Being a nice guy, I’ve naturally been a little afraid of girls.  It started back in the second grade.

I was sitting at my lunch table with all my guy friends.  Naomi was sitting on the other side of the room.  I never noticed it before, but she was beautiful.  She had a gorgeous face and her eyes were deep and entrancing.  But I think what attracted me most to Naomi was her hair.  It was long and straight until it twisted into curls that clung to her shoulders.  The first time I saw her, I felt as if I were one of the “Loony-Toons” I used to watch on TV.  Sweat sprayed out of my head in every direction, and my heart started to beat out of my chest.  I stood up in my seat; my nose stretched into a snout and my ears grew pointed.  Right there at my lunch table, I howled and panted like a wolf, my tail wagging frantically.  I was in love, but I felt too embarrassed to tell anyone, especially Naomi.

By fourth grade I couldn’t take it any longer.  I told all my friends, hoping they would give me support, but they couldn’t care less about my “puppy love,” so I had to help myself.  Like the nice guys I’d seen on TV, I stayed up late one night and wrote Naomi a letter:

Dear Naomi,

Its Eric from yur clas.  I wanted to tell you that I reeeeelly reeeeelly like you.  I wanted to know if you like me too.  If you don’t, that’s o.k.  If you do, than maby we could go out with eachother sometime.  I’ll see you in scool.

Sincerly,

Eric

But Naomi never got the note.  I’d left it on her desk right as we were leaving for recess, but when we came back inside, she didn’t acknowledge me at all.  So I figured the janitor had thrown the letter away while we were out.

A long time passed before I could gather the courage to try anything else.  It wasn’t until my fifth grade field trip to the cemetery that Naomi finally discovered my true feelings.

We all lined up by the door; ready to go out to the bus.  A guy friend of mine was coaching me about my love life.