let me tell you a story

Once Upon A Time there was a girl she lived in a nice neighborhood with nice neighbors. One summer day as she was playing out in her yard one of the boys from the next street over came to her house. He was two years older than she was (18 months to be precise) and he was nice and would teach the girl games (Pokémon specifically) and smile at her. He was handsome (picture Gilbert Blythe come to life) and made her feel special. She was eleven or twelve years old and she was sure this was what love felt like. 
One day she was hanging out with the boy, another neighbor, and a good friend of hers. They were sitting on the neighbor’s trampoline telling stories and jokes when the girl decided it was time to tell the boy she liked him. And his response was two words spoken while looking her straight in the eye. “I know”. 
And to a girl who grew up watching Star Wars those two words filled her with joy. She went home and sealed that night in her memory. Little did she know that those words didn’t mean as much to him as they did to her.

 However when this girl liked someone she didn’t do it halfheartedly. She gave herself to memorizing details about this boy from the color of his cast when he broke his thumb (blue) to the location of his locker in Junior High (stalker statues achieved.) Every interaction made her soar. Church dances to talking about books and food where all moments she held close to her heart. They were in the same Trek family and for half a school year were in the same band class. She watched girls ask him on dates (not literally that’s a little too stalker-y) she even help a friend ask him to Sweethearts dance. 
Once as his time in high school drew to a close she asked him if he remembered that summer on the grass playing games and telling stories. “Yes” was his answer.

He left for college and the girl clung to a dream that someday they would met and be the friends they were as children and more.  He left on a LDS mission and the girl cried and wrote him letters (three. more than any of her other friends have received combined.) 
However, all childish delusions must sometime come to an end, so by the time he returned the girl wasn’t as hopeful and didn’t even go to his homecoming. They were going to two different schools and as she thought back to previous interactions she realized how truly one sided they were. But it still hurt the day she saw on Facebook that he was engaged. 
It still hurt receiving his wedding invitation and seeing him happy with another girl. It tore her up to go to his wedding reception and talk to him one last time eye to eye face to face. And it hurt today more than she thought it would to hear him brought up in conversation between her mother and an old elementary school teacher.  And tonight she resolves to put the memories of him aside in favor of finding her Happy Ever After