I think we could do it if we tried, if only to say you’re mine. Sofia, know that you and I shouldn’t feel like a crime.

Tashi’s been a part of your life for what feels like forever. You two met in second grade on the playground. You were sitting by a tree, all alone, and she asked you to go on the swings with her. At that point, she was missing her two front teeth, so all she could give you was a hand and a slightly gummy smile. You’ve never regretted taking her up on that offer.

You didn’t know you’d fall in love with her, though. You didn’t realize that you’d fall in love with every part of this beautiful girl. Even on her so-called bad days, you saw the goodness in her. You’d do anything she asked you to.

Now, you’re in college with her. The Duncanator got an athletic scholarship to Stanford? Well you got an academic scholarship to Stanford. Call it being the brains to her brawn, as cliche as it sounds. You’re laying in your bed in the dorm room you share with her, waiting for her to come back from practice. Again, you’re the brains while she’s the brawn. Tennis is her everything, and she’s your everything.

The door opens, and you see Tashi walk into the room. “Hey, think we could go drive around?” She asks you while setting her tennis bag down near her desk. You sit up and nod, just staring at her in all her beauty. You know she loves you; you know she’s in love with you. But she’s scared. She’s scared of what other people will think. You just need to figure out if she’s willing to try. Willing to be yours, completely.

“I’m just going to change my clothes really quick, then we can go.” She grabs a clean pair of shorts and a shirt and strips off her dirty clothes before putting on the clean ones. You stand up and put on your shoes while she does the same. “Okay, I think ‘m ready. You ready too?” She asks.

You tell her you are, and the two of you leave the dorm to go to the parking lot and get into her car.