Dan Meets Ellie (In Person!)  − 29 January, 2006

During the course of our messaging on hi5, Ellie asked if I wanted to go to the cinema with her and her friend the coming Sunday. Her friend had a boy going, she explained, and didn't want to be left out.
Normally I'm very wary about people I meet online who want to meet up away from the computer. We've all read the stories, we all know how much danger we could be putting ourselves in by just giving out our surnames.
With Ellie though, I was glad to take that risk. The way I saw it, two things could happen. "Ellie" could turn out to be a fifty year old man who likes kidnapping fifteen year old kids, having his way with them and then disposing of them.
On the other hand, she could be the genuinely amazing person I'd been talking to for a while and had grown to like very, very much. The possibility of meeting such a wonderful person was well worth the risk of being dragged away, kicking and screaming in the back of some bloke's car.

So we met at the cinema. Her friend's boyfriend didn't turn up, so it was just us three. We had a while before the movie started, and the girls wanted to go shopping. They dragged me to all the girly shops where I proceeded to try on bracelets, girly hats, wigs, necklaces, earrings, sunglasses, skirts and everything else the shops had to offer. It got Ellie laughing, so I was happy.
The film (ironically titled "Just Friends") was quite good, but when you have an amazing girl who you like very much sitting next to you, you don't tend to notice the film. We'd kisses a few times and then, without thinking, I blurted out "I love you".
I remember thinking that was it, everything was going to crash down around me. She would laugh, or give me an odd look and wriggle in her seat away from me. Either way, I was sure that I had screwed up any chance I had with Ellie.
But no, in fact she said it back, and that was the most relieving moment of my life. The biggest smile my face will allow came over it and I've never stopped smiling since. That day marked the start of an amazing relationship that has never faltered or gone wrong. There have been obstacles thrown our way, of course. But we've overcome them and we are stronger for it. I know what true love feels like - and I hope it never ends.