"Boys? ewww." to "Boys? yumm."

So, in our class book club groups, we're reading "The Female Mind".  It sounds weird and sciency, doesn't it? well, it's not. And actually I've been thinking about it a whole lot. Like every emotion that I've experienced in the last few weeks goes back to what I read about in that book. And it makes sense.  Seriously.  If you don't believe me, go read it, you'll love it.  But even more than emotions it makes me think about the transition in a girls life that revolves around boys.

Little Emily is three years old, and her best friend is Ben.  Ben is her next door neighbor, and there is never a time where they are both home and not outside making sand castles or plummeting down the seemingly giant yellow slide.  The two are inseparable.  One day a promise was made that they will always be best friends.  Always.


Now seven, Emily is prancing around the playground with her best friend Caroline, playing double dutch and singing rhymes.  Wait, her best friend? What about Ben? Where's he? Well, of course he's off bouncing around a basketball with his buddies, Tommy, Eric and Bobby.  Ben and Emily act as if they don't even know each other because, obviously, "Ben has cooooooties!"


Ben and Emily are now in middle school.  They ride the same bus and have almost all of the same classes, yet there is still no clue that they were best friends.  However, as the year goes on, Emily starts to crush on Ben.  Of course, she tries to keep it quiet and between friends, but he finds out. (Pstt, people really don't keep secrets Em.) He acts as if this is the worst, most embarrassing thing ever! Emily is absolutely mortified.  Soon, she gets over Ben and moves on to another boy that actually likes her.

Jump another two years, and Ben is finally into girls.  He realizes Emily is the perfect girl for him, but he blew his chances.  She won't talk to him because of how horrible he was to her.  She hates him.  He is almost in love with her.  Being and immature 13 year old boy, Ben makes fun of Emily, even though he really likes her.  His friends embarrass him, to no end, about Emily, and this just makes her hate him more.

Now, they are juniors in high school.  Both maturing and nearing the end of puberty.  Ben finally gets up enough courage to ask her out.  And guess what? She says yes, knowing this is right.  They still live next to each other, drive to school together, have classes together, and talk constantly.  But one thing has changed, Ben and Emily no longer "have cooties". 

Okay, that may have been like a mini fairy tale, but oh well --  it's cute! (and totally true -- to a point) I think it's actually funny how much feelings towards the other gender change in so little time.  I know I definitely have that "ew, cooties" boy, that now is a total "yummm" boy.