Dear Aaron Jeffries (not his real name),

The first time I saw you, it was freshman year. You didn't notice me then, because there were a throng of freshmen around us at Angell Hall and I was a shrimp (translate: person of short stature). I still am, actually. You, on the other hand, stood a good 6 feet tall... okay, so maybe 5' 11" , but the spiky hair that you sported gave you some height, and everyone seemed to be six feet tall to me back then. I thought you were kinda cute in a non-buff-but-not-skinny kinda way. I think it was the baggy jeans that did it for me, since they weren't so big that half of your boxers would be exposed for the world to see , and they weren't too long so that you would trip every few steps. And Angell Hall had a lotta steps.

Back when I first saw you and you didn't notice me, I was single, had just arrived in the US for a week, and was excited at the prospect of meeting new friends, boys and girls alike. You were standing near a wall and talking to a gorgeous blonde, who later turned out to be in the same physics lecture with me. I thought she was your girlfriend. You probably would have said otherwise.

After that fateful day, I saw you around campus a couple of times, but aside from that, no further thought of you entered my mind. My life went on, filled with ups and downs, happiness and dissapointments, and all of them unrelated to you. You were just a memory, a memory of the first guy in Michigan who I thought was "kinda cute".

The first time you noticed me was in the spring of freshman year, 2 semesters after that day in Angell Hall. By then I already made some new friends, everyone seemed like their normal hight and I wasn't so single anymore. I was down on central, had just finished checking out Border's (the bookstore) and was checking out some stuff outside of Sharman Drum (another bookstore). I was bored, I had nothing to do, so I decided to go the newly opened Bubble Island to read the book I bought. I saw you pass me by, but didn't think you noticed me. Later, I found you outside of the bookstore, sitting on one of those round stone benches..... y'know, the one that circles the tree? I didn't think much about it, I just walked pass you and crossed the street to go to get me some honeydew milk tea.

I heard footsteps behind me just as I arrived in front of Bubble Island, and I heard the words "Excuse me...". I turned around, and my heart did a triple sommersault when I saw you, dark brown hair and all. All I wanted to say was "You let your hair grow". What I did say was.. "Yes?"...

You extended your hand and actually blushed. Oh, you gorgeous, gorgeous man... "Hi, I'm Aaron. I, uh, saw you outside the bookstore, and I, eh, just thought I'd come over and say hi. You're a freshman right?". You sped through the whole sentence like greased lightning. I, on the other hand, couldn't help staring at those eyes. Ever heard of the expression in those sappy love songs, "drowning in your eyes". It felt exactly like that... I was drowning by the second, so I tear my eyes off yours , adjusted the strap of my carry-all and said "Yes, I am. How did you know that?". I was hoping you would say "I noticed you from before".

What you did say was "Lucky guess". Oh well, not all fantasies can come true. So our next conversation consisted off...

You: So, are you going somewhere specific, or are you just walking around?
Me : I was just walking around, but actually right now I'm going into Bubble Island to have some tea and maybe read my book.
You: Really? Mind if I join you?

By then I was blushing so hard, I think my whole face was red. I hope you thought I was pink from the sun and not from you. I wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't the first time I was approached, in fact, before you came up to me, someone else di just a week before that. His name was Levi (actual name), he was blonde, nice looking and had a firm handshake. He asked for my phone number, I said no because I was dating somebody .Which was more than true, in fact, that little incident resulted in a quite a few aruguments and tense phone calls with my then-boyfriend. Because of Levi, my ex and I established some ground rules, which involved no giving out phone numbers to random guys on the street. So the obvious thing to do was to brush you off and band you a stalker for the rest of my life.

I looked at you and melted. I couldn't just let you walk away without keeping some memory of you, something I could keep at a time when I couldn't keep you. Besides, I was going to tell my ex about you anyway (honesty is the best policy in a relationship... or so I thought) . So I said "Sure, it would be nice to have some company". We went in, had some drinks and conversation. We talked about everything and nothing at all. You asked me about home, I asked about classes, we talked about guys and girls and if I was dating.... Time flew by until I realized I had to get home and call my ex. I almost cried when I said goodbye, even though we smiled and said "See you around". But I was a good girl, still am, and I wouldn't two-time the person I'm with for anyone, even it was for a 6-foot brown-haired, brown-eyed cutie who blushes.

After that, events came and went, relationships were made and broken, new friendships and bonds were found, laughter and tears mingled with all the things that happened in my life. Even though I was on Central Campus a lot, I never saw you again, all I had was that spring weekend to remember you by.

Then, last Friday, as I was walking back from my dance class , I saw you. You had let your hair grow, it now fall in waves almost touching your shoulders. You sped by me on a bicycle, and I almost stopped cold right there in front of Ulrich's. For 2 years you never really entered my mind, and suddenly there you were. I wear a headscarf now, and you were speeding by me, so I don't think you noticed me at all. It was kind of dissapointing, actually, it would be nice to get some recognition that you remember me, maybe a little....

Aaron Jeffries, if I had really given my phone number to you, would we be friends now? Or would you eventually drift out of my life like the guys before you? Would you be afraid of me now that I have a piece of cloth covering my hair, or would you understand and still want to be near me? Would you be there during those times when I was in pain, or would you just say "Erm.. I have to go.. see ya!" and leave because you hate uncomfortable situations? Would it matter to you now whether I'm single or dating, or would we be such good friends that things like that doesn't matter?

Aaron Jeffries, if I smile at you now, headscarf and all, would you recognize me and remember?

Sincerely,
The girl who blushes, too