You think you know what love is, right? But let me ask you, when did you love with the most passion? When did you feel crazy in love? Well, High School of course!
Call me biased (maybe because I am only in High School after all), but I believe whole heartedly, that High School love is the best. The thrill of seeing him for the first time; behaving like a love struck puppy, floating on cloud 9; using every possible resource trying to get him know better (networking through friends and cyber stalking is a personal favorite); forming connections with him by making friends with his friends; then finally, one fateful day, he looks at you and smiles. You will either:
a) smile back with immense grace and mystique, enough to let him know you're interested but not enough to look like you are obsessed (which you are by this point)
b) keep staring in complete disbelief and murmuring under your breath long enough to make him believe you are in fact quite .. well .. "special" (the kind that believes that aliens are conspiring against them with Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy).
c) Pass out. Yes, that's it. Out cold.
Now, we all rehearse this in our heads a hundred times over but the sad truth is only 1 out of every 1000 will be able to execute (a). And the rest of us mere mortals, have to settle for (b) or (c).
Then you start talking to him (one word at a time, between giggles, longing looks and sighs. Each night you prepare what you're going to say to him (more thoroughly than you would ever study for your exams, of course!). You play out every possibility, every gesture and every last movement till you know it better than your name. And when you meet him in school the next day, all that confidence melts and you count the colours in his eyes while he speaks to you. It may not to be according to plan, but it is still "perfect" (yes, that's a word you will use in every conversation regarding him. Repeatedly) . You listen to love songs, watch romantic movies and read passionate novels until you memorize every last lyric, dialogue and quote. (The entertainment business has made three-quarters of it's revenue through this. We are exploited and might I say, we love every minute of it.)
Then come the endless stream of magazine articles and advice from friends on how to make him ask you out. (Girls never ask out guys. That's like the sun rising from the west.). A person in this stage is easily identifiable as they will be more careful about their appearance and look which has been painstakingly put together. More plotting and planning ensues; nervous midnight calls to friends, endless frustrations. But it is all worth it when he finally pops the question: "Will you go out with me?".
For a second the world stops still, it's just you and him. You take a mental image and promise yourself you'll never forget this moment. And believe me, you won't.
Then the inevitable: you both send out texts to everyone you know. The world must know of this most "perfect" union.
Then the part which I personally find the most boring: the relationship. Okay, I know that sounds cheap but you're all just in denial. There are (again) a few ways this could go:
a) You truly are soul mates, each other's better halves. The love may sometimes lessen but it never dies. (Lucky asses, you.)
b) You enjoy it for a while then you get bored. (This is more common than you'd think.)
c) You're madly in love and then he goes and cheats on you and breaks your heart (okay, fine, girls also cheat.)
Then comes the painful break up. Tears are shed, names are called, promises that once you had guarded with your life are broken. Either you say you'll remain friends which more often than not doesn't work out, or nothing but hatred remains in your heart, leaving no place for forgiveness and understanding.
This is the period of emptying tissue boxes, wondering what went wrong, woeful ballads and the time for friends. Because guys will come and guys will go, but you're friends will always be there to hold you up when you don't have the will to go on, to support you when everything seems to falling apart and most of all, ensure that guy knows what a "massive, humongous ass hole he is for screwing up the best thing that ever happened to him". And then making his life a living hell. Always love your friends the most, coz they love you even after seeing you at your absolute worst.
And then one fine day, another amazingly brilliant guy looks at you and the whole process starts all over again.
That's the best part about High School love: you could fall madly in love and then feel your world spiraling down when it's over but with a little help from your friends, you can start all over with as much of enthusiasm, love and passion.
To all those who have experienced it, I hope it was a happy trip down memory lane.
To all those who are yet to experience it, I hope you enter this most memorable and amazing phase of your life with optimism and faith.
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it.
Love without fear and with your whole heart.
