When I was a Junior in high school, one of my closest friends moved away. Apparently, he’d been interested in me for quite some time, but I was completely oblivious to the fact. This was normal for me and had nothing to do with him. For whatever reason, I never picked up on those sorts of things. It was probably because usually I just wasn’t interested in things going any further with anyone. Dating, romance, and especially sex were just not things that were on my to-do list. He was a little bit of a goofball and was too nervous to actually tell me how he felt before he left. I was shy, quiet, awkward, and nerdy. Sure, he was my friend, but I didn’t think we had enough in common for a relationship to even be seriously considered.
Everything changed a few years later when he told me he’d joined the Navy. He was going to be gone soon, and for a very long time. That simple fact made me want him closer. I had finally at some point realized that I did have an interest in him when we were in school together, but dismissed it since I had never dated and he had shown no signs of wanting anything more anyway. I guess the realization that he was leaving also pushed him to finally tell me how he felt. I don’t recall the exact conversation anymore, but I do remember it being clumsy and awkward on both ends.