Yes. I will admit. My boyfriend and I started dating in high school. Personally, I don’t see why that makes our relationship any less legitimate than another.

My freshman year of high school, I had a teacher who always seemed to butt heads with the other kids in the class. He stated his mind and there was no changing it. It never helped that I had him the first period of the day, so the entire class was already grumpy and not willing to listen to him ramble about things that he found impossible.

One day, he told us that we shouldn’t even bother dating in high school because, statistically, the relationship was not going to last. My parents are high school sweethearts that met in marching band, so immediately I rejected his notion and began to think more highly of high school relationships.

I met my wonderful boyfriend of 2 years now in that class. We met on the first day of freshman year of high school in first period, and we sat right across from each other at the lab tables.

We met that day, became fast friends, and stayed close throughout all four years of high school. In that time, we had gone on double dates with our at-the-time significant others (awkward now looking back on it…), each had experienced massive heartbreak, and found a special kind of comfort in talking to each other about problems. Funny how things work out.

We started dating December of our senior year. We had known each other for pushing 3 ½ years at that point, but only then did we realize exactly how much we relied on each other.

I’m not saying that every high school relationship is worth holding onto. Believe me. Pretty much all of us have experienced a high school heartbreak, myself included. Even so, people need to stop assuming that just because a couple is in high school that they will break up within the first year of college at the latest.

Admittedly, most high school relationships don’t last, but that doesn’t mean that the ones that do are “immature” or “unwilling to move on.” People have asked me why I don’t break up with him and be “free” at college. I don’t know exactly what they mean; I would rather be happy than “free.”

Yes, my boyfriend and I started dating before we were both legally adults. Yes, we went to prom together and spent time with many couples that are no longer together. Yes, we graduated from high school together, and yes, after almost a year and a half in college, we have remained inseparable.

I have to admit that if the love that I have for my boyfriend is any different than the love that two people have when they meet after high school because of their maturity level, I have no idea. I met my boyfriend years before his beard and long before I realized that long hair just doesn’t work for me. As we got older, we stayed friends despite petty arguments. We witnessed each other at our highest and our lowest during our friendship, and we learned how to help each other up when we were struggling. We met when we were kind of clueless about how the world works.

The best part? We got to figure it out together.

Not all high school relationships are worth keeping. Many people do need to find themselves and what they love after high school. Please don’t disregard the legitimacy and the love that could be in a high school relationship.

I am lucky to be in a high school relationship that long succeeded high school. I'm lucky I have him, and I wouldn't have it any other way.