Who Was It With? 

Ralph. He is a senior at my school.

When Did You Realize It was Love? 

I realized it was love when he asked me how I felt about him.

What Did It Feel Like? 

I hear love feels different for everyone. I'm one of those girls who didn't really believe in love until I met Ralph. When I'm with him it seems like everything is clearer. I can tell him things and have him be my best friend. I can act like a fool around him and he'll still want to be with me. I don't have to look my best, but he always thinks I look beautiful. When he hangs out with other girls, I do feel jealous. I trust him though. I know that he would never do anything to hurt me.

What Happened Next? 

We got together. It was silly actually. I was a sophomore in high school and he was a senior. I dated one of hie friends my freshman year, but that ended terribly, so he and I never really talked. But sophomore year that changed. We started talking about music and then about school and that led to flirting. There was loads of flirting. Towards the end of sophomore year we hung out all the time, but during the summer I had to go visit my dad in Utah, so I had to leave him. We talked over the summer break like two best friends should. When I got back from summer break I learned that he was talking classes at a local college, so that way he could still see me. When school started my junior year he asked me to be his girlfriend. It took a long while for him to ask me that, but that's what makes him so different than other boys. He waited to make sure we would stay together.

Lessons Learned

• Don't be afraid of love. I was afraid, before I met Ralph. You just have to open your mind and let someone in your heart.