Your typical cheerleader doesn't date your typical geek.

I guess that makes our relationship...untypical?

When I first told Mack I wanted to be his girlfriend I guess that I expected a little more excitement. But he just sat there on my parents couch, all calm. Then he tried to tell me that he would need a week to think about it.

HUH?! What the heck does he need a week for? He has been following me around like a lost puppy for the better part of seven months, and he needs time to think????

I wasn't having any of that.

"Why? Is that how you really feel?" I had pretty much expected this to be smooth, and him to be elated. Not with his forehead creasing in contemplation!

"Let's say I had a date this weekend. Would you let me go on it if you were my girlfriend?"

Ok, so I hadn't thought about that. Yes, I would let him keep his date that he already had planned. Mack is so kind-hearted that it literally kills him to be mean to someone. Of course, I would be freaking out the whole time. That is just how I am.

So I told him how I felt and that I would be near hysterics when he went, and he said that as long as he kept his promise to this other girl, we could be together.

Being with Mackenze made me more happy than I had ever been in my whole life. I didn't know what it felt like to be treated well by a man until I met him. All of the sudden, the man that I had always wanted and dreamed of was with me.

The next four weeks were absolutely wonderful. Every waking moment we spent with each other.

On Christmas Eve 2007, Mackenze proposed to me in my parents family room. I had just woken up from a nap, and tired Justine can be very cranky if she doesn't have enough sleep. His whole family and my whole family were in the living room and he said that he wanted to read a poem to me.

"Ok lets go out to the family room." I had just woken up and I didn't want to be around all these people.

"I wanted to do it out here."

"No, lets go to the family room."

"Ok." Mackenze is not one to push things more than once so I thought that was kinda odd that he almost insisted we stay there. I was so tired, I probably would have gave into him, but then had an attitude the whole time.

So we went out to the family room and he began to read me the poem. It was so sweet. We were sitting on the couch and I was enjoying hearing all these great things about me, we all of the sudden at the end of the poem he gets up and gets down on his knees.

It was then I realized what was happening and guilt swept over me in all forms. I understood now why he had wanted to be in front of the family. So they could all see and hear too. My heart sped up, and every little sound that was in the room muted itself, all I could hear was the words he was saying.

"Will you marry me?"

I think my yes was slightly inaudible. I was in complete shock. I usually know when big things like this are coming. How did he keep this from me??

Afterwards, we proceeeded out back to the living room and told everyone the news. Everyone was happy, and my Aunt was crying. Which started to make me cry, of course. Partly still in shock, but mostly in happiness.

Sometimes when I look back I think that I was in some sort of teen flick where two complete opposites fall in love. But what Mackenze and I have is something way better than a movie or book could ever depict.