Foolish One
The silly love stories of my teenage years
We’ve all had those youthful moments of being foolishly in love, haven’t we? Indeed, I can’t be the only one searching for a friend who can relate.
Exactly, I’ve gone through this several times — those moments when I’m still figuring out the true essence of love, the intricacies of relationships, and all that comes with them.
Ah, teenage love — the rollercoaster of emotions, the dizzying highs, and the heart-wrenching lows.
My high school love story remains one of the best experiences in my life, despite not ending as expected. I can’t deny that it was a lot of fun during my youth, and it taught me valuable lessons along the way.
I had a crush on a senior in high school — and to my confidence, I thought he liked me back. It all began during a school activity, like many high school stories do, with stolen glances and awkward smiles. But it ended there, as he got a girlfriend the next semester. I spent two weeks crying over it, and now, looking back, I feel silly for feeling so lost since we hardly even talked.
Of course, he graduated before me, and I moved on to another crush. This time another schoolmate from the same activity. I was head over heels for this guy, and I couldn’t explain why. I did everything for him because it seemed like he was into me too. I’d wait in the cafeteria for him and watch him finish his soccer practice. Our bond grew stronger with each passing day.
Then my friends learned about us, and they warned me that he was a bit of a player; seeing other girls too. They advised me to end the relationship immediately. It was only our first week together, so I was shocked and mostly confused by the rumor. But the next time I saw him, I decided to break up. He asked why, and I simply said, “My friends told me to break up with you.”
What a foolish mistake I made by citing my friends’ advice as the reason for the breakup instead of simply telling him it was because he hung out with other girls. This led to a hostile rivalry between our groups of friends throughout our school years. Thankfully, we’re on good terms now, and those are the stories we can laugh about today.
I also ever developed a crush on one of my classmates due to frequent pairing for school group projects. Over time, sparks flew between us, and without hesitation, we committed to a relationship. I know, that was quick.
Also, it didn’t last long. Three months in, I discovered he was cold and distant. Back then, I didn’t understand the concept of love languages, and even now, I feel it wouldn’t have made a difference. He stopped talking to me like he used to, distanced himself, and ignored my calls and messages. To add to the pain, he confessed to one of my friends that he had already broken up with me.
I got really angry once and yelled at him in the cafeteria, with everyone watching. I demanded to know why, and he simply said he got bored with me. When I pressed for more reasons, he had no answers; he had just lost interest. Fuming and crying, I yelled, “I’m breaking up with you!” and stormed out of the cafeteria. But just seconds later, I tripped and fell, adding a heap of embarrassment to the mix.
I know it sounds like something out of a sitcom, but it happened. I got back up and tried to act unfazed. Even though I knew everyone in the cafeteria was talking about the couple that had just broken up, with one of them yelling loudly and then tripping right after.
However, my breakup words didn’t mean the end; I secretly hoped he would chase after me. But I realized how foolish I was because he never made any such effort.
Once, I gave him answers during an exam, helping him through the tough questions, and he passed because of me. He thanked me, but he still didn’t want to be with me. Even during school holidays, when we were supposed to meet, he never made an effort to do so, not even a quick rendezvous or a visit to my house.
Things got even more dramatic when I orchestrated an ‘unplanned meeting’ with a friend, making it look like we’d ‘accidentally’ cross paths. My friend invited him to hang out, and he agreed, thinking I wouldn’t be there. Little did he know, it was my plan all along, and I’d show up at the same place they were hanging out, looking my absolute best, hoping to catch his eye once more.
It played out smoothly. My friend and I were good at acting, and he fell for it, believing it was an accidental encounter. And at the same time I also felt like the prettiest girl in the world thinking my dress-up would probably gave a satisfying result, but I couldn’t tell if he saw me that way because he didn’t react at all – so I assumed I had failed.
My friend asked me to sit next to him, which was part of the plan. I intended to ask him to get back together, but my foolishness got the best of me; waited for him to say it first. And unfortunately, it never happened. We only sat there in silence, listening to my friend talk, and the moment slipped away. We all then went back home just like that. I used to hope that after that encounter, he would want to reconcile. But he didn’t.
Looking back on those stories, they’re so much fun to reminisce about. All the silliness and stubbornness taught valuable lessons to everyone involved.
Nights spent in tears over someone I loved, waiting for love confesses or apologies that never arrived, via calls or messages, and even waiting at the front door for their appearance. How foolish it all seems now.
My teenage love stories wasn’t all romance; it had its share of tragedy and foolishness. I used to believe I wasn’t good, smart, or pretty enough to be loved and that’s why I kept failing in relationships. But as I’ve grown older, I realized that I’m indeed worth to love. My past relationships never last simply because they weren’t the right ones for me.
It answers the question about love and the lessons to be learned from relationships. Love is a complex emotion that can vary greatly depending on the context and the people involved. Being in a relationship is about giving your love to your partner, but it’s equally important to remember to love yourself.
My first breakup left me feeling lost, to the point where I failed in my school subjects because all I could think about was my lost love, neglecting what was most important at the time. It’s a reminder not to let love blind you to your other responsibilities.
Despite the challenges, I won’t ignore that love is still a beautiful thing, and I’m glad I discovered it in high school. Even though it didn’t last, but our love grew more substantial like an unextinguishable wildfire. It was love that saved me from my teenage angst, revealing the beauty in vulnerability and the strength in letting someone in — and eventually letting them go.
Foolish one
Stop checkin’ your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain’t never gonna come
You will take the long way, long way down
Taylor Swift’s songs have been my constant companion through every stage of life, from teenage love breakups to the real heartbreaks I’ve experienced as I grew older. Her music evolves just like life does, and it mirrors the way being sixteen is incomparable to being eighteen, twenty-two, or twenty-five. I’ve realized that I face different kinds of love and react to them differently, shaped by the knowledge and experiences I’ve gained along the way.
I’ve found contentment in my current partner, knowing that this contentment stems from the various forms of love we’ve experienced in our past relationships. We’ve learned valuable lessons from our previous partners, which have made us better individuals. It makes me want to thank all the girls he loved before; for how good of a partner he is now with me.
Now, years later, as I look back on that teenage love, I realize that it wasn’t just a chapter in my life but the defining chapter that shaped me into the person I am today. It taught me that love, even in its most youthful and imperfect form, has the power to heal, transform, and save us from the darkest corners of our souls. And for that, I’ll forever be grateful for the teenage love that kept me from angst and led me into the light of adulthood.
These love stories sometimes make me feel like the silliest person on Earth. But at the very least, I have something to laugh about and valuable lessons to learn.
One of the valuable lessons I’ve learned is not to rely too heavily on your partner, as you must always remember to love yourself. It is important to self-love and finding happiness in various forms like friends, family, or activities you enjoy. While having a partner can bring happiness, they are not the sole source of it. You can still find happiness with or without them.
Because there is happiness before them and there is happiness because of them. These two forms of happiness are distinct, even though they are intertwined with each other.
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