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Brendan and Kendyl, both 24, met in ninth-grade biology class at Vance High School. Brendan used the time-honored "teasing" method to get Kendyl's attention.
The lab partner: I was really not interested in boys in ninth grade. I tolerated Brendan, because he was my biology lab partner and my brother's soccer buddy. Then in 10th grade, my brother started giving Brendan a ride to school. I complained to my mom each evening about Brendan teasing me, bugging me and, worst of all, not letting me sit in the front seat on our way to school.
The driver's license: My feelings changed the closer Brendan and I got to our 16th birthdays. I remember informing my parents that he'd be picking me up the day he got his driver's license and taking me to the mall. They promptly told me that their little girl was not getting in a vehicle with a newly licensed 16-year-old male. And they asked, "What happened to the Brendan you couldn't stand?"
The sweethearts: Even though I was not allowed to ride with him that day, Brendan and I began dating shortly after. We were high school sweethearts until we graduated in 2003. Being sensible teenagers and doing what our parents thought was best, we chose different colleges. I went to UNC Wilmington, Brendan to Virginia Tech. As four years passed, we drove between Wilmington and Blacksburg, Va., more and more frequently.
The gift: We returned to Charlotte after graduation, and on Christmas Eve 2008, Brendan invited me to take part in his family's gift exchange. As I opened my gift, I could tell it was a ring. He got down on one knee and proposed in front of his entire family. The wedding was Oct. 17, at St. Peter Catholic Church. If you listen to the words of the Taylor Swift song "Love Story," you might think it was written about us - even down to the proposal. Kathy Haight
