As Sapphire finished setting up everything for the awards ceremony for the most helpful students in her school, the intercom went off.

"Teachers, please send all students to the gym. The awards ceremony will begin shortly." Sapphire smiled as students began file into the bleachers quickly. She stood off to the side and soon, students stopped coming in and the bleachers were filled.

She stepped up to the microphone and greeted everyone.

"Welcome, my fellow students. Today, we give out awards for the most helpful kids in school", she gestured to the table behind her. "The students will receive one of these awards. Principal Madison will read the list."

Sapphire stepped back and Principal Madison walked up to the microphone. He cleared his throat and began speaking.

"Students, I will read off one name at a time. When I call your name, please come down to the gym floor and wait there. Your fellow students will give you your rewards", he says before beginning reading the list.

"Madison Bailey. She helped teachers organize their rooms without being asked." A round of applause. A brown haired girl comes down to the gym floor and is given her award. She stays there as she is told.

"Flora Hoffman. She helped the janitors clean the girls bathroom." A round of applause as a redhead girl comes down to the gym floor for her reward.

"Troy Hughes. He helped clean up the graffiti on the walls outside." A blonde teenage boy comes down the bleachers when his name is called while everyone is applauding. He receives his reward happily.

"Ralph Wood. He helped the janitors clean the boys bathroom." A round of applause. A black haired boy with a red streak in his hair comes down to the gym floor.

Soon, several people were standing on the ground and Sapphire smiles as she watches as they all smile at each other, knowing that the reason they were down there was for helping someone out.

"That's the end of the list but there are two people I would like to add to this list", Principal Madison says as he looks out over the crowd. Sapphire looks at the table with the awards and notices that there are two left. The principal must have ordered extra, she guessed.

"I'd like to give an award to our dear Miss Sapphire Griffin, who set up this entire thing by herself. We asked her to do this and she immediately got to work with no help involved but she sure helped us a lot."

Sapphire blinks, not expecting that as she moves forward out onto the gym floor. She looks around as everyone applauds super loud for her. It was deafening and the floor was vibrating. As soon as the applauding students are quiet, Principal Madison says the final name.

"Darien Arroyo."

.

.

.

It was dead silent as Darien's name was called. Everyone knew him. He talked to no one. Everyone assumed he had bad grades. He was the most antisocial, unhelpful person in the school. And to be honest, he liked it like that. So when his name was called, he was very surprised. His head shot up from the corner he was in and he hesitantly stood up. He walked down the bleachers as Principal Madison said why Darien was called.

"He has been chosen because teachers have seen him helping out the freshman when he thinks no one is looking. He never told them his name to keep himself hidden. He is currently a senior and he has been doing this since his freshman year. How many of you here remember him helping you out?"

As people study Darien's looks, they slowly raise their hands. Soon, almost everyone's hands is raised.

Principal Madison began speaking again. "He has created a name for himself without using his name. We are sad to see him leave this school in May but I know that whatever college he goes to, he will be just as helpful there as he was here. So we thank you, Darien."

At those words, everyone stands up and starts applauding the guy that no one really liked. No one had expected him to receive an award but they were glad that he did.

Soon enough, the microphone was handed back to Sapphire. "Thank you for coming, students and have an awesome weekend!" She smiles and the students stand up and rush out of the gym. As soon as everyone is out, she begins to start putting away the microphone and tables. She starts with the microphone and places it carefully back in its box and on the floor by the wall. The entire time, her back was to the table that had the awards on it. When she went to go take down the table, she was surprised to see someone already doing it.

Moving towards the hooded figure doing it, she stopped beside them, where they stopped what they were doing.

"Thank you", she murmurs. She gets a quick "you're welcome" in return and she smiles.

"My name is Sapphire. What's yours?"

The hooded figure was silent. She sighs and then pulls back his hood. She was surprised to see Darien.

"Darien?" she asks in surprise.

"You shouldn't be doing this alone. This is a multiple person job and they had you set up all by yourself. All the other students heard but didn't care that you would probably be the one taking down everything by yourself too. So I chose to help", he murmurs, not looking up.

"Thank you", she says, smiling at his words. He mumbles another quick "you're welcome" and continues to take down the table. She took this time to study him.

He had light brown hair, he was kinda tall. Well, he was taller than Sapphire. Then again, almost all the boys are taller than Sapphire. But Darien was actually kinda cute. She smiled as he finished taking down the table. He suddenly looked up at her, startling her but she was intrigued by his deep chocolate eyes.

"You're really cute", she blurted out. Immediately her eyes widen and her cheeks go red.

Darien blushes as well before speaking. "Thank you."

Sapphire squeak out a reply to that as she hurries to grab the microphone box. She leads him to the storage closet where they place the table and microphone.

"I didn't start helping people originally. I started my freshman year because someone helped me in 8th grade. I hadn't seen her until just recently", Darien says, looking at the ground.

Sapphire blinks. He hadn't talked a lot so it was surprisingly to hear his voice.

"Really? What happened?"

Darien smiles as they sit on the stairs by the main office. "She was really nice to me. No one had been as nice to be as she had been. I fell in love her that day. I have loved her since. And I missed her a lot. I can only hope she will like me back."

"What's her name?"

"Sapphire."

"Huh. That's a coincidence. You end up talking to me about a girl named Sapphire. And my name is Sapphire." Sapphire laughs but slowly trails off at the look she saw in Darien's eyes.

"What was... this Sapphire's last name?" Sapphire was hesitant to hear the answer.

"Griffin. Sapphire Griffin was the girl who was kind to me in 8th grade. I never met anyone nicer. She was amazing", Darien says with a smile on his face.

"But... my name is Sapphire Griffin... Do you mean that... I'm the one who was nice to you all those years ago?"

Darien just smiles before he stands up and walks away. Sapphire stares after him as her mind goes into her memories to 8th grade. She remembers helping a Darien then... He looked lost and alone and she decided to talk to him and eventually they became great friends. They didn't talk much after 8th grade but... she had liked him then... she still does now... She had often wondered if she would ever find him again. It looks like she did, their senior year. She knew that they had the same birthday too. Her eyes widen and she runs after the Darien she just met. Or thought she had just met. If his birthday was the same month, day, and year as hers then it has to be the same Darien she knew in 8th grade.

She sees Darien waiting outside in the parking lot.

"Darien! When is your birthday?"

He looks confused but then a look of realization came on his face and a small smile warmed his face.

"September 17th, 2001."

Sapphire's face lights up. "Darien... the Darien I helped back in 8th grade. I can't believe this... The one I started liking. The one I still like. The one I will probably never stop liking..."

Darien smiles softly. "You remember now."

Sapphire smiles and she nods. "You're still a dork aren't you?"

Darien laughs and nods. "And you're still a nerd?"

"Of course!"

They laugh and Darien reaches a hand up to Sapphire's cheek, almost touching it. After a few moments of it hanging there, he eventually pulls it away.

"I probably shouldnt-", he cuts himself off, confusing Sapphire.

"Shouldn't do what?" She had several butterflies in her stomach. She thought she knew what he wanted to do but she wanted to double check.

"I shouldn't kiss you", he murmurs as he turns away. Sapphire grabs hold of his hand, and pulls him back towards her. With her other hand, she reaches up and presses it against his cheek, looking deep into his eyes. She saw shock, happiness, but most of all, want. She smiles and leans up and gently kisses him. He kisses back and when they both pull away, they're smiling happily.

"Go on a date with me?" Darien asks. She smiles and nods happily. Several dates later, he proposed and they got married on September 17th, 2022.