It was hard not to admire her beauty. To me, her presence was imposing; she looked like an angel fallen from heaven. The grace with which she walked, the beautiful hair that fell over her shoulders, and even the “good morning” I heard her say every morning were the gestures of a princess who was out of my reach.

We were in the same class; it had been that way since elementary school. She was always the most outstanding and intelligent, the teachers' favorite, and no wonder, since she was always one step ahead of everyone else in math, literature, and even science. I, on the other hand, was always at the bottom of the class and the one who had the most trouble learning; the complete opposite of her. Maybe that was the reason, I don't know; I only know that I admired her in silence.

Without knowing it, I was in love with Anna, my platonic love. I loved so many things about her: her perfect face, her clear eyes, and that sweet voice that came out of her little mouth. I loved watching her eat her sandwich and drink her juice at recess. I always imagined myself sitting next to her, sharing and laughing together, but that's all it was: thoughts and nothing more. I never dared to talk to her; I never thought she would like me.

When I got to high school, something changed. I started to become more social and surrounded myself with new friends. She continued to be the outstanding student she used to be, although she seemed lonelier, as if she had no friends. I think no one dared to offer her friendship, and she didn't do anything to seek it out either. As time went by, her feminine figure became more voluptuous, and I began to see her as the goddess of intelligence, beautiful and special as she had always been.

In the third year, something unprecedented happened. Anna stopped attending classes. The others didn't seem to notice her absence, but I did. She had always been the center of my attention; the star around which my distant and lonely presence orbited.

After a week of absence, worried about her, I decided to go to her house. I knew its location well; it was impossible not to recognize the ucaro bushes planted in front and the white railings with round bars that secured her home. It was far from mine, but I didn't mind detouring a few blocks to find out about Anna; I needed to know she was okay, even if it meant being rejected. Contempt was the least of my concerns.

In front of her house, I hesitated for a moment before ringing the doorbell. “You're already here; it's not time for regrets,” I told myself, and pressed the button. Shortly after, someone came to the door. It was her mother.

“Are you a friend of Anna's?” she asked.

“We're in the same class. But we haven't seen her in a week,” I replied.

“What's your name?” she asked.

“I'm Esteban,” I replied.

“Oh, I see. You're the boy she always talks about. Please come in. I'll ask her if she wants to see you,” she said. “She hasn't wanted to leave her room since the chickenpox outbreak. Please wait here and have a seat,” she added, pointing to a sofa.

That was too much information to process. I understood why she was missing classes, but something intrigued me. “Does Anna always talk about me? I don't understand, we've never been friends.” A question that would soon be answered.

“Hi, Esteban. What are you doing here?” Anna greeted me.

That was the first time she had ever spoken to me. Her pretty face and neck showed traces of some chicken pox scars that were now dry and fairly healthy, scars that did nothing to diminish her beauty.

“Are you going to stare at me like that all day?” she asked, blushing, interrupting my thoughts.

“Oh, no... sorry,” I replied, embarrassed, and looked down.

“Don't worry, Esteban. The way you always look at me has never bothered me,” Anna confessed.

“Had you noticed?” I asked.

“Yes, and I've also waited a long time for you to have the courage to talk to me,” Anna replied.

That day, I realized how wrong I had been. Anna was a girl like any other, only smarter. The problem had always been me; I had idealized her so much that I had never dared to approach her to be her friend. That afternoon at her house was the moment when everything changed. From then on, we became great friends, and soon after, we fell in love; a love that was no longer a figment of my imagination. The first girl I kissed was Anna, impossible to forget.

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