Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! At first, I thought I’d take this day to tell the important people in my life—my family, my friends, and my future president—that I love them.
But instead, I decided to say Happy Valentine’s Day to the ones who got it all started…my first loves. Since I’ve been working on my young adult novel lately, my mind has been wrapped around the feelings that come with the intensity of first love. So yes, I’m going to share with you the boys in my junior high and high school that made my heart pitter-patter, caused me to doodle their initials on every notebook I owned, made my stomach churn, and forced me to seek medical attention due to extreme love sickness.
This is a special Happy Valentine to four very special boys…
First up is Mike. My first boyfriend. I was a senior in high school before I had my first real boyfriend, but he made it worth the wait. Mike was the kind of guy that all the guys thought was the coolest. All the girls thought he was adorable. And my mother? She practically adopted him. He was hilarious, sweet, and he loved me dearly. It was the best first-boyfriend-experience I could’ve ever hoped for.
Next up is Euel. My biggest crush. He wore tight jeans, the tightest in the school. He was tall. Blue eyes. Gorgeous thick, black hair. In tenth grade, I studied his class schedule, then altered my route between classes so I would pass him exactly four times a day. If I rushed through my lunch and ran up to the main lobby quick enough, I’d see him five times. And every time we’d pass each other, he’d say, “Hey, Robin.” That was all he said. But it made my heart melt. The following year he was killed in a car crash, and I was devastated. It took me a long time before I could walk those halls and not cry when I’d pass the exact spots I’d seen him every single day.
Next is Bryan. The hottest guy I ever kissed. (Well, second to my husband.) Bryan was beautiful. He was so beautiful…so hot…so perfect, that I never even considered him as a possible crush. He was way out of my league. But one night at a huge party, he grabbed me and kissed me in front of a zillion people as they watched. Now, it’s not like me to do such cheesy things. I think he kissed me on a dare, but I didn’t care one bit. It didn’t matter who was watching…this was Freakin’ Hottie McHottie Bryan…and he was kissing me, baby! Aaaahhh…one of the best nights of my life.
And finally, Billy. My first kiss. Ironically, my first kiss happened on Valentine’s Day, 1983. A bunch of kids from my neighborhood gathered in my friend, Nancy’s, basement and we decided to pair off and have a make-out session in the dark. But we had to hurry…her mom would be home from work soon. Billy tasted like candy hearts and I remember wondering if he’d eaten the “I love you” heart or the “Friends” heart. Based on that kiss, I think he ate the former. Wow! He really went for it! His kiss was so…intrusive. Did anyone else find their first kiss to feel like that? Not shocking, but a bit unexpected. Billy and I never talked about that kiss again. Well, except for the last day of high school when everyone was signing yearbooks. Billy wrote in mine, “Have fun. Don’t forget the time in Nancy’s basement.” And clearly, Billy, I haven’t forgotten it one bit.
Happy Valentine’s Day to my first loves. Thank you.
- Robin
But instead, I decided to say Happy Valentine’s Day to the ones who got it all started…my first loves. Since I’ve been working on my young adult novel lately, my mind has been wrapped around the feelings that come with the intensity of first love. So yes, I’m going to share with you the boys in my junior high and high school that made my heart pitter-patter, caused me to doodle their initials on every notebook I owned, made my stomach churn, and forced me to seek medical attention due to extreme love sickness.
This is a special Happy Valentine to four very special boys…
First up is Mike. My first boyfriend. I was a senior in high school before I had my first real boyfriend, but he made it worth the wait. Mike was the kind of guy that all the guys thought was the coolest. All the girls thought he was adorable. And my mother? She practically adopted him. He was hilarious, sweet, and he loved me dearly. It was the best first-boyfriend-experience I could’ve ever hoped for.
