Not a ghost story

back when I was a haunted twelve year old

When I was in sixth grade I had my first “boyfriend”. His name was Jeff. What a boyfriend meant back then was walking to JCC bus after school every day together. No hand holding, no talking, just walking together, nervous. SOMETIMES we would sit in the same group of friends at lunch. 

He was a skater boy, and one of the cutest and most popular boys in school. I was the “exotic new girl” in school with a quickly fading accent and five languages under my belt. An immigrant girl. Obviously, we were a power couple. 

One day Jeff asked me if I would like to go to the movies. I, being 12 years old, obviously felt ready to go out into the world on a real date. So I asked my parents for permission.

My parents and Jeff's parents talked about this potential date and decided that we would be allowed to speak face to face when we were 25 in exchange for a marriage proposal that came with 30 cows, 3 parcels of land and a hefty dowry all from Jeff's side of the family. JK, they agreed that my dad could take us to a matinee. This felt like an embarrassing alternative to a real date but we were 12 so we agreed.