He often thought about her, his first love.
He had been 12 the year he met her. She had been 18 or 19... or so he'd guessed. Obviously, he had not been her first love. Or any love. He was sure she never thought about him.

She was the daughter of his father's colleage, and he'd first met her on a company field trip he'd been dragged him along to. He hadn't really noticed her at first, girls had still been a mystery to him at the time anyway. She wasn't especially pretty, nor was she friendly. If he really had to describe his first impression of her, he'd say she'd looked bored and sullen, gloomy, or even pissed off.

Maybe that's why he'd always remember the first time he saw her smile. Or maybe it had been significant because he'd been the catalyst for that smile.

He couldn't remember what he'd said, now, but he'd made some stupid 12 year old remark - the kind that teachers couldn't stand, the attention seeking, smart mouthed kid type of comment. (Of course, this is all in retrospect). He had thought himself clever and quickwitted at the time and had been craving any sort of response - laughter, or, his favourite, exasperation.
Sure enough, he got the attention he'd wanted: a few chuckles, someone ruffling his hair, a comment about how cheeky but clever he was and, as always, his father's half amsued, half annoyed expression. But what he had not expected, was her reaction.

She had pressed her lips together, as if determined that this silly comment would not amuse her. No, she would not smile, she would continue to seem unhappy, continue letting what was originally bothering her to eat at her. But she was an optimist by nature, he later learnt. When she could not supress her amusement any longer, she looked down at her hands, and a reluctant smile spread across her face. She shook her head a little and it was almost as if she was laughing at herself, thinking herself silly for letting this little kid's smart mouth cheer her up. But it was too late, she'd been caught off guard, and was unable to stop herself from smiling.

He'd been dumbstruck by that smile. He'd watched her, frozen in shock, staring at that unexpected smile. And suddenly, she'd looked up at him, and grinned at him as if they were conspirators. He'd turned away immediately, red with embarrassment, his heart pounding. He'd later concluded that the gut wrenching feeling he'd experienced must be what love was like.

Naturally, he'd spent the rest of the day determinedly looking away from her.

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