Our story begins with the pre-law fraternity at OU, though neither one of us remembers the exact moment we met. We just remember being at OU bars together like we were best friends, but can’t pinpoint how we got there. During sophomore year, we created a beautiful friendship founded on important things like shooting pool at the CI, playing flip cup, and singing Justin Bieber songs. It was apparently obvious to everyone but ourselves that we had a chemistry that destined us to be more than friends. This finally sunk in when we karaoked the greatest love song of our generation, “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys. After practically burning the Smiling Skull to the ground, we finally saw there was something more between us. The problem was Katie was leaving to study abroad in Costa Rica. Katie says it was a mutual decision, but Nick says he was rejected. “We” decided that long distance wouldn’t work and that we should remain friends. Upon Katie’s return, we thought we could just jump back into being friends. One summer day, Nick had a meeting in Akron for work and he called Katie to see if she wanted to meet for dinner. This dinner felt platonic to both of us. We sat in Katie’s PT Cruiser at Swenson’s drive in and talked for hours. To others, this was clearly more than two friends meeting for a quick bite to eat. When Katie walked out the door in running shorts and a T-shirt, her mom said “THAT is what you’re wearing to dinner with Nick?” But we both stand by that it felt like nothing serious to us. Until we pulled out of the parking lot to drive our separate ways. It hit us that there was something more there. Katie took some convincing, as she was afraid to lose the friendship. Nick asked her out on a date three separate times. No. No. Yes. Finally, Nick took Katie to Casa Nueva on a real date and the rest is history. Over the next 5 years, we built a relationship grounded on our friendship. We still love to shoot pool, play flip cup, and sing music from a jukebox. We also love “Chipotle Sundays” on our couch, going on trips together, and spending time with each other’s families. “We” may have been afraid of losing our friendship by being together, but we now know being together means we will never lose our friendship.