Secret Valentine of Mine

For Valentine’s Day, I figured I should put this boat into a different gear. This time the tables turned. The boy liked me, and I had no idea until he wrote me a love letter…

Kelly Lesley was my best friend and she had a crucial crush on Warren Davis for two years, 6^th and 7^th grade. (She left my school in 8^th grade to go to Catholic school.) I am still unsure why this crush was so crucial because nothing really ever happened. But, either way, she liked him about half as much as I liked Will Martin at the time, which, as you know, is A LOT!

In 7^th grade Kelly and I were like two college kids. We somehow conceived the idea that it would be good to call both of our crushes to tell them of our love. The problem with Kelly was that she was not so good with the follow through. She left me with the duties of calling both boys.

Her heart pounded as the land line rang and rang and rang. Warren picked up. (As I look back on this experience, he sounded happy to know I was on the other end of the line.) I went on to tell him about Kelly’s feelings, but Warren was uninterested. I prodded him, “Maybe one day you might like her though? It could happen? Right?"

“No, Laurie I like someone else, but I guess maybe one day.”

After hanging up the phone, I could see the happiness drain from the balls of her cheeks. Her eyes stopped sparkling. I knew just how she felt. At 13, I had been there numerous times.

Now I should explain Warren’s position on the middle school food chain. He was not popular. He was on the football team. He was friends with all of the popular kids without receiving the king title, because if he wasn’t on the team, he would be lame. So he was almost popular.

A few days later a note was thrown at me from a popular boy. It had something about Warren liking me. I ignored it thinking it was another joke that the popular boys thought was funny. Warren began sitting at our lunch table. (I thought it was to get to know Kelly.) He sat by me in Algebra. (I was really just confused.) In 8^th grade he sent me a Valentine. (I did not send him one.)

But on the last day of middle school, the last day of the hardest three years of my life, the last day of what I actually think is Hell, I got a card in my locker. I was leaving my private school to attend a public magnet school. The card said:

Laurie,

You are a great person, and you will be great at your new school. I will miss you a lot, but I am sure we will keep in touch.

Love,

Warren

Weird. We weren’t friends. And for the record, we didn’t stay in touch. I didn’t have his AIM. Two years later someone told me that Warren had liked me. Who knew? I didn’t.

The point is on this Valentine’s Day, I am celebrating all of my previous loves, those who I have loved and the one who liked me, and I am raising a glass that maybe one Valentine’s Day I will be with my NJB.