My Story - Part 1

I love to remember the story of Josh and I... so I thought it would be fun to put it on here for others to read and for me to have. Josh and I were a long time coming and many many years have gone by since I first noticed him on the playground to where we are today. This is our story... from my view of course.


I was 12 years old when I first moved to Homedale schools from Vallivue schools. It was the 6th grade and I had never been more terrified in my entire life. All the typical thoughts kept running through my head. Will I have any friends? Will anyone like me? What if they all think I am weird? My first day at my new school was both scary and exciting. This was a new chapter in my life and even at the young age of 12 I knew that and knew I had to make the best of it. I horribly missed my best friend from Vallivue, Keri Cloud. She and I had been inseparable for the last 3 years and I had no idea what I was going to do without her by my side.

My teachers name was Mrs. Eidemiller and she did a good job at helping me to feel comfortable in my new atmosphere. I was going from a class of about 200 to a class of about 60... It was strange. Everyone knew everyone and had been together since the Kindergarten, that is the way small towns are. It is very hard to move into a small town and be accepted right away.

Carrie Pearson was the first one to introduce herself and would become my absolute best friend from that moment through our senior year. Right away we became very close, talking a lot about the boys in our class and the teachers in our grade. Several boys introduced themselves to me throughout the day and at last I had made it through my first day of school.

The next day and every day thereafter became pretty much the same… I slowly made new friends and a few boyfriends and each day became easier as I left my old school and life behind me and started a new one. I had been in school for about a month when I really noticed him for the first time. We were at recess and he walked by me and caught my eye. It was then that I asked Carrie “who is that?”. “that is Josh Love” she told me. WOW was all I could think… even in 6th grade he seemed perfect to me.

Days turned into months and I had really settled into my new school and new friends. It was an evening and the phone rang… it was Josh. I don’t know how he got my number or why he was calling but we talked as much as 12 year olds can talk for about 25 minutes. He made me laugh. It was the next day after that I told Carrie… “I really like Josh, someday I am going to marry that boy”. She laughed of course and said “I don’t really see that happening.” “I know” I said “but it is fun to dream.”

Months went by and before I knew it 7th grade was here. Finally I was in Jr. high… I was becoming an adult you know… at least that is what I thought at the time. I had my own locker and I was finally “developing” into my body. I had been in school for a few weeks when Matt Freelove approached me and literally changed the path of my life for the next 3 years. We flirted back and forth for a few weeks before finally he “asked me out”… now if you remember what that is like in 7th grade it means you talk A LOT on the phone and occasionally hold hands at the class assemblies and dance close at the dances, that is about the extent of it. Matt called me one night and said “would you like to go out with me”, “sure” I said. I hadn’t really talked much to Josh in the past few months so I thought well Matt is definitely good enough looking and seems like a nice guy, why not?!

I had no clue how hard I would fall for him over the next few months. I don’t think you can really have your first love when you are 13 but this was as close to that as you could get. We were together off and on for the rest of my 7th grade year. Once the summer came I had become very close to a girl named Nicole Quintana… she had become my Keri Cloud. That summer we were together every day of the week. She lived about 2 miles out of Homedale so we would ride bikes into the local swimming pool and I would meet Matt there everyday. Every day I fell harder and harder for him… everyday we became closer and closer. We would talk on the phone in the evenings for hours and hours on end when we weren’t riding bikes through town or swimming at the pool.

Before I knew it 8th grade was starting… Matt and I were still “a couple” and my life was so perfect I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Although my friendship had remained with Carrie, Nicole and I had grown even closer that summer. The year went on and Matt and I were off and on again depending on the month… but whenever we weren’t together I was always sad. I always wanted to be with him. I started wondering if what I felt for him was healthy at such a young age. It was May of my 8th grade year when Matt had his b-day party at his house. Him and I were on again and I was so excited. Rumor had it there was going to be a lot of dancing and darkness. It was going to be perfect.

Stay tuned for Part 2!