I was 15 years old when I met you, and I wasn’t prepared for the influence you were going to make on my life. Every boy I had ever met up until that point was just a boy, and I was just a girl. I thought I knew what love was, and I thought I was older and more mature than I really was. But when I met you, I realized everything I thought I knew was nothing compared to what you would teach me.
From the time I was a sophomore until I was a senior, I could always count on you to scream my name from the stands at every basketball game. And you could always count on me to sit behind the fence of your baseball games. I sat beside your parents and your grandparents, and I loved them as much as I loved you. I went to your family parties, and you went to mine. At the time, I thought it was exactly how it should be. I fit into your life, and you fit just as well into mine.
You were there when my world turned upside down. Your home became my escape. People say we were too young to be in love, but I know they were wrong. No one can ever take away from the fact that you were my first love, and I will always carry that with me.
There were days where I considered never leaving home and just staying there with you. But I knew in my heart that that was never what I wanted, and I know you knew that too. We pretended like it didn’t matter, acting as if that day would never come, and if for some reason it did, we would suddenly know how to handle it. I applied for schools hundreds of miles away and schools just up the road. As the months passed, it became undeniable. You were staying here, and I was leaving.
Saying goodbye to you was one of the most painful things I’ve ever done, but I knew it was what I had to do. At 15 years old, I didn’t think I’d be standing there three years later. I figured something would happen… you’d dump me or we’d lose interest, or something. But, we didn’t, and I didn’t know where to turn.
Now it’s almost two years later, and I think I finally understand. Thank you for letting me go and realize my dreams. Thank you for giving me the strength and confidence to go on with my life. Thank you for being my friend even today after everything we’ve gone through. Thank you for writing me letters and teaching me to ride a long board. Thank you for stuffing every shot I took when we played one on one in the drive way. I hope when you think of me now you don’t think of fighting and heartbreak, but you think of Super Smash Bros and movie marathons. Thank you for teaching me how to love.
To every person who’s ever disregarded the significance of a high school relationship, this relationship was one of the most significant things to me. I will forever be thankful for the ways in which you shaped me.
Love always,
Your High School Sweetheart
