He Said: "I Was Too Nervous"

This is a story about an 8th. grade boy I once knew. He liked a girl. He tried to time it perfectly so he could see her every day walking to one of her classes at school. She was so pretty, she made him nervous. One day she smiled at him. This really made his day. He kept walking by her every day. He was really, really moved by her. This went on for weeks. One day he said hello. She returned the hello. He was fascinated that she actually greeted him. He was planning his next step. He actually wanted to have a conversation with her. He was not sure how he was going to go about it. But he was determined to talk to her. Then something tragic happened. She became the unintended victim of a drive-by shooting. She was shot in the head and she died shortly thereafter. I attended the funeral. Needless to say it was a very sad event. A few days passed, and the 8th. grade boy took me aside and told me about his attraction to the girl. I don't remember much about the conversation; but I remember he was hurting inside. I do remember these words for sure: "Mr. D, I was too nervous to tell her. If I ever like a girl again; I'm going to be sure to tell her."