PRELUDE
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Hi. I'm Alfie. I've been happily married to my high school sweetheart for 23 years, and we've been together for 25 years—And we're still going strong.
Today, that is almost unheard of. We became a rarity.
Back then, we didn't expect to find each other. We were both going different ways, wanting different things, but things just happened instantly.
It's hard to explain, but when you feel that spark with someone—YOU WILL KNOW IT!
It's crazy to think how fast time flies— especially when you've shared it with your bestest of friends and greatest of lovers.
One day on a social media platform, someone posted a meme that said-
"I WANT A SHY AND NERDY BOYFRIEND!"
It reminded me of the days when I was that shy and nerdy boy.
I commented —
"Those are the kind of boys you need to make the first move on. That's how my wife got me!"
This created a thread of interest and many replies later, I told a short version of how I met my highschool Sweetheart.
Replies after that suggested this would make an amazing Teen Drama.
So here we are.
I am sharing the full, detailed story of how we became these fated lovers.
Sit back and let me take you back to where it all started.
Let me take you back to a time when social media was barely a concept, the age of information was young, jeans were baggy and could easily hold a textbook in a pocket, the popular cell phone was basic and indestructible, fashion was vibrant, and we had to wait to see the pictures we took.
It was a time when we lived in the moment.
Let me take you back to 1999!
15 is a very interesting and important age for Latinos. You are becoming of age. This was the time the culture no longer sees you as a child and transitioning to an adult.
This became too real for me.
The moment I turned 15. Life seemed to have thrown a very interesting curveball at me.
I wasn't so sure if it was the hormones or if I was starting to see the world from a different point of view.
Around this time, the life I grew up with, my entire childhood, was fading and becoming a very distant memory. My parents were going through a very terrible divorce.
Dad had moved out and moved on. This left me in a house with my mother Celia, my older sister Vivian, and my little brother Armando.
It was devastating.
And to add to that, I was seeing my older sister dealing with the troubles at home in a very different way as compared to me.
I always kept things to myself and bottle it all in. Building high walls. The only time you'd see my feelings are in some of my drawings.
Vivian, however, has always been hot-headed and rebellious. She embraced a Chola (Mexican street thug) lifestyle and went by the name "Pebbles" after the baby from the Flintstones.
Don't let that name fool you. She may be short, but I've seen her knock someone out who was twice her size just because they gave her a mean look.
Her life was now full of bad decisions and destructive behavior. Gangs, fights, drugs, the works.
She was also very protective of us, but was also my biggest bully. I avoided her. There was a few times I went to school with black eyes because I tried to stand up against her.
Things didn't go so well.
This all has led me to start struggling with my studies. I was no longer feeling like my home was home anymore and just wanted to escape.
The school and my friends were my only refuge during these difficult times. My group called ourselves "the island of misfits" based on the old Christmas stop-motion animation "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer".
Many of us in the group were a bunch of social butterflies and misfits who just felt they didn't really belong in a specific clique or group but somehow got along with all kinds of people.
From the cool artistic kids and star athletes, to the nerdy and studious bunch, the rebellious punks, rockers, and goths, even a few that considered themselves as thugs and troublemakers.
We were definitely an interesting bunch.
Being at such an age, many of them have been dating, already had their first kiss, and even becoming fully intimate and romantically involved with someone.
As for myself, I had become too shy and questioned what love is after witnessing many heartbreaks between my family and friends.
I personally didn't want to find love.
I was scared of it.
I had it engraved in my head I was going to become some kind of monk and live the life of a hermit.
During the Summer of 1999, things changed.
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I had failed some classes my Freshman year of highschool and had no choice but to attend summer school to make up the work.
This also gave me another way to avoid home. Alas. A blessing in disguise.
The only misfortune is none of my friends from the group were there. Might as well be a lone wolf and keep my head low.
Walking down those musky and aged hallways of our high school felt different when they weren't cluttered with the usual chaos of student traffic.
The only students I saw were my summer classmates all standing in line and waiting for the teacher to open the door. They all looked miserable and tormented by the intense summer heat of El Paso.
The teacher finally appeared. He was unfortunately bland and looked like he didn't want to be there either.
As he opened the door and held it for the class to enter, he announced.
"Ok, everyone. Go ahead and look for your name on the desk. If you don't like the arrangement, that's too bad."
