First (love) Triangle

My first crush struck in the fourth grade, in Miss Vanderee’s class, on a boy called Steven Costa.  He wasn’t the smartest or the funniest or the most charismatic; I think his part in the class play consisted of doling out props to the lead roles.  But he had dark hair and dark eyes and exuded a quiet sort of energy, in that intriguing makes-you-wonder-what-goes-on-in-his-head kind of way.  

My friend Karley Shraeder liked him too.  Neither of us ever confessed our feelings to the boy, but spent many recess breaks gazing at him from a distance on the field behind the school.  Back then it was okay for two girlfriends to daydream about the same boy.  When your age is still a single digit, stakes of the heart just aren’t as high.

So it is in Cornell Class, where among the flashcards and eraser bits, phonics lessons and lunchtime chopsticks, a triangle has formed.

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Some of you may remember Little Love–an April post in which I mentioned Julia’s bold story-time move, where she suddenly and quite seemlessly slid her hand around Eric’s during story time.

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For a while, the romance appeared to progress, at least for Julia.  She doodled hearts on little pieces of paper, then folded and stored them in a pocket in her backpack.  She started sporting pigtails instead of her standard lone ponytail. During phonics she grew distracted, and when it was time to line up for bathroom break, she’d slip into the space beside Eric and tuck her arm into his. 

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Then Lucy came along.

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And the girls realized they shared a common interest…

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                                                          in Eric. 

                             Which, luckily, has only brought them closer.

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Sometimes he gets a little overwhelmed by the attention…

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and just wants to hang out with the guys.

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After all, decisions are tough.

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             At least for now, it doesn’t look as though anyone has to choose.

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If only it could always be this simple.