She was wearing a springy pink dress with green and yellow polka-dots when he first saw her. Her light brown hair was cut into a bob with bangs, which was a very popular haircut for girls in their Preschool class. Although young, she loved to swim, and hot summer days spent in the pool had her skin tanned and glowing. Her bright blue eyes looked even more magnificent against her browned face and pink cheeks. Besides being a lovely child, she was always smiling and being friendly to everyone. The teacher thought she was a gem, and treated her accordingly. As she trotted eagerly into the preschool classroom that day, he thought she was pretty and he liked her.
The first day of 2nd Grade came around, and she was put in the same class as he was. This time, she skipped in on the first day with her best friend, Josie, and she was wearing a white blouse with light pink butterflies flying across it and a pair of jean shorts. Her hair had grown out from the bob and bangs and had been done into a single braid. Her eyes were as beautiful as ever, and her skin was even tanner. Although she was taller and her face had begun to change from that of a child’s into a young lady’s, he still thought she was pretty and he still liked her.
She moved away to another school for a few years, and he didn’t see her again until the beginning of middle school. She was more unsure of herself now, much quieter and less smiley. Her hair was cut off just past her shoulders and parted to the left. Her skin was still tan, and her eyes were still brilliant blue. She had on white high-heels that looked quite awkward for such a young girl. He had thought she had really pretty ankles, well, he thought that everything about her was pretty, but her ankles looked especially nice on that day. They looked thin and tan against those white heels and her faded blue jeans. She was at the age where she was starting to dress and do things for herself, and she wasn’t very good at matching clothes yet. Her dark purple shirt with those white heels (purple went with white, right?) wasn’t the most attractive outfit, but he didn’t really notice because now he could tell that she was pretty, and that he liked her.
She grew taller and her face transformed from that childlike cuteness to that womanlike beauty. Her hair grew a few inches longer and her skin got paler, and although those eyes became a little bit colder and a little bit sadder, they stayed admired and blue. Her body stayed in shape, but with pretty curves, and she caught the attention of other boys. But even so, he still thought of her often and he liked her.
In High School she changed the most, and for the first time he felt his admiration for her waver, but it never died. She fell away from Josie and found some new friends, and with them she gained a new look and a new perspective. Black was her new favorite color, and her daily outfit consisted of ripped black jeans, a black top, and black boots with big heels on them. She cut her hair short again and dyed it black with red tips. She had completely lost the perfect tan of her youth, and her pale face was constantly plastered with makeup. Her mouth was painted a dark red, almost black, that looked like a cry for help written scribbly on her lips. Her still queen-like eyes were darkened by the large amounts of gray and black shadow around them, complete with sharp black eyeliner and long, fake, black lashes. She was cold-shouldered and anti-social, much unlike that bubbly girl he had met so many years ago in Preschool. He missed her natural light brown hair which looked great against her tan skin. Nonetheless, beneath those layers of makeup and unusual clothes, he knew she was still pretty, and he still liked her.

High School flew by, and she never came out of that dark style she had discovered. She had a boyfriend through most of it, who shared her love for black clothes and hair. A few months after High School had officially ended for both of them, he saw her again. This time she was sitting on a curb with her black hair pulled into a messy, knotted bun.  She was still wearing all black, but this time it was an oversized black sweatshirt and some matching sweatpants. Her makeup was smeared and looked like she hadn’t redone it for a couple days. Tears marked trails down her pale face, revealing puffy raw skin from crying. Her boyfriend wasn’t with her and he could only guess that he had broken up with her. He had a not-very-serious girlfriend of his own though at that time, and decided to not talk to her. Although he didn’t speak to her, he still thought she was a pretty girl, and he liked her.
Years passed and he went to college and fell in and out of relationships with other girls. He completely lost contact with her, but sometimes wondered where she was and what she was doing. Despite the girls he met and the amazing things he did, he still thought of her on occasion. And when he thought of her, he thought of how he thought she was pretty and how he liked her.
He was walking in a store to buy groceries when he saw her again. He had just gotten off work at his new job, and had broken up with his last girlfriend a few days before. She was looking much better than she had years before. Her light brown hair was cut short, almost a bob, and her skin had regained some of it’s tan. She wore no makeup, and although her skin was dull and aged, he thought she still looked as pretty as ever. She wore a simple brown t-shirt with a pair of old jeans. With that short haircut and her almost tan skin, he had a sudden flashback to her floating into that preschool classroom so many years ago. He walked up to her, and asked if she remembered him. And when she looked up at him with those still breathtaking eyes and said “Yes”, he remembered how she was so pretty, and how he liked her.
Now, he feels as if they are meeting again. Memories of their past together flood through his mind. From that first day of preschool, to those awkward middle school days, to that reunion in the store several months ago. Now, she steps into his view again, just as perfect as when he first laid eyes on her. Her light brown hair is pulled into a tight bun on top of her head and her face is bright with love and joy. Some makeup accents her features, but nothing like that dark overdose of makeup from High School. Just red lips, blushed cheeks, and a perfect touch of mascara and eye shadow. She wears a flowing white dress, which makes her tan skin look just as brown as it did when she was younger. She walks confidently up to him, the bounce in her step reminding him of her skipping into class in 2nd Grade. Speaking of which, Josie is a bridesmaid here, crying her eyes out but grinning enormously. Her blue eyes are gorgeous, as always. Now, as he thinks back over his and her life together, he realizes what he always subconsciously knew. He didn’t just think she was pretty, he knew she was beautiful, and he had never just liked her, he had loved her from the beginning.