Next up is Euel. My biggest crush. He wore tight jeans, the tightest in the school. He was tall. Blue eyes. Gorgeous thick, black hair. In tenth grade, I studied his class schedule, then altered my route between classes so I would pass him exactly four times a day. If I rushed through my lunch and ran up to the main lobby quick enough, I’d see him five times. And every time we’d pass each other, he’d say, “Hey, Robin.” That was all he said. But it made my heart melt. The following year he was killed in a car crash, and I was devastated. It took me a long time before I could walk those halls and not cry when I’d pass the exact spots I’d seen him every single day.
Next is Bryan. The hottest guy I ever kissed. (Well, second to my husband.) Bryan was beautiful. He was so beautiful…so hot…so perfect, that I never even considered him as a possible crush. He was way out of my league. But one night at a huge party, he grabbed me and kissed me in front of a zillion people as they watched. Now, it’s not like me to do such cheesy things. I think he kissed me on a dare, but I didn’t care one bit. It didn’t matter who was watching…this was Freakin’ Hottie McHottie Bryan…and he was kissing me, baby! Aaaahhh…one of the best nights of my life.
And finally, Billy. My first kiss. Ironically, my first kiss happened on Valentine’s Day, 1983. A bunch of kids from my neighborhood gathered in my friend, Nancy’s, basement and we decided to pair off and have a make-out session in the dark. But we had to hurry…her mom would be home from work soon. Billy tasted like candy hearts and I remember wondering if he’d eaten the “I love you” heart or the “Friends” heart. Based on that kiss, I think he ate the former. Wow! He really went for it! His kiss was so…intrusive. Did anyone else find their first kiss to feel like that? Not shocking, but a bit unexpected. Billy and I never talked about that kiss again. Well, except for the last day of high school when everyone was signing yearbooks. Billy wrote in mine, “Have fun. Don’t forget the time in Nancy’s basement.” And clearly, Billy, I haven’t forgotten it one bit.
Happy Valentine’s Day to my first loves. Thank you.
- Robin
8 comments:
Oh, Robin, I so remember plotting the route through the halls, heart beating every time you walked it, wondering if your paths would cross. Would he look up, would he see you, and, of course, if he did would you turn beet red, duck your head away, trip and fall into a locker?!
I so wish your turn at this hadn't turned so painful. The kids we lost in high school will always be with us.
Becky, that's a perfect description of what it's like. I'm sure I did my share of falling into lockers. My crush was a painful memory, but it was a wonderful, intense memory as well. Life can be that way sometimes, I suppose.
I love the retro valentine tribute! I may just facebook some past loves today.
Not only did I alter/time my hall-walking for my crush (P.J.), but after he and I kissed at a Halloween Party I actually asked him to go to the Winter Formal Dance. Alas, to my chagrine (but to my high school friends' eternal - and I do mean eternal because they still bring it up to make fun of me - entertainment) he said, "No." But only because he had other plans to go to the River that weekend, I swear. O.k., maybe he was just being polite, but I still get warm fuzzies thinking about that crush. Lamy
Wow! You guys are killing me with the memories that are flooding in. Amy, for the record, I NEVER made fun of you for that crush. Can't believe you wrote his name in the comments section of our blog! What if he's reading right now?
My first real crush (and heartbreak) was so freaking painful, I actually included it as a flashback in my new YA book. I was only ten, and it was fifth grade, and we never even kissed or held hands. But we did ride bikes together daily down the hill on Tiber Street. Are you reading JD? You broke my heart, man. Waaahhh!
Don't even get me started on the heartbreaks I've had since then. Thanks for the memories, Robin!
Eve
Hey, Lamy...I love that you actually remember his excuse for not going to the dance with you. And I also love that his excuse was he had to "go to the river." I am going to use that one!
And Evie, I think your story would make a great book title: "Heartbreak on Tiber Street."
Good stuff, ya'll!
-Robin
There's a lot of syrup in this post. Is it really okay to nod past romances on V-Day?
you can get away with anything on valentine's. trust me.
to some degree, i don't think that you can be a girl without there being at least one boy in your life that you changed going-to-classes routes for. i switched lockers for my first crush. i ended up going out with him, and it was good for a few months, and then it went out in a shower of sparks.
haha. life is some very twisted fun.
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