Coming Home (Complete)

We all know how it feels to have that little kid crush on someone you just admire. Those butterflies every time you see them. The lump in your throat when you try to talk to them. The shaking hands and nervousness when they are near. Sometimes, these feelings either go away as you get older or develop into something more, whether it is requited or not. Unrequited love; the heart breaks and shatters you into a thousand pieces, making you feel like nothing can put it back together, and it doesn't matter what you do, who you are with, or where you go. Soon, the pieces slowly come back together again, but the scar that forms will always be there. What happens when the one that shatters your heart is the only one that can put it back together? That little girl crush you have ended up turning out to be something more and your whole world comes crashing down, exploding in one simple second. What is a girl to do? Lindsey was 13 when she first met him. She had always been someone that was quiet and always hid in the background. She had friends but they were not that close; no one really had a problem with her. She was nice to everyone and got a long with most people. At the age of thirteen she didn’t know what love was. Nobody knows what love is at that age. But this time was different. This was the first love, the one love that captures your soul and you compare everyone to that person. It was her first day of seventh grade when she first laid her eyes on him. She didn’t even know he existed until that moment. The school district they grew up in was comprised of five different elementary schools, kindergarten to fifth grade and once the children reached sixth grade, the five schools combined and the kids got mixed up, so it was no surprise that she didn’t know who he was. They were in English class and they were assigned seats next to each other. She couldn’t help but stare. He had wonderful tan skin, was fit for someone their age. He had popping green eyes that went well with his shaggy light brown hair. “Hey, I’m Josh.” He said and smiled at her. Her heart melted. How could this crush develop so quickly for someone her age? She blushed slightly to herself. “Lindsey.” He smiled at her and turned his attention back to the teacher. English class went by quickly, 50 minutes. She collected her things and proceeded out of the classroom, moving as quickly as she could. She wanted to make a quick getaway; it was like she was nervous. They only said a couple of words to each other, but she knew she wanted to get to know him more. She headed to her next class, history, and sat down in the back, just like she did in English class. Much to her surprise, he was there too and as soon as he saw her, he sat down next to her. “Looks like we have a couple of classes together!” he exclaimed. She nodded to him and smiled. “You don’t talk much…do you?” “No, I’m just really quiet.” She said softly. The teacher interrupted the start of their conversation. “Alright kids!” he projected to get their attention. “We are going to do a partner ice breaker. The person you are sitting next to is going to be your partner. Fill out these sheets about one another and get comfortable, they are going to be your partner for most of the year.” He was handing out questions so the students were forced to get to know one another. “Lindsey, looks like we are going to be partners!” he smiled at her, and she just melted. “Well, first question, what do you do in your free time?” “You go first.” She said, looking at his green eyes. She was lost in them. “Well, I play football for the school. I'm hoping next year to make the freshmen football team in high school, but if I have to wait one more year, it’s okay. I also play baseball. I also play the drums!” he was excited. You can tell that these were his true passions. “That’s cool. I play the clarinet. I am the definition of band geek.” She laughed and so did he. “I also love to paint and just hang out. I don’t really do much. My parents are pretty strict.” “Are you in the school band?” he questioned. He c****d an eyebrow in interest. “Yeah I am.” She blushed. “So am I! I guess I will see you there too. How strict are your parents?” They, at this point, were not going by the questions on the papers, which little did they know, was the point of the exercise, to get the students to talk to each other and learn to have real conversations. The teacher smiled with joy, looking at the laughing kids. “They’re pretty strict. My dad is in the Air Force, my mom is Asian. I am also the oldest, so they are stricter with me. They demand A’s in school and yeah, you can just imagine the rest.” She laughed. The conversation between the two seemed natural. They knew that they would become fast friends. They ended up having numerous classes together for the next couple of years. He would always poke fun at her, and she would always mess around with him. They spent a lot of time with each other at school and after school, but never at each other’s houses. Their parents didn’t know about their friendship and it was something she wanted to keep to herself at the moment. Lindsey was scared to let her dad know that she had a guy best friend, let alone, her first real crush. She went to his football and baseball games with her friends and cheered him on. He stayed after school with her when she wanted to go to the art room and do some painting, just to hang out. Sometimes, they would go to the gym at school and just play around for a bit. He convinced her to play volleyball, finding out she was a natural, and with his help, she got even better. He supported her through all her decisions. Occasionally, Josh would attract some girls in their classes. He seemed interested but never really pursued them. She never really thought anything of it, but she couldn't help the slight bit of jealously she got when he was with other girls. During summer vacations, other school vacations and after school, they would constantly be talking to each other. They did not have cell phones. They grew up in a time before cell phones were popular, but they had Instant messenger, a messaging service online where they could chat with each other and their friends and even create group chats with other people. As soon as they got home, they would log in and start messaging back and forth. There wasn't a day that passed where they didn't talk. Their friendship grew throughout the two years in middle school, 7th and 8th grade. At the end of 8th grade, the students go on what they call the “8th grade trip” and this year, it was to Niagara Falls. They were on the same team, so they could be partners and spend time with each other. “Lindz, I cannot wait to start high school in the fall! I am going to be on the football team, and it's going to be so much fun!” he was excited. He already made the football team, but he made it to JV, skipping over freshmen and she couldn't be more proud. “I’m really excited to see you play.” She said quietly. “Are you still going to be in band with me?” she asked, looking at him with questioning eyes. “Of course, why wouldn’t I?” “Well, you’re going into JV, and band is going to be a lot of work with band camp and the field shows and everything. I just want to make sure you will be there, promise?” She was worried. Something in her gave her these insecurities that high school was not going to be like middle school. She had been watching too many different TV shows that would show how her insecurities would be played out and she couldn’t help to think that is what was going to happen to them. “Hey, I promise, I will be there. If not, you can find me and beat my butt.” He laughed. She shoved him in his shoulder, making him off balance for a brief second. “But we both know you won’t do anything.” “What makes you say that?” “Because we both know you loooooovvvveeeeee meeee.” He teased her. This was a joke between them. They would never intentionally hurt each other and would always joke about love. What did they know? They were only 14 at the time. She blushed a little bit, not letting him see. “I guess we will see…” she said, and they continued with their class for the remainder of the class trip.