The bell had rung for the dismissal of third period and now Tyler Martin was on his way to the cafeteria for lunch. The cafeteria was quite crowded that day since it was cold and raining outdoors in the courtyard and so, after he had gone through the lunch line and paid for his lunch, he turned and looked around for someplace to sit.

The sophomore table was full, which is where he would normally sit and he didn't dare sit with the older kids – for a sophomore even at sixteen to sit anywhere other than the "kiddie table" as the kids called it was strictly taboo.

A kid could get punched in the nose, stuffed into a locker, or at the worst, "pantsed"–having his pants and underwear forcibly jerked down in the cafeteria or hallway in front of the other students! Such humiliation was something no kid wanted to endure.

After a few minutes, a small spot opened up at the sophomore table and Tyler quickly moved to grab it. He sat down to eat his lunch when he noticed that at the next table, the junior table, sat Krystal Smith.

She sat facing him, but she paid him no mind, not even looking in his direction. Tyler, however, was smitten immediately. Why wouldn't he be? Krystal was beautiful, popular, and friendly.

A  junior, she wasn't able to be an SV cheerleader, but she was the head of the booster club which was the junior version of the cheerleading squad.

Tyler could barely remember he had to eat lunch, he was so absorbed in the angel at the next table. But lunch only lasted a half-hour and when Krystal finally got up with her friends, the magical spell was broken.

But not before most of his lunch period had been wasted. He looked up at the clock, then quickly wolfed down what he could of his lunch before the bell rang and he had to move on to the rest of his school day. 

He tried to concentrate on his schoolwork – he knew that his chances of even being able to talk to someone like Krystal were practically nonexistent. She was a grade ahead of him, she had a ton of friends she ran with, and she probably had a boyfriend to boot. All that plus she didn't even know he existed!

Still, he couldn't get her out of his mind. And the more he thought about her, the more he wished he could get to know her. Tyler had it bad for this blonde-haired hottie. 

But fate was not through teasing him yet. Tyler soon found out that he was crossing paths with his secret sweetheart quite often during his school day.

Aside from having the same lunch period, they had two classes together, they crossed paths on their way to another class, and their hall lockers were only a short distance apart! At each of these incidental meetings, Tyler's heart would jump when he laid eyes on his Krystal.

Once Krystal had gone on her way, though, reality hit him between the eyes. He knew that his was the impossible dream and he needed to get over this "crush" before he did something stupid and embarrassed himself in front of the whole school. He would be here at this school for the next four years, and he didn't want to do anything to screw things up for himself!

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The State Fair had come to town shortly after school started, and everyone in school was abuzz about it. All the conversations in the halls were things like "Are you going to the Fair?" and, "Have you seen what's at the Fair this year? Or "I went to the Fair the other day and it was such fun!"

Tyler decided the Fair might be a good distraction from school and Krystal, so he decided he would go and check it out. That Saturday, his Mom drove him to the Fair and arranged to pick him up a few hours later. Tyler set off to see what all the commotion was about.

He wandered around the Fair for two or three hours, just looking at everything. He stopped and got some cotton candy and a foot-long hot dog to eat while walking around. He was getting tired after all the walking around and he sat down on a bench to rest.

That's when he heard a strange voice... faint, but still loud enough to pique his interest. It seemed to be coming from around the corner of one of the booths. He rounded the corner to see what it was and he found it – an old dilapidated Zoltar fortune-telling machine!

"Come, let Zoltar tell your fortune! Make a wish and Zoltar will see if it will come true!" the machine mechanically said. The lights flashed and the Zoltar inside moved his head, although these days it was pretty stiff and jerky.

Why not? Tyler thought It should be good for a laugh! So he fished a dollar out of his pocket. "I wish that Krystal Smith would fall in love with me!" he said aloud (after checking to make sure no one else was around!).

He inserted the dollar bill in the slot and suddenly white smoke appeared inside the machine and then it cleared quickly. Then a slip of paper came out of the machine next to where his dollar went in. "Your wish has been granted." both Zoltar and the slip of paper said.

"Yeah, right," he chuckled to himself. He put the piece of paper in his pocket and did a little more walking around before his mom came to pick him up. 

That night, he took the piece of paper out of his pocket and put it on his nightstand when he went to bed. As in most nights these days, his dreams revolved around that hot blonde at school.

Monday morning came around and all thoughts of the Fair and the Zoltar machine faded. He was more interested in seeing Krystal!

But today would not be an ordinary day by any means! Tyler had just gotten his books out of his locker for his first class when he heard a girl's angry voice behind him.

"Dammit, Steve, watch where you are going!" It was Krystal and apparently, one of the kids at school had come running around the corner and knocked all of the books and papers out of Krystal's arms. She was bending over to start picking up the mess when Tyler came over to help. 

"Here, let me help you with that," he said, almost automatically.

