Note: Both versions of this story were written without interference/input from the other person

Drew's version:

I rode out to UMass Amherst with a friend from high school for freshman orientation. I remember it was a sunny day and the ride was a mix of excitement and wonder. We were gathering in Northeast, one of the older sections of campus. The buildings were brick and the windows had peeling paint. But the excitement was palpable. As we finished gathering in between the dorms, the orientation organizers split us into small groups. We went to a classroom style room and went through an ice breaker exercise - the typical "What is your name / hometown / and something about you" kind. I said, "My name is Drew Bachman, I'm from Wayland, MA, and I played football in high school." I left out how I was a special teams regular and third string defensive end. The remainder of the classroom went through their ice breakers and we went outside again. A cute blond girl came up to me and asked, "Are you Drew Bachman?" Why yes, I am. "Yeah, who are you?" "I'm Emma Gardiner." she said. We flirted for a summer, became close friends Freshman year, and, after a "you're an idiot, she likes you" moment from a friend, I asked Emma to be my girlfriend in Boston.

Emma's Version:

It was June 24, 2013. Freshly graduated from highschool and on my way to New Student Orientation at Umass Amherst. A weekend of exploring campus, meeting new friends, and sleeping in sweaty dorm rooms with no AC. Honestly, it was a blur. In one of the many different intro sessions on the first day, I looked across the room and saw a boy who looked familiar (and very cute). We ended up in a smaller session together and everyone introduced themselves. The only time I've been excited for an ice breaker. As Drew introduced himself I realized we had a mutual friend which is why he looked so familiar. After that session I realized 3 things: 1) we were both heading to the honors college session 2) I conveniently didn't have a map or any clue how to get there. 3) Drew very conveniently did have a map. Naturally, I had to go introduce myself to the cute boy with the map. How else would I find my way to my next destination? We spent the rest of the day together. At dinner someone even asked me if we had been dating for a few years because we were so comfortable with each other. I played it cool but was secretly thrilled. After New Student Weekend we continued to talk via Facebook. When room assignments came out we immediately messaged each other and found out we would be living 1 floor apart in the same dorm. Drew was officially my first friend at Umass. We remained very close friends throughout freshman year. Studying together, going to parties, late night Berk. Drew finally took the hint and made a move as freshman year was coming to a close. And finalllllly officially asked me to be his girlfriend on Aug 11, 2014. You could say the rest is history.