Dear Guy I Stare At All the Time,

First let me say, I am so sorry if I’ve taken it too far and you are planning to use the information in this letter to file a restraining order against me.

Now, let me say congratulations! You are responsible for my hearing exactly one-third of whatever the professor has said in class all semester, approximately three stumbles down the stairs when I see you, and 58 averted gazes when you catch my eye. I am not creepy. Every girl has someone like you - this one stranger she wishes she knew, but at the same time goes out of her way to never speak to - half because of nerves and half because, if she did, the magic would be ruined.

Now that your ego is sufficiently fluffed, let me move on. Michelle Obama said it best when speaking last Tuesday at the Apollo Theater, “There is no boy at this age that is cute enough or interesting enough to stop you from getting your education.” She was making a speech to about the 62 million girls in the world who do not have access to an education.

I am writing to assure you that you are not important enough to make me drop my pencil and miss the final step in solving an equation. You are not perfect, incredible, nor a sculpture chiseled from Italian marble and brought to life by the gods. You are a person with likes and dislikes and flaws and quirks I know nothing about. And I am the same to you.

I am writing to say thank you. Guys like you are a distraction I so desperately need. You are an escape from all the judgment, slut shaming, and Tinder messages most guys force upon girls. You are the one guy, who will never hurt me, never make me feel bad about my body or call me a b***h. You are whoever I want you to be, and I need you to be that. Maybe it’s wrong to use people like this but who is it really harming? Thank you for being an outlet for all my frustrations. Whenever I need something to look at to prevent me from having a panic attack over the three quizzes and two papers I have due next week, your perfect hair is a sight for sore eyes. Thank you for giving me something to look forward to when I drag myself out of bed on a Friday morning to sit through two hours of class. You get me there.

All of this might sound really shallow. Come on, are you really just going to class to see some guy you don’t even know?

You’d better believe I am.

The fact of the matter is, however grateful we are to be here, school is hard! Not to mention boring as hell. Who cares how I get to and through class as long as I do? The truth is, I am a young, educated girl and as such, I have academic and career goals. But I am also 20 years old, so please forgive me when I say I need something to get me up at 8 a.m. when I know I have a full day ahead of me.

XOXO,

That girl you’ve never noticed.