He wasn’t even her type. He was imperfect. She always wanted someone sensible and intelligent. She dreamed of marrying a guy who thought out consequences before taking actions. He wasn’t any of this. She didn’t think she wanted to spend the rest of her life laughing at silly jokes or playing childish games. The only thing he had in common with her Ideal Husband was romantic characteristics.

When she first met him, she remembered thinking how vulgar he appeared. He walked in ten minutes late to first period Junior English class on the first day of school. He was the only Senior in the class, and she was the only Sophomore. She was reluctant to choose him as a partner for their first semester project. He rarely appeared to class, and when he did, he never helped with the research. When they both got an ‘A’ for the grade, she confronted him about it.

“Why do you have an ‘A’?”

“Because the project was awesome.”

“Thanks to me.”

“Well, thanks, then.”

That grin caught her off-guard. It wasn’t just that for such a grungy guy, he had nice teeth—white, straight, flossed… No, it was also that she smiled back, unwillingly.

“Well, whatever, next time you’re going to help,” she said bossily.

Second semester, he started going to English class. They worked on the next project together, and she found herself looking forward to English. Her heart skipped by the very thought of him. But no—she couldn’t. She hated him from the minute she laid eyes on him. He didn’t respect himself, or others. Well, he respected her… Wasn’t that good enough? No, it couldn’t be. He wasn’t committed to anything. Except English. Which was because of her. He liked to be with her; he liked to make her laugh. She laughed. She doesn’t laugh. But he was funny. And every time she gazed into his bright green eyes, she found herself unable to tear away. She smiled, and he smiled. It was perfectly imperfect.

They seemed so different from the start. Their interests, hobbies, personalities… Yet they had things in common, too. Neither of the two had a good home life. Her parents pressured her to be the best she can be, and to study constantly. His parents fought with each other, with him. They didn’t have any friends, either. They were each other’s first friend, and first love…

It was the last day of school, and to everyone’s surprise, he graduated. He planned on joining the army. She went to his Graduation ceremony, because she knew his parents weren’t going. That day changed everything. He had told himself for the last nine months not to hope, but when she came to see him graduate, he knew she cared about him, at least a little.

That summer was the best summer they could have ever hoped for. They spent their days eating fast food and taking walks in the park. Their nights consisted of laughing and kissing under the stars. She hated him, but couldn’t stop herself from loving him. He was perfect, really. He loosened her up a bit, and taught her how to laugh. He even let her teach him how to set priorities and take responsibilities.

Summer had come and gone. The August sun was saying goodnight to the world, and even though they knew it wouldn’t be the very last goodbye, they hated it.

So on their last night together before he left, they lied in each other’s arms, wishing they could stay that way forever. He smelled her dark brown curls, memorizing the fragrance of her skin. She kissed his forehead, cheek, and lips, savoring each curve of his face. Their bodies simply couldn’t get any closer as the summer sun set. They fell asleep intertwined in her backyard, and their dreams were more comforting than the reality they faced in the morning. She couldn’t decide if she liked dreaming of him, or if she hated it because it made her days that much more dissatisfying. He loved dreaming of her. He never really thought of the negative side of things. He just went with it.

They really were perfect. Their differences created one whole soul instead of clashing into hatred. The only thing she could hate about him would be the way he made her feel: so vulnerable. Yet she made him feel stronger. He felt like he could do something. He felt loved, for the first time in his life. And while she hated missing him, he loved to think of her.