By Shaeffer Smith

Ahhhh, the grade school days. Everything was so good back then. The math was easy and applicable, Hannah Montana was still playing on Disney Channel, and even the boys were better.

Grade school relationships were the bomb. Everyone liked everyone. And everyone knew everyone liked everyone so it was like, okay. Your biggest concern was if your parents would pick up when your “boyfriend” called your house phone and you didn’t even know what make up was, so looking back you know they liked you for all of your 7th grade glory.

The first time a boy holds your hand is epic. The first time a boy kisses you on the cheek is epic-er. And your first kiss? MOST. EPIC. There’s no way you could forget how any of it happened, especially not your first kiss. You probably remember the place, the person, what you were wearing, what you were thinking…all because when you were 12 and 13 kissing was the biggest deal in the world.

My first kiss was kind of a strug for me. I was struggin’ heavy in 7th grade. It may surprise you, but I have not always been so beautiful and outgoing. I was an ugly, self-conscious, nervous child, and the pressure of kissing a boy on the lips was just too much for me to handle at the time. When my “boyfriend” of about 2 days (whom I was obviously  in love with) leaned in to kiss me at a “party” I literally ran away.

I ran inside to the bathroom and locked myself in there. I looked in the mirror and said to myself, “Shaeffer, you can do this. Don’t be such an 11 year old, you’re 12 now.” I opened the bathroom door, took a sip of Sprite for confidence, and in walks the love of my life, my future husband…with 2 other people.

As if the pressure of kissing him wasn’t enough to break me, now we had an audience? Great. Just what little, brace-face, cherry Chapstick Shaeffer needed, someone to judge her approach. I took a deep breath and stood face to face with him. This is where it gets intense.

“OH MY GOD DO IT ALREADY!”

Yes, that was one of our audience members. Thank you, fellow Visitation classmate, thank you. Thanks. Great. You’re really cool, that’s not awkward at all. Keep puttin’ the pressure on me, why don’t ya? It’s not easy.

I had to literally force myself to lean in and kiss him. For less than one second. For .561 seconds, our lips touched like real teenagers. I was just waiting for the feeling of love to kick in. I waited, and waited. We just looked at each other awkwardly until he turned around and walked back outside without saying a word. I was left with nothing but those .561 seconds and a newfound confidence that lasted approximately 3 hours.

That .561 second kiss was potentially the best kiss of my life, just because it was so memorable. It’s funny to think about what an innocent situation that was, but how catastrophically I saw it. Grade school days were the best. I wish things were still that simple and naïve, my life would be so much easier. Now I have to deal with high school boys. And don’t even get me started on them….