“So there’s this boy…” That’s how it always starts. It’s amazing how you look at a huge, detailed, meaningful relationship and realize that the whole thing started with those four words. Just four little words that slipped off some naive girl’s lips, causing her friends to break out into a frenzy, pester and beg until the girl reveal the name of the boy. Now those words have become two people, just a boy and a girl, both completely oblivious to their future situation. In most cases, the friends bring the two together, constantly bugging the boy and confirming his feelings for the girl. Then comes the process of the boy asking himself what he wants; a girlfriend or just a fling? He doesn’t want to commit, that’s too exhausting, but he knows that it can’t be that difficult. But, he is convinced that a small fling would be both easier and more enjoyable. With these two thoughts, he goes back and forth for a while. The girl has a different thought pattern, she wants a relationship and will do anything to get one. With all her friends finding suitable partners, she has been left in the dust for a while, it was time for her to have a relationship.

I takes time for these two to start talking on a regular basis. First, they say hi and bye to each other, keeping any details of a possible conversation concealed in their minds. Slowly, casual talking begins, they start sharing stories and giving opinions. Then, these words turn into flirting, harmless at first and then more aggressive, clearly hinting at a relationship. Then, after time passes and the boy gathers up every speck of courage inside of him, he asks the girl out and the two become boyfriend and girlfriend.

Their relationship runs perfectly for a while, the pace is nice and smooth, the conversations don’t dull, and awkward moments are rare. It turns out that dating actually brings them a lot closer, which the girl feared wouldn’t happen since they had been very close before. But, paranoia like that vanished in the view of that boy’s eyes staring back into hers. So, she let herself slip away into the coziness of commitment.

The boy had different thoughts. After asking her out, he thought he would just like her more and more over time. But this wasn’t the case. Things about her became more emphasized, so he could see her flaws more clearly than ever before. Sometimes, he tried to avoid these things by ignoring them, causing his eyes to wander and land on the southern regions of other girls, girls who didn’t have the flaws his girlfriend had. It was inevitable that he wouldn’t stay faithful, even though he tried more than anything to be loyal. But, at a small get together with him and about seven other people, none of which were his girlfriend, a seductress closed in on his vulnerable teenage mind. Her flirting was spot on, no guy could resist, especially not one who was beginning to lose interest in his girlfriend. So, after an amount of time that wasn’t long enough, he ended up in a closet with this new girl.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend thinks nothing could be better. She is blind when she looks at him and doesn’t see anything wrong. His little relationship with the other women continues on and on, and no guilt comes from it. Finally, the two make a big mistake and decide to fool around on their school campus. They are caught by a teacher and the true rumors spread through the student body. Unfortunately, his girlfriend is part of the body. She doesn’t want to believe it at all. Who would? The boy she imagined an amazing future with decided a different girl was prettier, more interesting, and just better overall. Without avoiding him, she gathers the strength she had lost while dating him to face him head on. The student witnesses would say that the argument was really ugly. They would say that there was a lot of yelling, a variety of language, and a rare sight for high school hallways. They would also say that the girl clearly won. Everyone around her took her side and gave her immense support. But even if that was true, she still felt terrible. Sure, yelling at him got some of the pain out, but definitely not all of it. She was extremely depressed for a few weeks after that, but came out of it after realizing that she was sick of being sad. She just wanted to be happy again, so she forced herself to forget about it. But, that one guy damaged her view of love for long after it was over. She was afraid to date, to meet new guys, to even talk to them because she just assumed they were all the same. Eventually, she would get over it, but that one boy would always be printed in her brain, never leaving her memory, and always keeping her a little more careful when encountering the male species.

And it all started with four words.

The End