Nicole A. 2/17/11

Love at First Tide Who was my first love? My first love came to my sight in the year two thousand in

Long Beach California. I had just moved to Cali from Florida. I was twelve years old and

I was entering the seventh grade. My tall and skinny father had bought a giant beach

house. It was located only five blocks away from the beautiful waters of Long Beach. I

had spent my first three days in California unpacking all of my belongings. I didn’t

realize how much stuff I had until I had to unpack it. I had finally finished at about two

o’clock on the third day and I was ready to hit the beach! I ripped open my new dresser

drawers like a robber would in a quick burglary. I quickly put on the black bikini bathing

suit that had pink and blue stars all over it. I grabbed my black cover-up, some purple

flip-flops, and a towel out of one of the hall closet. I was ready to go to the beach when

all of a sudden I realized that I had forgotten to make a bag with my sunglasses,

sunscreen, cell phone, and i-pod. I ran downstairs in a jumpy-like motion and gave Dad

a kiss. I told him to call me if he needed me, and that I would be home before it got

dark. Of course I had no friends, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from enjoying the

summer sun. I took about five steps, and out the door I went.

As I was walking, the salty smell of the beach became stronger. I finally reached the

beach after about twenty minutes of fast walking. I was staring at my toes when all of a

sudden I felt a sudden urge to look up.

I looked up and my legs turned to Jell-O. When I looked up I saw the cutest boy I

had ever seen. It seemed like my head was going to explode because my mind was

running with so many emotions.

Nicole A. 2/17/11

As I sat down my things, I just sat on my towel looking at him. From the looks of it, he

was training to be a junior lifeguard. He had short, spiked, brown hair, and eyes as blue

as the water in Hawaii. His eyes were the most perfect part about him until I saw his

smile, then I knew it was both. The minute I saw that boy, I knew I had to meet him one

way or another.

I sat on my pink and purple towel and put on my sunscreen. I couldn’t take my eyes

off of him, and it was driving me crazy. I finally got enough courage to walk up to him.

I walked up to him as slow as a snail while I twisted my dirty blonde hair trying to be

flirty. I finally got over to him and there was a moment of silence.

“Hi! I am Leah, what is your name?” I started with.

“I am Dylan, nice to meet you Leah!” he said.

Again, another moment of silence but this one was much longer. I couldn’t hold it

any longer, so I had to end it.

“Well, I will let you get back to training, bye!” I said finally.

That was the dumbest thing that a girl could do. In my head it sounded like a good

plan, but then I realized that ending the conversation just made me more curious about

him. I was wondering for the longest time why he didn’t ask for my phone number, or

ask me what I was interested in or anything to get to know me. I had thought of all of

that just as I slowly walked back to my towel.

Nicole A. 2/17/11

Two weeks later school started, and I was extremely nervous. I don’t know one kid

who wasn’t nervous on their first day at a brand new school. My dad dropped me off at

7: 25 A.M. since school started at 7:45A.M.

I had on my brand new jeans with the rhinestones on the pockets, and my favorite tank

top, with black and white Vans. I got out the car very shaky, and I had no intentions of

looking up. I looked up, and wished I hadn’t. Every face in the school I think was staring

at me with confused faces. Some of the girls had mad-dogging looks on their faces. I

tried to just ignore everyone, and I walked into the office.

The people in the office were staring at me too. I had no idea why everyone was

looking at me, but I just wanted my schedule so I could get out of there. I asked the lady

at the front desk for my schedule. She gave it to me, and then I started looking it over. I

looked my schedule over many times as I took my journey to the other side of the

school, or jungle as I call it to room E15. My first period was math with a teacher named

Mrs. Martin.

I had finished my journey and saw the number above the door on the smelly, bluish-

green colored portable. I walked up the steps with much confidence, and lost it all when

I walked in. I walked into the portable, and saw blue-eyed junior lifeguard sitting right

next to an empty desk. Of course Mrs. Martin had to assign me to the seat next to him.

I sat down, and just tried to focus on the projector screen, but it was just too hard.

After several awkward minutes, he finally spoke.

“Hey, aren’t you the girl from the beach a couple weeks ago?” He said.

Nicole A. 2/17/11

“Yeah! I didn’t think you would remember me!”

That was our last conversation socially anyways until about two months later when

Dylan’s friend walked up to me and my friends.

“I just want you to know that Dylan doesn’t like you, so you should stop trying to flirt

with him.” he said

At that moment, my heart felt like someone punched it with all their might. I was

officially heart-broken. After school that day, I ran home as I tried not to cry. I didn’t eat

dinner that night because I was up in my room crying my eyes out. I felt like I had cried

an ocean of tears in one night.

The next day was Saturday, and I needed to go to the beach with my friends to get my

mind off of things. We all met up at a little café on Main Street at noon. We ate lunch,

and then we walked over to the beach.

We were lying on our colorful towels comparing nail polish colors when I spotted

Dylan in the corner of my eye. He was walking towards me a huge smile on his face. All

I saw was his shadow as the hot sun began to sink down under the horizon. He reached

me and he sat down.

“Leah, I think you are beautiful in every way and what my friend told you most

definitely was not true. Will you go out with me?” he said unexpectedly.

My heart was so heavy that I thought it was going to fall out of my chest. I looked at

my friends, and their jaws were about to drop onto the sand. I stood up, gave him a hug,

and looked him right into his blue eyes.

Nicole A. 2/17/11

“Of course!” I said.

Then he gently grabbed my face and we kissed in front of my friends, in front of

everyone at the beach, and in front of a beautiful sunset.

After that day, I was with Dylan forever. I dated him throughout high school. We were

senior prom king and queen. Everyone knew us as a couple from that day on. We

graduated high school, and he proposed to me on my twenty third birthday. We married

on May 12, 2005, and we now have two beautiful children, Macy and Conner. The day I

met my first love was the best day of my life.