For a long while, I was really bitter about love. I’ve always been the hopeless romantic type of girl who would daydream about Prince Charming coming to swoop me off my feet. I chased after 2 guys in High School and both turned me down after I had tried for a long time with both to see If anything would happen between me and them. I was left with little hope for love after that so finally after Crush #2 had said his final no, I put my feelings for him aside and decided that Summer 2003 I would try to forget Crush #2 and love all together. I never knew what July 2003 had in store for me.

Rewind to that April 2003. My friend Jessica from High School had been dating a new guy named James. Well, Jessica told me one day while in school that she was going to meet James’ cousin Brad. I didn’t think much about it because I was still trying to convince Crush #2 to give me a chance. Fast forward to where Brad comes back into the picture. It was mid-July 2003 and Brad had gotten my AIM screename from either James or Jess. I remember him messaging me and we talked and seemed to really have great conversations. A few days after he messaged me the first time, Jessica brought up the suggestion of us gathering at James house so that Brad and I could meet and we could all hang out and watch the movie Red Dragon. So It was a DEAL! I was so ecstatic that I was gonna get to meet him and It all happened so fast. I remember talking to my next door neighbor, Allen online while I was waiting for Jess, her mom and her sister to come pick me up to go back to her house where I got to meet James for the first time too then we headed out to go get Brad. Brad’s house was back in the woods and I remember thinking, “Where are we going?” Sure enough, there tucked away in the woods was Brad’s house. So we waited. I saw this tall person come out of the door with baggy pants, a chain hanging from one side of his pants and he comes up to the driver side of the car and talks to either Jess or James.. don’t remember which. I see he has glasses! My heart was racing.. and he was really TALL!!! He gets in the back on the other side and out of a sudden impulse reaction or whatever it was I said, “Hey Brad!” It was dark and I couldn’t really see him all that well. We get goin and James and Brad talked a bit and I was quiet the whole time. I was quite shy about it.. and I am when It comes to meeting new people. I would glance at him every now and then out of the corner of my eye and everytime I did, he was looking at me!!! Hehe. We finally get to James house and we all pile into his very small room. He even had his own air conditioner that kept me nice and frozen the whole time I was there. James was getting a chair for me and for the first time.. I actually got a good look at Bradley. He had spikey brown hair! And I thought he had this “business man” look to him. He looked older than 16. More like 18-19. We were both sitting silently with red cheeks! That night I was wearing my blue button up shirt with ties on the end of the short sleeves and my grey “rock princess” shirt underneath it and my used to be favorite pair of jeans. James got me a chair to sit in finally and it only had like a 3-inch back to it, so It wasn’t the most comfortable. I was sitting right in front of his freezing air conditioner and Brad was sitting in a regular kitchen chair not too far away from beside me, but more back. As soon as Jessica left the room, he scooted his chair up closer next to mine! I got this feeling about him that I usually don’t get with just any guy. A sense of sweetness and kindness that I couldn’t overlook just from the little time that I had first talked to him. Jess tried to get us to talk to each other but we were both shy. We watched the movie and I didn’t move a muscle, lol. For one, I was really cold and two, I was really nervous. The movie was over and I remember thinking that I just wanted to sit down alone with Brad and just talk but I was too shy!!! and It was about time to go. It was around like 11, I think. We all got back in the car and left to go back towards Jessicas house (I was spending the night with her and Brad was spending the night with James). They didn’t stay but a few minutes after we got in Jessicas house and James and Jess said bye to each other and I looked at Brad and told him that it was nice meeting him and he had this look in his eyes, like he was stunned and amazed and I knew that there might be more there. We told each other bye and they left. As soon as they got out of the driveway, Jess asked me If I thought he was cute and I couldn’t deny it Hahah and she seemed to be more excited about it than I was, roflmao. Later, at like 3am, I got to talk to Bradley on the phone for the first time! We still weren’t talking much, lol. He got off the phone with me to watch Austin Powers: Goldmember. We kept talking online every day from then on. Then on July 22nd, 2003, I checked my e-mail and had recieved a greeting from him. It was a South Park card with one of them (either Stan or Kyle.. I think, lol) surrounded in hearts that said “Will you go out with me?” He got online and asked me If I had gotten it and when I said yes, he said “So will you?” And of course I said yes! The rest is history… :]