A Proper Love Letter

#ToAllTheBoysContest

Dear Will, 

The first thing I could ever remember you saying to me was that you didn't recognize me and that I must be new to the school. 

I had been new. But we'd now been in school for two months and I've sat in front of you during Japanese class this whole time. 

We spent the rest of that year together struggling to pass the class and testing our language skills at the Japanese Market across town. That all stopped when you finally went off to high school and I, being a year younger than you, was still attending middle school. 

If we're being completely honest, my crush on you completely disappeared that year. As the saying goes "Out of sight, out of mind" I guess. But it wasn't until the following year when we were both at the same school again that I realized it hadn't disappeared. It had just stayed hidden until the moment where I'd be able to see you again. 

We grew closer that year. We had more classes together, introduced each other to new foods, had the same interest in sports, and shared the same opinions on seemingly important issues at the time. I'd never been so attracted to someone's mind before. You would play with my hair, hug me, and treat me so differently than everyone else that I began to believe that maybe you liked me too. 

You'd make me laugh, dance, and cringe at your obnoxious and sometimes dark sense of humor. You mispronounced my name on some occasions because you knew it annoyed me, bragged about your team beating mine in the MLB World Series, and drove an hour to have dinner with me the day before you had to compete for a scholarship. We were such good friends you had even made me your wingman (wing woman?) at one point, much to my disappointment. But you had never made me cry until the day I had found out you'd be leaving. 

You're headed off to college now. I honestly should have seen this coming. Just when I may have finally worked up the courage to confess to you, it's time for us to say our goodbyes. We'd always talked about how difficult it was for people to keep long distance relationships because we were exposed to the failure of them every day in military households. 

Maybe if you weren't leaving it would be different. Maybe if I'd just been a year older we'd both be going off to college and I could finally tell you how I feel. And maybe, just maybe, you'd like me back.... and that's why I can't tell you how I feel. 

If I knew you liked me back it would make it harder for me to let you go... but I have to let you go. You're going to do so great at school Will, I know it! Whether you read this or not, just know that you'll always be my crush. 

Love, Leah