The first time Emily Carter saw Daniel Wright, he was leaning against his locker, laughing with his friends. His dark brown hair was slightly messy, his green eyes sparkling under the fluorescent lights of the hallway. Emily, a shy bookworm with her nose always buried in a novel, had never paid much attention to boys, until that moment.
She quickly looked away, clutching her books tighter. Don’t stare, she scolded herself. But fate had other plans.
Their English teacher, Mrs. Thompson, assigned them as partners for a project. Emily’s stomach twisted when she heard her name paired with Daniel’s. He was one of the popular guys, captain of the soccer team, charming, always surrounded by friends. She was… well, invisible.
When Daniel slid into the seat next to her, he flashed her a grin. "Guess we’re stuck together, huh?"
Emily managed a small smile. "Guess so."
—
Working together was surprisingly easy. Daniel wasn’t just the carefree jock she’d assumed. He was funny, smart, and, most surprisingly, genuinely interested in her thoughts.
"You read all these?" he asked one day, eyeing the stack of books in her arms.
Emily nodded. "Most of them twice."
He picked one up. "Pride and Prejudice? Isn’t that, like, an old romance?"
She rolled her eyes. "It’s a classic."
He smirked. "So you’re into love stories?"
Her cheeks warmed. "I just like good writing."
Daniel checked the book out from the library the next day. When he returned it, he said, "Okay, maybe Mr. Darcy isn’t totally the worst."
Emily laughed, and something inside her shifted.
—--
Their friendship grew over the months. They ate lunch together, studied in the library, and even went to a school dance, as friends, of course.
But one night, after a movie at his house, things changed.
They were sitting on his porch, the stars bright above them. Daniel turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Em, I…"
Her heart pounded. Is he going to…?
But then his phone buzzed. His ex-girlfriend was texting him. The moment shattered.
Emily forced a smile. "You should get that."
Daniel hesitated but finally looked at his phone. The spell was broken.
—-
Senior year came, and everything got complicated. Daniel started dating someone else. Emily buried herself in college applications. They still talked, but it wasn’t the same.
At graduation, they hugged goodbye. "We’ll stay in touch, right?" Daniel asked.
"Of course," Emily said, though she wasn’t sure.
—--
Ten years later, Emily walked into a coffee shop in their hometown and froze.
Daniel sat at a corner table, his hair still messy, though his face was more mature now. He looked up, and his eyes widened. "Emily?"
Her heart raced. "Daniel."
They talked for hours, catching up on everything, careers, travels, failed relationships.
Finally, Daniel sighed. "You know, I always regretted not kissing you that night on my porch."
Emily’s breath hitched. "Me too."
He reached across the table, taking her hand. "What if we didn’t let another ten years go by?"
She smiled. "I’d like that."
—--
Three years later, they stood under an arch of flowers, exchanging vows. As Daniel kissed her, Emily thought back to high school. How it all began with a glance, a project, and a friendship that never really ended.
Some loves take time. But the best ones? They start since high school.