She was wearing a springy pink dress with green and yellow polka-dots when he first saw her. Her light brown hair was cut into a bob with bangs, which was a very popular haircut for girls in their Preschool class. Although young, she loved to swim, and hot summer days spent in the pool had her skin tanned and glowing. Her bright blue eyes looked even more magnificent against her browned face and pink cheeks. Besides being a lovely child, she was always smiling and being friendly to everyone. The teacher thought she was a gem, and treated her accordingly. As she trotted eagerly into the preschool classroom that day, he thought she was pretty and he liked her.
The first day of 2nd Grade came around, and she was put in the same class as he was. This time, she skipped in on the first day with her best friend, Josie, and she was wearing a white blouse with light pink butterflies flying across it and a pair of jean shorts. Her hair had grown out from the bob and bangs and had been done into a single braid. Her eyes were as beautiful as ever, and her skin was even tanner. Although she was taller and her face had begun to change from that of a child’s into a young lady’s, he still thought she was pretty and he still liked her.
She moved away to another school for a few years, and he didn’t see her again until the beginning of middle school. She was more unsure of herself now, much quieter and less smiley. Her hair was cut off just past her shoulders and parted to the left. Her skin was still tan, and her eyes were still brilliant blue. She had on white high-heels that looked quite awkward for such a young girl. He had thought she had really pretty ankles, well, he thought that everything about her was pretty, but her ankles looked especially nice on that day. They looked thin and tan against those white heels and her faded blue jeans. She was at the age where she was starting to dress and do things for herself, and she wasn’t very good at matching clothes yet. Her dark purple shirt with those white heels (purple went with white, right?) wasn’t the most attractive outfit, but he didn’t really notice because now he could tell that she was pretty, and that he liked her.
She grew taller and her face transformed from that childlike cuteness to that womanlike beauty. Her hair grew a few inches longer and her skin got paler, and although those eyes became a little bit colder and a little bit sadder, they stayed admired and blue. Her body stayed in shape, but with pretty curves, and she caught the attention of other boys. But even so, he still thought of her often and he liked her.
In High School she changed the most, and for the first time he felt his admiration for her waver, but it never died. She fell away from Josie and found some new friends, and with them she gained a new look and a new perspective. Black was her new favorite color, and her daily outfit consisted of ripped black jeans, a black top, and black boots with big heels on them. She cut her hair short again and dyed it black with red tips. She had completely lost the perfect tan of her youth, and her pale face was constantly plastered with makeup. Her mouth was painted a dark red, almost black, that looked like a cry for help written scribbly on her lips. Her still queen-like eyes were darkened by the large amounts of gray and black shadow around them, complete with sharp black eyeliner and long, fake, black lashes. She was cold-shouldered and anti-social, much unlike that bubbly girl he had met so many years ago in Preschool. He missed her natural light brown hair which looked great against her tan skin. Nonetheless, beneath those layers of makeup and unusual clothes, he knew she was still pretty, and he still liked her.

High School flew by, and she never came out of that dark style she had discovered. She had a boyfriend through most of it, who shared her love for black clothes and hair. A few months after High School had officially ended for both of them, he saw her again. This time she was sitting on a curb with her black hair pulled into a messy, knotted bun.  She was still wearing all black, but this time it was an oversized black sweatshirt and some matching sweatpants. Her makeup was smeared and looked like she hadn’t redone it for a couple days. Tears marked trails down her pale face, revealing puffy raw skin from crying. Her boyfriend wasn’t with her and he could only guess that he had broken up with her. He had a not-very-serious girlfriend of his own though at that time, and decided to not talk to her. Although he didn’t speak to her, he still thought she was a pretty girl, and he liked her.
Years passed and he went to college and fell in and out of relationships with other girls. He completely lost contact with her, but sometimes wondered where she was and what she was doing. Despite the girls he met and the amazing things he did, he still thought of her on occasion. And when he thought of her, he thought of how he thought she was pretty and how he liked her.
He was walking in a store to buy groceries when he saw her again. He had just gotten off work at his new job, and had broken up with his last girlfriend a few days before. She was looking much better than she had years before. Her light brown hair was cut short, almost a bob, and her skin had regained some of it’s tan. She wore no makeup, and although her skin was dull and aged, he thought she still looked as pretty as ever. She wore a simple brown t-shirt with a pair of old jeans. With that short haircut and her almost tan skin, he had a sudden flashback to her floating into that preschool classroom so many years ago. He walked up to her, and asked if she remembered him. And when she looked up at him with those still breathtaking eyes and said “Yes”, he remembered how she was so pretty, and how he liked her.
Now, he feels as if they are meeting again. Memories of their past together flood through his mind. From that first day of preschool, to those awkward middle school days, to that reunion in the store several months ago. Now, she steps into his view again, just as perfect as when he first laid eyes on her. Her light brown hair is pulled into a tight bun on top of her head and her face is bright with love and joy. Some makeup accents her features, but nothing like that dark overdose of makeup from High School. Just red lips, blushed cheeks, and a perfect touch of mascara and eye shadow. She wears a flowing white dress, which makes her tan skin look just as brown as it did when she was younger. She walks confidently up to him, the bounce in her step reminding him of her skipping into class in 2nd Grade. Speaking of which, Josie is a bridesmaid here, crying her eyes out but grinning enormously. Her blue eyes are gorgeous, as always. Now, as he thinks back over his and her life together, he realizes what he always subconsciously knew. He didn’t just think she was pretty, he knew she was beautiful, and he had never just liked her, he had loved her from the beginning.