Check Yes or No

When I was in 4th grade, I professed my attraction to a girl in my class. Maybe it's common, but I did it in the form of a note. Something motivated me to write the following words on a scrap of paper:

"I hink you are fucking great."

A regular Don Juan. Then, of course, I continued with the standard:

"Do you think I'm fucking great too? Check a box below."

One box was a "Yes," and the other a "No."

The girl wasn't very popular. She was picked on a lot by kids in our class. She sometimes wore the same clothes to school several days in a row. Her hair was often oily from not being washed. I'm sure she thought, correctly it turns out, my intentions were less than pure.

I didn't write the note to offend her. I didn't write it to make fun of her. In fact, no one knew I was writing it. I just did it. I think, in retrospect, I just wanted to be nice to her. I could have been nice in another way. I could have asked her to eat lunch with me. I could have asked her to play during recess. I didn't have to falsely profess an emotion to her.

Maybe I shouldn't feel bad about the incident, but I do. I wonder if she feels bad at all, or if she even thinks about it.

The object of my affection checked the box her heart told her to follow. When the piece of paper found its way into my hands, I thought for sure I knew what the reply was going to be. The last laugh was on me.