My infatuation with Marcus Duff began in the fifth grade. He was in the sixth. It was the beginning of middle school, and we had to pick an instrument for band. I chose the saxophone. We were sitting in the gym of Smith Middle School, and there was a trumpet player wearing argyle (sp?) socks. It was love at first sight. I don't know why I remember the socks. Mrs. Sherman was the band director at Smith, and the assistant director at the high school, Butler. She quickly became aware of my obsession. I remember calling him from Kristen Keebaugh's house pretending to be someone else. I told Marcus to get out the yearbook and look me up. It was my sixth grade picture. He was not impressed.

In the eighth grade, a small group of students were chosen to start a new math program. For the first time we could test out of pre Algebra, and move straight to Algebra. However, we had to be bussed to the high school for first period to take the class, since no one at the middle school taught it. Which kind of sucked, because we had to get up early to go to h.s., but got out at the regular time at Smith. After Algebra, we were shipped back to the middle school where we had about 20 minutes of free time. Kristen and Kat Zeller and I would hang out with Mrs. Sherman to hear all about Marcus. He had continued to play trumpet in high school, so Mrs. Sherman saw him every day. Eventually Kristen, Kat, and I figured out Marcus' home room and first class. So we would walk the opposite route up the stairs and around the building, just to I could see him. Sometimes if it was really crowded, Kat and Kristen liked to play "Stop and Shove". This consisted of Kat walking up the stairs with me behind her and Kristen behind me. Just as Marcus was walking down the stairs, Kat would stop, and Kristen would shove me in to him. I don't think he ever realized it was on purpose. Then, one glorious morning, Marcus said hi to me. I didn't even know he knew who I was. We, of course, ran to Mrs. Sherman as soon as we got back to Smith and told her the details. She replied with, "Finally!" It turns out that she had told him about my crush (read: stalker-like tendencies), and that if he said hi to me it would make my day. Well, even though I was incredibly embarrassed and we stopped following him to class, it did. That year he dated Ruby Fleenor. She was voted homecoming queen one year.

My freshman year I actually got to interact with him. I was in band. Kristen decided that four years of playing the clarinet was enough, and quit. Kat continued with the flute. We roomed together at band camp. No, she did not do anything from a movie with the flute. Instead, she dated Marcus. I don't think I've ever really forgiven her for that one. I introduced the two of them at camp, and he liked her immediately. Damn her. Damn her to hell. We stole his pirates baseball cap and ate m&ms out of it. Marcus and I became good friends.

My sophomore year he dated Kyra Paff. Couldn't he see that these girls were wrong for him and I was perfect? Nope.

During my junior year, there were a few times when the flirting became more than friendly, and I thought I actually had a chance. But we never dated. He graduated and I was heartbroken. That was a seven year crush. Yes, I dated other guys. I even managed to fall in love for the first time with a boy from Chicago. Jeeze, people, I wasn't completely psychotic. But from time to time since 1995, I've wondered what Marcus was doing, or where he was. I thought he'd get married and work in a church. (He was very religious) Once I saw him when I was at a stoplight, but we just waved and went about our business.

My mom called the other day. Marcus Duff is a minister at a church, and is engaged to be married.

It was fun to remember my insane infatuation.