Getting “played” qualifies as a number of things: getting cheated on, your boyfriend kissing or Snapchatting other girls, you talking to a boy but finding out he is talking to more than one girl, a boy lying to you about everything, and things along the lines of a boy telling you he's over his ex-girlfriend but seeing him with his ex-girlfriend the next day.
I'm here as the voice of every girl who has given a boy 100 percent while he gave 92 percent. What was so hard about that other 8 percent? You know, what the real question is, why are all these other girls okay with that other 8 percent?
Dear boy who couldn't be satisfied with my being a “good girl,”
I hope that girl you chose to do the things with that I wouldn't made you happy at the end of the day. Thank you for all those nights I fell asleep crying in high school. Thank you for making me feel ugly. Thank you for making me feel as though I wasn't good enough for the next boy. Thank you for making me feel like every other boy that came after you was just going to make me feel the exact same way. Most of all, thank you for making me realize that being a “good girl” wasn't a bad thing, because even though it blinded me to the situation, it also kept me from making some regrettable decisions in my life with you.
Dear boy who I gave a chance and stepped out of my comfort zone to be with,
If you were going to cheat on me, you could've done that with a girl I didn't know or was an upgrade at least. Thank you for first making me realize that short boys are still not worth it. Thank you for making me realize that going out with a boy that went to a different school was by far the stupidest thing ever. Thank you for lying to me. Thank you for those nighttime calls that made me feel special. Thank you for calling me beautiful. Most of all, thank you, for despite never ever having eyes for just me, for at least making me feel like you did. Because weirdly, at the time, I needed that. If you hadn't “played me,” I wouldn't have ended up in a better relationship with lessons learned.
Dear boy who looked me in the eyes every day and said he loved me,
Getting a good night text from another girl isn't OK. Snapchatting a girl nonstop isn't OK. Listening to another girls' personal problems isn't OK. Erasing text messages isn't OK. Letting me say hey to that girl in the hallway knowing that y'all were “buddy-buddy” wasn't OK. Thank you, though, for making me realize that our relationship wasn't as perfect as I thought it was. Thank you for making me feel that unbearable pain of knowing that another girl had the opportunity to have my world in her arms at one time. Most of all, thank you for being the first boy to hurt me so badly, but to convince me to stay to work it all out because I needed that experience.
Dear boy who “isn't over his ex-girlfriend,"
Saying you’re over your ex-girlfriend and then sitting with her at lunch like I couldn't see you or acting like we weren't cool just days before isn't OK. There is a reason she was your ex, so I honestly hope she hurts you again. We weren't dating, but why couldn't you just be straight up with me? Thank you for teaching me the best lesson: stay away from a boy who even has to claim he's over his old girl because I bet he is just like you—pathetic.
Dear boy who thinks it's OK to text for weeks straight and then just go MIA,
For the sake of all girls out there (and not just me), stop. It is not OK to text me first and make me feel like we were going to be a thing and then just stop. That's so rude and irritating. What possessed you to do something so foul? Was it fun forgetting to text me that one day or did you just start texting a new, better-looking, more intriguing girl? I really don't know, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't care either. Thank you for making me question if something is wrong with me. Thank you for those repulsive read receipts you forced me to look at day after day. Thank you for giving me false hope. Thank you for acting so concerned about whatever I told you every day. Most of all, thank you for playing me or, better yet, thank you for playing me, but not really playing me. In retrospect, we really weren't a thing, but I know we could've been a great thing.
Thank you to all the boys who have and will play me. Y'all are the reason I'm a stronger girl when it comes to relationships. Thank y'all for ruining that easy trust I used to have. Now every other boy has to try extra hard. Thank you for making me feel as though every boy will forever be the same, therefore wasting my time. I hope y'all sleep well every night knowing what y'all do to girls.
