Cait-

In 2015 Everyone on the 7th grade team I worked with moved to BHS or was let go. I showed up in August to set up my room and ran into the new history teacher. I was skeptical at first, he was young and nervous, but I quickly realized he was a great teacher and fun to talk to. We spent two years teaching 7th grade together. We would open the adjoining door to our rooms and talk and laugh for the entirety of our prep period. I remember he would often be eating peanut butter with saltines. A few times we took walks around the school and our students would murmur about us, wondering if we were into each other. But we weren't! We both were with other people at the time. We became best friends, until he left for the highschool.

Jeremy-

After I moved to the high school, Cait and I stayed in touch and would see each other once or twice a year. Then, Covid shut down the world and Cait reached out to see if I wanted to go on a walk. I jumped at the invitation and we roamed the trails at Scorton Creek for two hours, talking and laughing. A year later, I was at a BHS basketball game. Cait came over to say hello and stayed for the rest of the game. I got home that night and wrote in my journal, "It would be nice, really nice, to see her more. I love being around her."

Cait-

In 2022 I moved to the high school. Jeremy stopped by my room on the teacher set-up day and we talked for at least two hours. He was the only person I didn't mind having my time interrupted for. A few weeks went by after that and we really didn't see much of each other. I didn't even know where his room was! In early October he found me in the hall and offered me and another English teacher a homemade bagel. When he walked away she asked me, "do you guys have a thing?" "No, we are definitely just friends," I responded confidently. "So he is free?" she asked.

Jeremy-

It was a Saturday in mid October. I'd just finished cleaning up for a group staying at the camp when I fished out my phone to text Lance, a colleague who was at the Homecoming Dance. "Come," he replied. "Caitlyn is here." I ran home, changed, then headed to the high school. Cait and I talked through the rest of the dance, during a fight, and in the parking lot afterwards until I finally asked, "Do you want to go get a drink?"

Cait-

We went to the West End. The greatest bartender of all time, Chris O'Brien, served us drinks and we continued to talk until the lights dimmed and they kicked us out. We continued talking in the parking lot. I remember thinking, did something just change between us? We texted a few lines Sunday, but Jeremy had a flip phone so I didn't get much from him. I was feeling fluttery and cautiously excited. That following Monday was my birthday. He showed up at my classroom door.

Jeremy-

I spent the whole afternoon on Sunday making her a birthday present. I'd cut a fallen red cedar from a trail a few weeks before. I took a chunk of wood, carved and sanded it into an abstract and smooth shape. I wanted to give her something to put on her desk, that she could hold and smell and think of me. I also wrote her a letter, thanking her for being my friend and looking forward to our time ahead. By this point, I knew she was the One, but I was so nervous when I gave her the present and a card that Monday morning. What if she didn't feel the same way?

Cait-

He hugged me after he gave me the gift and a fresh bagel. Had he ever hugged me before? I was unsure if we were still friends or if he wanted more. We began texting throughout the week. Over text he admitted that he couldn't stop thinking of me. I obviously felt the same. The following Saturday Jeremy hosted an ultimate frisbee tournament at the school. I went, daydreamed about him the whole time, and we left for our first date afterwards.

Jeremy-

I couldn't stand it anymore. We had just parked and were about to walk over to dinner. "Would it be ok if I kissed you right now?" I asked. Cait smiled, nodded, and our lips met, filling our souls with a fire that hasn't receded since.