Heartbreak # 1

I remember I had a huge crush on you. And I was happy that you were happy I liked you, too. I knew that we felt the exact same way for each other. Or so I thought.

Everything was perfect. A few days went by, but it wasn’t official. You weren’t my boyfriend, and I wasn’t your girlfriend. We were both way too young for that stuff. But we both knew we liked each other.

Everyone in our second grade class knew we liked each other.

But then one day, when I thought you were going to tell me something cute, like a joke, or a story, you surprised the hell out of me. I was so surprised, I thought I was going to throw up. I remember the exact words you said to me on the floor in our classroom.

You said, "I’m sorry, I don’t like you anymore."

And it’s because of those words I can’t think back on my memories as an eight year old and smile.

But that’s not what really hurt me. What really hurt me were the words that followed those words. The reason you didn’t like me anymore.

I asked you one simple question. One word. And that was one word I regret even mentioning. I asked, "why?" And that word caused me to cry for the first time in elementary school. In front of everyone. In front of our whole second grade class.

You told me the reason you didn’t like me anymore was because of another girl. A fourth grader, which I guess, looking back on it now, would have been an accomplishment for a second grade boy.

But wait. It gets better.

You met her at a park. You said she called you cute. And BAM. Everything that happened before meant nothing anymore. Chasing you around the playground. Calling each other cute. Being made fun of because we were the first in our class to have hormones. Everything. POOF. Gone.

Well, you know what? I’m glad that your mind could be changed so easily. That quality comes in handy, except for, God forbid, someone admits they still like you. And I hope that you and the girl you met once lived happily ever after. Because I know I didn’t.