Dear [Insert whoever you think this is about here],
If someone were to ask, “Do you know Dominique?” you would probably reply, “Yeah, I know of her,” and then go on with your day, erasing both the question and the thought of me completely from your mind. Aside from that, you definitely do not have any recollection of me strolling through the halls or even my face for that matter.
I, however, would glowingly answer about knowing of you and, to this day, I’d most likely freeze up if I were to see you perusing through the junk food aisle at Shop Rite.
You would parade through school, with your gang of athletes in varsity jackets, while I, Miss Outgoing-But-Insecure, would develop a burning hot tomato face whenever you would pass. Near you, I grew capricious: transforming from a bubbly, conversational socialite into a timid and prudish wallflower. I was unpredictable. And the best part? All of my friends, acquaintances and even my parents knew and still bring up, by the way, that I had a massive, “great in fantasy, but never going to happen in reality” crush on you. They all told me to muster up the courage and start a conversation, like it was as easy as finishing a slice of pizza. Oh, how their naiveté humored me. I could not even formulate a topic of discussion, let alone construct a string of sentences or utter a simple hello if given the chance.
If my Taylor Swift-esque, little girl crush taught me anything, it taught me to grow a pair and take risks and abandon every self-hindering fear from within. Day by day, I channel my buried heartache of never getting to know you and use it as a motivator towards never allowing my anxiety to grow and drown me beneath the land of vast opportunities and beautiful men. Sure, rejection sucks, and the thought of it hurts just as much as the act itself, but what if you actually said yes to a date and expressed mutual interest? What if you actually liked me, too? Well, now I’ll never really know, since I never took on the risk of flirtation — a risk that, perhaps, would’ve worked in my favor. Besides, even with the odds of dating you against me, I could’ve easily fixed the burn of rejection with a Dairy Queen blizzard.
All and all, I can now laugh over a glass of wine and cubed cheeses about the feelings I harbored for you. That said, crushing on you added some spice and "90210"-level drama into my life, so kudos to you and your stunning smile. On a more serious note, I cannot thank you enough for, ironically, giving me the confidence and strength when I need it most. I hope you age as well as Robert Downey Jr. and don’t de-friend me around the time of the 2016 presidential election.
Until then, stay golden.
Your Lover From Afar,
Dominique
