(A/N A lot of these will be used in Savant and Yellow Bird later. Please bear with my love of certain clichés.) 

- When it comes to school, you're one of the in-betweeners. You don't mind not being all that popular; even if no one's bowing down to you, you have a few loyal friends. You love them, they make you happy, and that's all that matters, right?

 - It takes you a while to notice him, but once you do, you don't stop. He's an over-achiever, that much is apparent. He's on honor roll, in the marching band, and has apparently taken up theater quite recently. You'd expect him to hang around with the other 'nerds,' maybe take up Mathletes or the chess club while he's at it. But he always seems to be by himself. 

- After a while, you start to feel sorry for him. He just looks so lonely. Your friends tease you about your little crush, but it's not like that. You're just kind of worried about him, wondering how it feels to be all alone all the time, constantly working on whatever task is in front of you without any congratulations. It seems depressing. 

- Then you run into him at a party. You're a lot more freaked out than you'd like to be; you're scared to talk to him, afraid you might scare him off or that he'll turn out to be a total ass. 

- You finally muster enough courage to talk to him, crossing the crowded room to stand next to him in his secluded corner. You smile, giving him a polite 'hi.' He grins, just a little bit, before responding with a small 'hey.'

- You get him a drink, and you end up striking up a steady conversation. You find yourself surprised as he begins to come out of his shell, because, wow, he's smart. You expected him to be, anyway, but it's kind of awe-inspiring, how well put even the smallest things are, not to mention that his voice is really nice. You kind of want to pick his brain more often. 

- Later on, he gives you the opportunity to do just that. You talk at school, whenever your paths happen to cross, -- which, you have to admit, is a lot more often as of late. You make him laugh, which you suspect not many people do. When you invite him to have lunch with you, he lights up in a way that makes you feel a bit too warm and fuzzy. 

- Not long after that, he invites you to come over to his house. You're nervous about this, although it's completely innocent. He lives on the outskirts of town with his grandparents, amongst the farms that make up most of your surroundings. You spend the afternoon together, listening to music and talking. You learn that he doesn't see his parents or sister that often, which quite obviously bothers him, and that he can play the piano quite proficiently. He tells you that his grandma believes in his musical abilities so much that she had  actually suggested that he drop out of school and make a career out of it. You tell him that you're glad he didn't; otherwise, you wouldn't have met.

-  He smiles at this, blushing ever-so-slightly. He tells you that his piano teacher was sure that he was the 'next Harry Connick Jr.' You ruffle his hair and tell him that this isn't right, either; if he's anyone's apprentice, it's Bowie's. This flatters him more than any other compliment he's recieved as of late. 

- Pretty soon, you're spending most of your time together; it's not something you really address, for fear of making things awkward, but you definitely notice, enjoying each other's company more than either of you would be brave enough to admit. You're together at school, at lame pep rallies and other after-school activities, at the parties that you've convinced him to start attending. "They're not as much fun without you," you insist. Though he is convinced that he is absolutely no fun, he tags along, anyway; most of the time, neither of you even talk to anyone else. You get a little tipsy and joke around with one another. Sometimes, he works up just enough 'liquid courage' to hold your hand. 

- You introduce him to your friends, and are introduced to his. The teasing picks up on both sides: your friends insist that it is 'like that,' and you don't even argue. His make bets about how long it will take for him to either mess up or take interest in someone else, but neither happens. It starts to freak them out after a while when the realization strikes that 'oh, my god, Reznor's actually falling in love.'

-  You spend summer break together; you go to the lake sometimes, or to get ice cream. Everyone but the two of you call these outings 'dates.'

- When you return to school, he immerses himself in his extracuriccular activities again. You show up at football games just to see him with the band. After football season is over, he gets back into theatre. You're elated when he shows up after school and announces to you that, though he didn't expect to, he actually got the role of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. 

- Supportive as ever, you help him rehearse, assuring him that he'll be so great, that he'll surely steal the show. He's even more thankful for you than ever before, although being this close to you makes it harder to keep denying how much he really adores you, and the exact nature of this adoration. 

- The night of the play, you aren't able to get a ride from anyone you know. Knowing that you ansolutely must see him preform, so help you God, you decide to walk in the cold back to the school. It's not too far away from your house, anyway, right?

- You're in the third row. You doubt that he can see you, what with the auditorium being so dark, but you can most definitely see him. He's so different up there, so charismatic, all the anxiety if that shy boy you met at the party all those months ago melting away. You're beyond proud of him. 

- After the show, he finds you. He's more excited than you've probably ever seen him; he tells you that he'd hoped that you'd be there, that he hardly expected anything less. You smile and hug him, telling him just how amazing he was. When you tell him that you walked, however, he all but panics. 

- He's freaking out, informing you that it's dark and cold and so many horrible things could have happened to you, geez. Once he seems to be near finished with his rant, he tells you that he absolutely will not let you do that again, that he's walking home with you. 

- The two of you talk about the show as you walk back. He loops his arm around your shoulder, because 'it's cold' and to 'make sure nothing gets you.' You smirk, knowing full well what he's really doing. 

- At your door, you tell each other goodnight. You tell him for what must be the thousandth time how great he was, and he goes bright pink. Before you know it, he's leaning in. Even though you reciprocate, happy that something like this was finally happening, he still pauses a second, a hand placed gently on the side of your face. "Can I?" he asks. 

"Of course."

- He's sweet, but obviously nervous, pulling away perhaps sooner than you would have liked. You still beam at him afterwards, kissing him quickly on the cheek before telling him goodnight. "Sweet dreams," he replies. 

- From then on, it becomes rather obvious where your relationship stands: you're always there, his number one cheerleader at all the games and plays, smiling down at the field or up at the stage. The public displays of affection sneak in, too; while it's nothing too overt, it's enough for everyone to know that you're each other's, totally spoken for. 

- You seem to help him really spread his wings, as far as his talents go; you're there when he gets the lead the next year in The Music Man, and when his band teacher calls him a 'standout' amongst the class. You make a big deal out of every little achievement, to the point where it leaves him just a bit flustered. 

- That doesn't mean that you don't poke fun at him when the class votes him 'Mr. Punk' for the yearbook. "There isn't a punk bone in your body," you tell him. He vows to convince you otherwise. 

- And at the end of it all, you're still at one another's sides. You hold on to one another, through finals and college letters and Prom and graduation, still totally and completely devoted to one another. You know when you're dancing the cheesy music courtesy of the school DJ or tossing your caps into the air that you'll do your best to stay this way, no matter where you go from here. Because you're his, and he's yours. 

(God, that was long, and probably cheesy. Oops.)