Some of my new classmates were quick to respond in displeasure.
I didn't really care. I just wanted to get on with it.
I quickly found my seat and pulled out my drawing pad I have been doodling on for the last year. I had become very fond of that anime style that's become a bit of a craze.
"Oh, that's cute!"
A very sweet voice chimed right next to me. I slightly looked over and noticed a plastic lunch pail with the characters from Disney's Gargoyle's on it sitting on the desk. There was a braided chord fastened to it somehow like a shoulder strap.
This girl had definitely caught my curiosity and I finally looked to see the owner of that lunch pail.
My heart may have skipped a beat as I struggled to finally respond.
"Thank you."I giggled bashfully as I dropped my pencil. "I... I'm actually just messing around right now."
Ok, who is this unique beauty that just struck me like a bolt of lightning? Who was this girl?
Her gothy, grungy aesthetic was unique, yet had its charm: Baggy pants with safety pins attached randomly. A curvy figure with a Powerpuff Girls T-shirt on. The jet-black color of her nails, the shiny silver rings that adorned her fingers, and the multiple bracelets around her wrists. Her brunette hair was shoulder length with one side brushed behind her ear to display all the different piercings.
What had really drawn me into her— was her eyes.
Even with the way she lined them to appear more catlike and the hint of silver shadow, I couldn't help but stare for a moment as there was something peculiar about her eyes.
I couldn't quite figure it out.
"I have to ask" I finally spoke while mustering the courage to continue. "What's with the lunchbox?"
"Oh, this?" She smirked and maneuvered the lunchbox closer to her to open it. "It's my purse."
I was a little dumbstruck and laughed. This girl had managed to take a regular children's lunch box and arranged it to where she was able to carry some makeup, a few personal belongings, and—a classic model Gameboy.
I leaned in with awe. "Did you seriously bring a Gameboy to school?"
She let out a little giggle and nodded. "What else am I going to do while I wait for a ride after school."
I couldn't argue with that statement. I already liked the way she thought and looked. Sweet yet rebellious.
"Sooo." I fidgeted with my pencil. "Since we are going to be stuck sharing this desk all summer, I figured introducing myself should be the first step. I'm Alfie."
"Yeah, I already saw that on the card." She playfully pointed at my name card and quickly covered hers. "I'm Cerulia. I usually go by CC."
"Cerulia? That's different." I blinked quickly. "Like cerulean?" I tried to take a look at her note card which only led her to scoot it over out of my sight. "Your last name is pretty cool. Kane. Just like the wrestler."
"Ugh. I've been getting that a lot lately." She seemed a annoyed.
"Candi Kane" The teacher called out while doing attendance.
Some of my classmates giggled.
"Here." She raised her hand while the other covered her face in embarrassment. "I go by C.C." She became even more annoyed by that.
Candi?
I leaned over towards her. "Did your parents seriously name you Candi Kane?"
I didn't want to appear rude. It was amusing to me that she was named after a Christmas treat.
She grimaced and sighed. "Yeah. My parents thought it was really cute. That's why I go by CC."
After hearing my name in the roll call, she rebutted. "Oh ho. Now I know why you go by Alfie. Your name makes me think of Chicken Alfredo."
"Haha. I have never heard that one before." I answered with sarcasm. "CANDI!"
She scoffed and stuck out her tongue at me. "Fettuccine." CC snapped back with sass.
We just stared at each other for a moment and started to giggle quietly.
As the class went on, we couldn't help but tease and banter with each other throughout the session.
After class, we walked to the front of the school and waited for our parents to pick us up.
CC had her Gameboy and sat at the ledge up front, ready to play, but instead, we chatted a bit longer.
"So what games do you usually play?" I asked curiously and now feeling comfortable talking to her.
"A little bit of whatever." CC shrugged. "Tetris will always be my go-to."
"Tetris huh." I crossed my arms and thought for a moment. "Umm...Maybe I can bring my Gameboy. We can play versus mode." I smiled.
"Maybe." She giggled and brushed her back behind her ear. "Think you can keep up?" She looked up at me and smirked.
That afternoon, the sun had hit her eyes just right, and I was finally able to see a rare beauty reveal before me.
Her left eye was green—a noticeable green—and the other was a very warm brown.
I had never seen such a feature on anyone before.
It was indeed at that moment I had become smitten.
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