“You remind me of someone I knew once,” William said as he opened his eyes just a bit wider.

“Really,” Jennifer countered, “Do tell.”

“She was in my graduation class. Would have been, had I graduated. Anyways, there was a girl in my class with which I was so infatuated. She had a beautiful aura around her. Yes, she was beautiful, but there was more to her than most could even fathom, much less even see.”

Jennifer took a sip of the ice water to hide that she was starting to blush, for the first time since she saw him so many years ago. “Did you date her or something?”

“Nope,” William answered. “I let her slip away. I wish I could remember her name. Jasmine? Jackie? Damn, getting old sucks!”

Shannon brought her salad over and as she walked by, rested her hand on William’s shoulder before departing again.

“Did you study together or something,” Jennifer asked, trying to continue the conversation as she started to eat her salad.

“No, nothing like that, William answered. “She was in my math class. I remember watching her every day. There was a time when even if I was having a bad day, if I just heard her laugh, it would immediately make me feel better.”

“And you never talked to her?”

“Not until it was to late,” Wiliam offered. “You see, I was a loner in school. Never fit in any of the social clubs. I was a C student at best. I had a bad batch of acme in middle school. After that, mu self-esteem really took a hit.”

Jennifer ate some of her salad. After clearing her throat, she asked “What do you mean not until it was too late?”

“Yes, I did man up once in my life. It was the night of the homecoming football game and dance. I went to the game, fully knowing that she would be there. She was the one and only reason I went. I never cared about sports. Still don’t. I sat in the section that was directly behind her. She was on the track just off the football field.” He contemplated that for a moment. “Prettiest smile that night, with powder blue flowers face-painted onto her cheeks. “Sometimes when she smiled it felt like she was looking at me. Maybe.”

“The lights were so blinding that no one from the field could see the crowd.”