"Thanks. This is a fine start to a Monday!" she said. Then she looked up to see who was helping her with the mess. Tyler's eyes met hers and time stood still. She looked at him like she'd never seen anything like him before. She kind of cocked her head curiously and gave him a weak smile.

Tyler just stared – this was as close as he had ever been to her and she was just as beautiful up close. The two just sat there on the hallway floor for who knows how long before the late bell broke their spell. 

"Oh crap! I'm going to be late! Thank you very much for helping me with this!" Krystal said, and she was off like a flash.

Tyler got up and went on his way to class as well, thinking nothing more about it. At least he got to talk to her for a moment!

That day at lunch, Tyler had just paid for his meal and sat down at the sophomore table, and was about to start eating as usual.

"Would you mind if I sat here?" a girl's voice said from behind him. He turned around – it was Krystal!

"B-but you're a junior!" he stammered, nearly struck dumb by the surprise of it all!

"Yes, but I never got to properly thank you for helping me this morning. I had a big essay I needed to turn in today and it was in all those books and papers.

"If it had gotten trampled on and ruined, it would have been terrible! You saved me from having to rewrite it!" she said. Then she leaned over and kissed Tyler on the cheek. "Thank you again."

Tyler about fell out of his chair! This was Krystal Smith... THE Krystal Smith... and she just kissed him! He couldn't believe it! His heart was racing and he was having a hard time controlling his breathing. It was like he was having a heart attack and an asthma attack at the same time!

"You know, I've seen you around school quite a bit. Aren't you in Mr. Douglas's science class next period?" she asked.

"Y-yes. I sit... up close to the front," he stammered. God, he was so nervous!

"I thought so. Anyway, I've seen you around and always thought you were a nice guy. Want to know a little secret? I've wanted to talk to you like this for some time... but I never could work up the courage!" Krystal said, blushing and looking down.

Krystal Smith... scared to talk to me? he thought. The idea was so ludicrous, he accidentally chuckled aloud.

"What's so funny?" she asked, sounding a little indignant that he would be laughing at her.

"Sorry, it's just that I never pictured you being embarrassed or afraid to talk to anyone. I mean you are so pretty and so popular and everything," he said, apologetically.

"Well, you are such a quiet guy. I mean I wouldn't even know you could talk except when the teacher asks you a question or takes attendance. And I never see you with any friends, so I can't even ask about you," she said.

"It comes from being a military brat, I guess. We've moved around so much, it's just not worth making friends anyplace. I've learned the only one I can stay friends with is myself," he said.

"Yeah, that would be rough. So how long are you going to be here for?" she asked.

"This a four-year tour. We are here for four years. Then my father will be getting out of the military after twenty years. We are in the process of buying a house here so it looks like we will be staying here after he gets out of the military," Tyler said.

"Good, I'm glad," she said, smiling. Tyler was still so in shock she was sitting there talking to him he didn't even think to ask why she was glad.  

About that time, the bell rang signaling the end of that lunch period. "Darn, we never got a chance to talk about ourselves – all I know about you is that your father is in the military! These lunch periods are way too short!" she humphed.

"Yeah, you barely have time to eat if you don't talk to anyone!" Tyler said. Then he stood up. "Just wait here, I'll take care of these trays. I don't want you to get your clothes or hands dirty." 

"Such a gentleman," Krystal said, smiling. He took both of their trays up and scraped off the trash and put them where the dirty trays belonged.

When he came back, she asked. "Do you have to go to your locker for anything?"

"No, I got my books for Mr. Douglas's class right here with me, why?" he asked.

"Well," Krystal said, biting her painted fingernail coquettishly, "Would you walk me to my locker so I can get my books? Then we can go to class together."

Tyler couldn't believe it. Krystal Smith wanted to be seen walking the halls with HIM? This couldn't be happening – it had to be a dream or something. Any minute, his mother would wake him up for school. But when she slipped her arm under his and laid her head on his shoulder, he knew that somehow this wasn't a dream.

Tyler walked his dreamgirl to her locker and waited patiently for her to get her books and get ready for class. Then he walked arm in arm with her to Mr. Douglas's class. 

But unlike every other day in Mr. Douglas's class, Krystal took the desk right next to his instead of going back towards the rear of the class. Tyler was beside himself! A couple of the other students, friends of Krystal's, looked a little puzzled at this odd turn of events, but Krystal didn't concern herself with that.

After class, their paths sadly had to part. Her class was at the other end of the building and he had to go downstairs for his. But before they said goodbye, Krystal had one more surprise for him. 

"Tyler, would you like to go to the movies or something this weekend? I hear there's a good one playing at the Dellwood Mall multiplex. Then maybe we could go for a burger or something... if you want."

"Y-you're asking me out? Like on a date?" he asked incredulously.

"Uh, yeah, that was kinda the idea here. Unless you don't want to go?" she said.

"No, no, I just wanted to make sure I was understanding things right," he said.

