with baby Hood on his way, i figured now would be as good a time as any to share our love story. i want to have it all documented in one place so when i'm wrinkly and gray i can come back and smile and laugh at where it all began.
warning: awkward high school pictures will be included.
freshman year of high school, 2006, i transferred into devin's English class. we sat on opposite sides of the room and had different groups of friends, but that's where i learned his name, thought he was cute, and got to hear the deep things he said that impressed our teacher who wasn't impressed with my know-it-all attitude and self-righteously correct grammar.
we didn't talk at all that year or afterwards.
until...
february 2009 (our junior year of high school), devin went on his church's weekend trip to a young life retreat center, where my church was serving as waitstaff and kitchen crew. i, as a "waitress" for the weekend, was cleaning up my table's lunch when a cute, blonde boy from my high school approached me. devin walked up with his friend and said, "hey julie," to which i made a joke about how it was weird/impressive that he remembered my name all the way from freshman year (but of course i knew his name, because he was the attractive blonde guy on the other side of the room!). he replied with, "of course i remember your name; 9th grade wasn't that long ago. only someone with dementia would have forgotten..." and he continued to beat me in witty repartee that i couldn't distinguish as him being funny or being mean.
the very monday after that random run-in at a far-from-home retreat center, devin approached me in the hallway after homeroom. he held out a water bottle and asked if i would throw it away for him (referencing how i was a server that weekend). still wasn't sure whether he was joking or a jerk. we went on to talk, and from then on, he kept popping up on my way to different classes and he'd do things like poke fun at how I never knew the day's date (how can you keep track when the date literally changes EVERY DAY?!).
one of our conversations in the hallway, when i was as awkward (and as bad at flirting) as ever:
devin: so, at tech school...
me: you go to tech school? is THAT why i never see you after lunch?
devin: you've been looking for me after lunch?
me: ummm...[awkward, because YES, i had been. i took ridiculous, roundabout routes to class, hoping that i would see him] what do you go to tech school for?
devin: the electrician program
me: so you make lightbulbs?
devin: seriously?
me: [not sure if i should admit that i WAS serious, or if i should pretend that was a joke...]
we became good friends, and i realized his jokes were hilarious witticisms, and not mean at all. (and i became better at thinking on my feet; banter is an acquired skill). he got my phone number (very sneakily) from a friend of my friend, and our first phone conversation was 30 minutes long, yet felt like 30 seconds because i was laughing the entire time.
we began spending time outside of school, and on May 2, 2009, after holding hands at a school play ("sweeny todd", romantic, right?) we began to go out.
we went to junior and senior prom together, and when it came time for me to choose a college...well, that's part 2. :)
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