Jasper Bartlett was twelve years old, sitting in a classroom school chair, hands shaking as they lay gently on the wooden desk attached. He looked at the girl next to him, with her long dark hair tied in a ponytail, and he knew he was in love with her.

He leaned over and introduced himself. "I'm Jasper." He smiled nervously, and laughed by accident, his face getting red, his voice cracking.

The girl smiled at him. "Hi, I'm Maggie."

Jasper could feel himself shaking. "So, the junior high dance is coming up…"

The girl's smile disappeared. "I don't do dances, sorry, I've got too much work to do…"

Jasper knew how that was. His dad hounded him every day to get homework done, to read more, learn more, and become a doctor or something.

Jasper blushed. "Well, maybe we could get a drink at the café—"

"No," she quickly interrupted. "I mean, no, if it's a date."

"A date! What! No way, haha…"

"Great! I think we could get along pretty well… I'm glad we're going to be friends, Jackson."

"It's Jasper."

"Right."

They walked to the café together at break time, one walking uncomfortably, and the other not noticing, her hair swaying behind her magically. They ordered two Chocolate Turtles and decided to share a cookie. After they got more comfortable around each other, it was time to go back to class, and they were parting ways at a corner of lockers when Jasper blurted out, "I love you!"

It was the first time he'd even told a girl that he liked them, let alone loved them, and he watched fearfully as Maggie's face went stoic again.

"I thought we were just going to be friends, Jasper."

"Yeah! I… that's what I meant, I love you as a friend… like, 'I love you, man', you know?" He once again chuckled nervously.

Her face relaxed. "Oh. Well, maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to say it. Who knows what people will think?" She waved and turned toward class.

Jasper waved weakly, a tear stuck to his eyelashes.

Maggie turned and smiled. "We're hanging out later, right?"

Jasper smiled, a bit of happiness returning to an otherwise disappointing realization that the girl of his dreams was surely too good for him. But hey, life moves on. And didn't he have biology now?

Jasper took off running, the hall bell ringing as decidedly as if fate held the bell in her very hands.