I am 15 and I am not allowed to date. Therefore I don’t know the ins and outs of dating like most people my age. So I am left my imagination and what I’ve seen in movies. I’ve always imagined me and a guy, his face is never clear in my mind, running along the beach. I’m in a beautiful sundress and my curls are whipping carelessly around my face. I am laughing and he smiles at me. He has a nice smile, one I could look at forever. He pulls me close and kisses me on the lips, short and sweet. We giggle, and I wrap my arms around his neck and stare into his eyes. I don’t know what color they are but I know that I can see into his soul, and it’s pure. This is the innocent kind of young love. Not like the other teenage loves that end in disaster. I am sure of it. I hear stories from my friends all the time. How their relationships end in pain and involve stupidity and confusion. But I am sure I won’t end up that way.
I imagine me and guy, not on a beach this time, but in my backyard. I am wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and my ratty converse. we’re sitting in the grass, talking. I lay down and the blades of grass tickle my neck, my hair fans out around my head. Were holding hands, he says something that makes me laugh. He kisses me lightly on the nose and I blush. He smiles, it’s always the same smile, the one I could look into forever. He kisses me lightly and my hands reach up to his face. He has light stubble that scratch the palms of my hand, but I don’t seem to mind. And we stay there, talking, whispering “I love you” our lips so close they brush against each other. I hear people say that young love never lasts, that is only causes problems. But I am convinced that with the right person young love can last forever.
I imagine me and him, we’re waiting in line for the movies. His hand is in the back pocket of my jeans, my arm wrapped around his waist. I sigh contently and he looks down at me and smirks. I smile up at him and ruffle his shaggy hair, he needs a haircut. He picks the movie and I pick the candy. Sour gummy worms and starbursts. We sit in the theater and wait for the movie to start. We fool around trying to catch starbursts in our mouth. I miss repeatedly and he laughs, I pout and he kisses me. Then we’re laughing all over again.
But I come crashing back to reality. I get a phone call from my friend, crying and heartbroken. And what people say about young love seems true. Less than 5% of all high school relationships end in marriage. And over 75% of all high school relationships end with heart break. I see what my friends go through, and don’t want it at all. I guess for now I’ll stick to my imaginary boyfriends, and the one’s I crush on in movies. I can always modify them in my mind and turn off the tv if they turn into jerks, but in real life you just have to roll with the punches.