I am a hopeless romantic.  I have seen Gone with the Wind four hundred and eighty six times.  I love trashy romance novels and live for soap operas.  I have been from one bad relationship to the next, hoping to find Mister Right.  The reality of things is that I had Mister Right, and didnt even know it.

            I was only a few moments old, when I first laid my baby blues on him.  My mother Yvonne was in labor with me for 2 days.  His mother Beth, only had to go threw four hours of pain.   He was born exactly ten minutes earlier than I was.  He had blond curly locks and gorgeous blue eyes.  I had the reddest hair anyone had ever seen and lots of it too.  Even back then our mothers hoped that we would fall in love. 

            His parents named him Jeremy Matthew Peterson.  Mine named me Jessica Madison Polling.  Our mothers think its destiny that they were brought together, to have babies in the same room, on the same day.  My mother often said, You two have the same initials, it will make things easier for you when youre married.

            From that day on, Jeremy or Matt as I liked to call him, and I were best friends.  I was the only one allowed to call him by his middle name, and he did the same for me. We went to the same school, and coincidentally we were always in the same classes.  We had the same group of friends, and everyone knew that Matt was mine, and I was his.  Its funny how naïve I was back then.  To actually think, I had found my soul mate at that young age.  Its not destiny when you are thrown together.  Its called planning.

            We shared our first kiss together at age thirteen.  It was behind the stairs at the elementary school.  He said to me, Madison do you want to kiss?

            I shrugged my tanned freckled shoulders, I guess.

            So we kissed and he made sure everyone knew about it too. I was the envy of all my friends.  One of the few girls who I was close to Amanda was the most jealous, Jessica Polling, you should be ashamed of yourself. She paused to throw her hands in the air dramatically, Jeremy Peterson is the biggest flirt there is.

            From that one kiss, we were all of a sudden a real item.  Our mothers couldnt have been happier.  They would drop us off at the movies, or take us shopping. Our fathers on the other hand, werent as pleased with the idea.   No thirteen year old girl of mine is going to be dating! Daddy often put his foot down, but mother had a way of changing his mind for him. Being an only child had its downfall, but being spoiled rotten, certainly wasnt one of them.

            Jeremy and I went to our Grade eight prom together, both worrying about what might happen to us in high school.

            The night of the dance, we went out to it on the steps.  I had my head on his shoulder and he held me close.  We made a pack to always be friends, no matter what.  I remember looking into his eyes, and saying Promise me if we werent not married to anyone else by the age of thirty than well marry each other.  He nodded, Maddy, well be together I promise.

            I knew even back then, that something or someone would tear us apart.  Her name was Caroline Macy. 

As soon as Drew opened her bedroom door she could sense it.  She could see the

change in herself and knew that her room was no longer part of her.  Her big brass bed and fluffy pillows did not make her look her age.  Her stuffed animals seemed so childish that she immediately started to discard them.

Drew opened her suitcase and was not impressed by her clothes.  Zoë had more flattering clothes so Drew knew she was due for a shopping spree.  Funny, she thought, I would not have even thought twice about shopping a year ago.

She pulled on a pair of rugged Levis and headed downstairs.  Her mother was in the kitchen reading.  She smiled and said, Its so good to have you home again. Drew smiled back at her mother even though she resented her parents.  She had been angry when she learnt that they were sending her to boarding school, now she was angry that they made her go home. 

Drews mother sensed her daughters sadness, What is wrong? Arent you glad to be home?

Yes, of course. It is just that I was thinking of everyone that I left behind. Drew said.

Mrs. Moore asked, Anyone in particular?

Drew smiled, knowing her mother wanted to know more about Julian.  Drews letters briefly mentioned him and when her parents came to pick her up they saw him leaver her room crying.  Their goodbye had been very secretive.  Julian was Drews best friend and her heart belonged to Graham, yet she knew she loved Julian more.  Drew shrugged, I still love Graham, mother, but I am just confused.

            My name is Wilbur Duckworth.  Doesnt that sound revolting?  Anyways I am sixteen now, but what I am about to tell you about takes place when I was twelve.  I know, just get on with it already. Okay.