I miss Julie, a girl I knew from Kindergarten all the way into high school, and a little bit beyond as well. Heh, she had as many social difficulties as I did. Everyone in primary school picked on her, just like they did me, and neither of us had any real friends as far as I recall. We didn't become friends at that time, though we did get along sometimes. As I'm sure some of you know, amongst kids who are being unpopular, it's not a reason to stick together, it's a reason to stay apart, for fear that being friends might exacerbate your ostracism.
She moved to a different school in grade four, and I didn't see her again until high school. By that time, we'd both learned how to socialise a bit better. We both still had people who picked on us, but she had her group of friends and I had mine. I remember that at this time, I was surprised to discover that a lot of people thought she was ugly. I didn't understand their perceptions at all. I thought she was beautiful, and to top it off, she had a great personality.
One day she told me that she loved me, and if can't already tell, I felt the same way. But I was silenced by what she'd said. My mind went blank and I couldn't speak. We walked with each other towards our classes, and she joked 'You're not saying much are you?' I still couldn't say anything. After she left me to go to her class I stood there staring at the corner where she'd disappeared from my sight for a long time, still thinking nothing.
We remained friends, but by the time I gained the strength of character to be able to tell her how I felt about her, high school was over, and we had dropped out of contact. I saw her a few more times, but she always had a boyfriend, someone who from her description seemed like the opposite of the kind of person I am. She also didn't seem very interested in catching up with me again. Probably afraid of further rejection from me, or maybe she'd just gotten over me.
I wish I wasn't so socially inept back then, but although I've learned from that particular mistake, it's too late now to do anything about it now. It's been many years since I last saw her. I still occasionally have fantasies about getting to know her again, and one day saying "You know, one day you said something to me, and I didn't know how to respond. Now I'd like to tell you what I should have said then."
So on top of all the usual aspie problems with relationships I've got this history. I suppose that for all I know, we might have been terrible in a relationship together. But I can't truly believe that, and in the back of my mind I'm hoping to find a relationship that could be on the same level as what I believe my relationship with Julie would have been. Even though I know that's not actually possible.