As I sat lazily on the boat surrounded by my three best friends, I never expected the news that would change my life. We had just gotten done tubing and we were all feeling very worn out. While we tanned underneath the bright sun, each of us brought up different subjects about the funny experiences that had happened to us this summer.

Eventually we got on the subject of sports and marching band which my friend Sherry brought up.

“Oh hey Sophia I forgot to tell you, guess who moved back this summer?”

I sat up from my comfy position, looking at her with interest. “Who?” I asked her, not expecting her answer.

“Adam, you know, the boy from elementary school.”

My eyes opened wide, the memories flooding back. Of course I knew who he was. I didn’t forget. The little boy who would chase me around at recess, who moved away three years ago to Oklahoma. Who I thought I would never see again. But most of all, who I missed badly.

“He’s back? Really?” I asked her.

“Yeah, he’s in band with me.”

I felt myself becoming more and more curious, lots of questions coming into my mind.

“What instrument does he play?”

“Percussion.”

My mouth dropped. I play percussion. I guess that when school starts I’ll be in band with him. I feel so excited but extremely nervous at the same time. What if he doesn’t remember me? Or worse, doesn’t like me.

“What does he look like now? Does he look the same?”

Sherry told me that he was a lot taller, had tanner skin than before, and his hair was longer. I can’t wait to see him now, although he doesn’t sound like the little boy who I remember from elementary school. I hope that I have some classes with him after all.

Soon my friends moved on to another subject, but my thoughts didn’t change. The rest of that weekend all I could think about was him. How he was back, how I couldn’t wait to see him again, how I hope that he remembers me. For the past three years on the first day of school I would always think of him, looking around the halls seeing if I would catch a glimpse of his familiar face. But that never happened. And now he was back and I couldn’t see him. Oh, waiting for the first day of school was torture. Normally I didn’t want the summer to end, but now I could hardly wait for school to start.

When school started today I was feeling the complete opposite of stress-free and relaxed. I was nervous, extremely nervous. My pulse was beating fast as I looked down the many halls of the high school, searching for that familiar face that I once knew. I kept trying to find the guy that Sherry had described, trying to find Adam. I’m not going to give up.

About half way through the day as I was walking back to my locker Sherry waved me over. She stood in front of a classroom door among lots of other students, waiting to get in. I smiled and waved to her as I walked over but almost stopped in my tracks. There he was, Adam, standing beside Sherry. Oh no, what if they’re together? Maybe I should leave… But I never got to make that decision. She started talking to me and I tried to keep the conversation short. My eyes kept going to Adam’s face hoping for a smile and I did get one. Even though it was only for a brief moment, I saw it. The happy smile on his face; a smile of remembrance. So he does remember me. Finally I found him, and maybe this is going to go the way I imagined it…