"Oh. Well maybe this will clear things up a little," she said. Then Krystal pushed him back against the wall and leaned in to give him a deep, powerful kiss... and not on the cheek this time!

She put her arms around his neck and Tyler felt his knees getting weak. He'd only kissed one other girl before and that was just a quick peck snuck in when her parents weren't looking. This was a full, passionate kiss, and from the girl he'd only fantasized about until now!

When she finally broke the kiss, she took out a small piece of paper and wrote something. "Here is my phone number. Give me a call and we can work out the details. But be sure to call me... I really want to go out, okay? Promise me you'll call?" she asked.

"Oh, I promise Krystal!" he said. And he meant it. He was definitely going to call this girl! 

That afternoon when he got home from school, he changed clothes then he called Krystal.

"Hello?" she said, answering the phone.

"Hi Krystal, it's Tyler. I just thought I'd call to make sure you got home okay." 

"Oh, hi Tyler. Aw, that's so sweet! Yes, I got home fine! I got home about a half-hour ago actually."

"Same here. I got home and changed into my regular house clothes and then I wanted to call to make sure I had the number right."

"Yep, you got me!" she giggled. "I can hardly wait for our date this weekend. I hear this movie is really exciting. I haven't been to a movie for a long time."

"Oh, Why not?" he asked.

"No one to go with, really. I mean, me and a couple of girlfriends used to go, but we just sort of got out of the habit. It's been almost a year since I've been to the movies!" she said.

"Then I'll have to make sure you have a good time!"

"Why is that?"

"Well, it's our first date together. If you don't have a good time you won't want to go out with me again. So I'm going to make sure you have a great time so you'll go out with me again! he said.

Krystal laughed. "I don't think you will have to worry about that too much. You are very charming and fun to be with. At least so far... I know we haven't been on a date and only had lunch at the cafeteria. But I do know one thing about you already..."

"What's that?" he asked, curiously

"You are a very good kisser!"

"Well, I have a great partner!" he said. She was quiet for a moment and he could almost hear her blush over the phone. 

"I am glad that you helped me with my books today... it gave me a chance to meet a really sweet guy!"

"Well, I should let you go. You probably have to get ready for dinner. I'll see you tomorrow at school," he said.

"You better, mister! Want to have lunch again tomorrow?"

"Sure!" he said.

"Okay, I'll see you then, if not before." Then she hung up.

For the rest of the week, Tyler and Krystal met up for lunch together and he would walk her to Mr. Douglas's class afterward. Tyler called each night to make sure she got home all right and even left text messages on her phone just to say hi or ask how her day was going. It was all very sweet and Krystal loved the attention.

The week passed quickly and very soon it was Friday afternoon. Tyler was standing next to Krystal as she put her books away and got ready to head home.

"I am so looking forward to our date tomorrow," Krystal said. "Here's my address. Do you know how to get there?" Tyler looked at the address and he immediately recognized the address as being in one of the more affluent areas of town. 

"Oh wow, you live in Richmond Heights? That's a very nice neighborhood!" Tyler said.

"I suppose. I never really thought about it," she said casually. "Think you can find my house?"

"Yeah, I'll find it. I might have to drive through your neighborhood calling your name, but I'll find you!" he said chuckling.

"Well, I'll keep an ear out for you then," she said, playing along with the joke. "Don't worry, Brentwood isn't a very long street. And I live in a yellow two-story house with a white picket fence. There's a big oak tree on the left side as you look at the front of the house, and two topiary trees, one on either side of the garage doors."

"That sounds pretty easy to find. And if not, I'll have my cell phone and I can call you if I get lost," Tyler said.  

Going home that afternoon, Tyler got to thinking about his own circumstances. It was pretty obvious from the way Krystal looked and her address in Richmond Heights that Krystal's family was well off, if not just plain rich.

But Tyler wasn't so fortunate. The military wasn't a job that one would get wealthy at. And with as much moving around as they had done in the past, their possessions had become pretty much just the basics. There were few pictures and few personal possessions. They needed to be able to pack up quickly and move cheaply to wherever they were headed next. 

He looked at his car. It wasn't shiny and new. It wasn't a sports car. It was just an old hand-me-down clunker that used to be the family car until his father got another one. It got him to and from school and other places he normally went, but that was about it. Up to now, he felt pretty lucky being a sophomore with a car. Some of the other kids had to ride the bus back and forth to school.

But he was going to be picking up Krystal Smith, the girl he had dreamt about since he first saw her. He wanted to impress her and he knew his car wouldn't do it. She was probably used to riding in Corvettes and BMWs and the like, not a tired old Chevy Impala. 

He wondered what she would think when he pulled up in her driveway in his car. Would she even want to get in? Would she call off the date right then and there? Would she even want to talk to him anymore? 

He sighed. Well, she should find out about me right from the start instead of getting deeper into this and then deciding she doesn't want to be seen with me, he thought as he pulled into his driveway and parked his car.