let this guy think I'm on drugs or something." My face, ablaze in embarrassment, would surely burn you if you touched it. I spun around wildly so I was now facing him. His arm still fastened around me. My face was inches away from his chest. Geez, why is everyone so tall? I might just have to do some research about what they put in the water in this district! I pulled my face back just a fraction, and read his t-shirt. 'CLASS OF 98'. Thank God, at least it wasn't the principal! Just some nice guy that would be a junior this year. Darn, he's awfully tall and muscular for a junior, or even for a student come to think of it.

      That was the day I met my best friend. It was also the day I fell in love with him.