• You would think that after two years of not seeing a particular person from junior high, that you'd forget that they exist. Not me. I remember every single face I ever met, though I may forget their name. Heck, I've met kids in my Freshman Year that don't recognize me, but I remember them well from fifth grade. It's kind of sad.
    Anyway, it's one thing not to forget everyone I met, particularly this one girl I had a crush on, named Kerri Perez. But ever since 8th grade graduation, I've been having dreams. I can recall every minute I spent with this girl so clearly it feels like watching high-definition television in my brain. Not that there were a lot of minutes involved, though. Like this one time, in 6th grade, when the class was playing frisbee for Phys. Ed. She couldn't throw to save her life, so a friend and I taught her how, practiced with her, until she can throw it at least fifteen feet.
    Oh man, 7th grade was okay, but not awesome. There was this new kid named Rick Soleto, and I think he went to the same elemtary school as most of the others (I was something of an outcast, most of them went to Linda Vista Elementary, but I went to Rogers, 'cause I live in a different part of town). He thought it would be funny if he would pretend that he was homosexual for me. It pissed me off. I once suggested that I shove a steak down his throat and throw him to my friend's german shepard. He said, "Mmm, feisty."
    Once in Alegebra he was messing around, and I was getting agitated. Until, of all people I expected, Kerri told him to leave me alone. I don't know if she sympathized or if she was simply annoyed, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Although he wasn't the only kid who gave me some trouble.
    You see, word was starting to leak out that I had a crush on Kerri. Apparently it didn't hit her yet, but plenty of the other guys heard. It became something of a joke, and I was desperate to keep it quite. I swear, if I had the heart to kill that one guy I trusted, I would. Anyway, another time in Algebra, we were split into groups (happens often). One group was me, Kerri, and this guy named Khristian Hernandez. At first sight he's your typical model gangster, but in 8th grade we became pretty good friends. After that, no one heard from him.
    Anyway, back then Khristian thought it would be a good time to mess around, or whatever. He said, in front of Kerri, "Hey Brian, don't you like Kerri?" Kerri was looking down at her work, but if she wasn't listening, then I'm Michael the Arch-Angle.
    I didn't reply to Khristian's question, so he continued, "Would be mad if I got with Kerri?" Here's my stupid answer: solving the next algebraic equation on my worksheet. Even now, I think about what I should have said to him then (damn straight I would be pissed).
    It wasn't other people that were the problem either. I myself always did something stupid in her presence. Like this one time in Science class, we were put into groups. It was me, Kerri, Angelina Amaro, and Andre Miller. Angelina hated my guts that year, but we get along pretty well nowadays. Andre goes with me to Mount Pleasant High. Anyway, I thought it would be funny if I took my empty water bottle, say, "I'm gonna go 'wet my whistle'", with a stupid accent, then refill it at the water fountain. Don't ask me how this happened. I picked up my water bottle and said, "I'm gonna 'take a whiz'". I dunno how people talk in future days, but back then and now it means, "I'm going to pee."
    When I came back from refilling my water bottle, red as can be, everyone was looking at me funny. I made up some lame excuse, "Uh, my English isn't so good." Everyone knows that was complete bullshit. I cursed my A grade in Language Arts.
    And the year before that, in 6th grade, I was in the talent show. and I did the most retarded, stupid, dumbastic (I think I made that word up), idiotic thing ever. Getting up on stage and dancing to BackStreet Boys. I think that incident gave me a two year delay on getting with anyone. So I'm not going into detail. People still tease me about it, even though my music tastes have changed much in four years. Now I listen to stuff like Linkin Park, Flobots, Three Days Grace, Rise Against, and almost everything that can be found in my rock radio stations.
    Uh, what else was there? Oh yeah, my 13th birthday. 7th grade was a pretty busy year, huh? Kerri and I happen to share the same birthday, so I prefer not to draw attention to myself while she and her friends were celebrating. Well, this time, I got attention all right. My friend Sal Sigala turned to me in Algebra and asked, "Hey Brian, isn't today your birthday?" Cameron Lira, he and I aren't exactly the best of friends, heard and said, "Really, huh?". Not in that, Oh man, let's have a party! tone, more like, You better watch your back.
    It was time for brunch, and as usual, I was one of the first to head to the cafeteria to beat the line. But look over my shoulder and see half my class, all guys, chasing me. Knowing what people do to other people on birthdays in our society, I booked it. I was doing all right, I was a fast runner back then. Until I ran out of room when I reached the end of the basketball courts. So I turned around and sprinted past the the group, some of the kids on the sides landing pucnhes. By now, the rest of the 7th graders and the 6th graders got in on it. Well, mainly the guys. I was back of the cafeteria where I started when I was surrounded.
    Then I got about a hundred kids each giving me thirteen punches for my birthday. And I don't mean light, friendly punches. I mean the kind of punch someone would give their worst enemy of they could get away with it. I remember falling to the floor and crying. The principal broke it up, one of my friends helped me up, I forgot who. We were heading to the classroom when a 6th grader I didn't know said, "Are you crying?", like it was a wuss thing to do. I glared at him. We continued, and apparently Kerri saw the whole event. She asked me if I was okay. I didn't answer, which was stupid. I could've had her by my side at least for a few minutes. After that, I promised myself that I would never cry in pain again.
    I remember a few months later, I was walking around, and I saw Kerri sitting with her friends. One of them, Bianca Romero suddenly laughed and exclaimed, "Brian and Kerri!" I didn't get why she said it. She didn't see me, though if she just found out my secret, then I am screwed. Next thing I remember was my friends grabbing me and pushing me to Kerri, while her friends were pushing her to me. Right there, I think our feelings were mutual: Got to get the heck out of here.
    I pushed past my friends. Okay, you might be thinking, "What if this was my best shot?" I thought that too, until I came to a good answer. If I were to get with a girl, it would not be in public, and we would most certainly not be pushed toward each other by our friends. So I escaped.
    Even though I was shy, doesn't mean that I was non-existent when she was around. Sometimes during class, her friends would hide her backpack for fun. Kerri would get mad and demand where it is. Usually I try to find it, and if I do, I return it. One time she brought a movie for the class to watch, Hamlet I believe it was called. Back then, most videos were still tapes. Anyway, she lost it, and she was looking for it everywhere after school. She asked those of us still hanging around if we saw it anywhere. God, when I told her I didn't see it around, I felt horrible. My friend William Ortiz, huge class clown, picked the wrong time to joke. He said that he saw some kids by the basketball courts ripping up a tape. Seeing Kerri's expression, he hastily explained that he was kidding.
    So yeah, now you know some of the more embarrassing parts of my story. I don't know why I told you all of this, except maybe to give you some insight into my character, or whatever. I'll tell you more on other days, but not all of them are pleasant.