chapter one.

So most of you don't know but... Trace and I go way back. And we've been through a lot together. He wasn't always the spiritual giant that he is today, and I like to think I played a small part in that mighty change of heart. A while back I realized whether we end up together or not, it's been something that we should probably write down! So, I asked him to TAKE HIS TIME (as to not take focus from the work) but, to write down his side of the story. He won't be typing so it won't be as easy for him to go into as much detail. But, I can type. so! I started my side tonight, and this is gonna be a novel if I keep going at this rate. You're all about to learn a whole lot about this relationship that I'm so grateful for.

Here we go.

Chapter 1. He’s so cool.

Clear back in 2006, I was a little sophomore sitting in my desk in my honors english class. nervous as ever, I quietly observed my class. I heard a boy say something really sarcastic and witty, looked over and noticed a real cutie. “He’s so cool.” I thought to myself. I was immediately obsessed. Later, I found out his name was Trace. Trace Rodgerson. Luckily, I found out we had some mutual friends in the class, Blake Bartholomew, and Jared Gorringe. I found out that Jared and Trace had been on the same lacrosse team and Trace had recently stopped playing. Well, Jared would always make fun of Trace for quitting, so I thought... what better way than to get to know this kid than start making jokes about quitting? I know, I know, stupid idea. But, it worked nonetheless. I’d chime into their conversations, and make lacrosse references and quitter jokes whenever possible. I would see Trace in the halls and just hope he knew who I was. I knew one thing, this kid was cool. so cool. I wanted to be his friend so badly, and couldn’t even dream about being cool enough to date him.

As the year went on, I realized he knew who I was and started being slightly more friendly. Once we watched a movie in our English class and me, Trace, Blake Bartholomew, and Whitney Hansen sat on the bean bag in the corner, I scratched Whitney’s back, then Blake’s, then just hoped Trace would need a back scratch too. I think he did... that was great. Towards the end of the year, it was the Dance Company Concert. Dan Haslam had bought 2 tickets and we were trying to convince Trace to come. After assuring him that we had a really cool dance to a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, he agreed. I didn’t think he’d show, but as I walked out of the dressing room, lo and behold, the cutest tall kid I ever did see was standing there smiling at me. I walked up and hugged him, thanked him for coming, and then he left. I thought to myself... wow. it was really easy to hug him. I liked that a lot.

It was this year, i think, that we both ended up at Tyler Evensen’s house one Friday night. I think he got there after me and I just couldn’t stop smiling when I saw him come into that basement. He picked up the guitar and started playing some Chili Peppers songs, so cool. At one point I noticed he was gone, so I wandered upstairs and found him watching videos on youtube. It was at that point that I started to pretend I was super into his music. John Frusciante was a new name for me, but I pretended those videos were the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Later we were both sitting on the couches in the basement tossing a nerf football back and forth chatting about nothing. He was just so cool.