Yeah, I know, it seems obvious that you shouldn't date someone you don't like. But when your friends are all pushing you to date someone because they think you two would make the most perfect couple ever, it's hard to say no. Especially if you haven't had a boyfriend.
Friends generally have your best interest in mind. I say generally because sometimes they will suggest you do something, and there will be a little voice in the back of your mind trying to talk you out of it. Listen to that voice, that voice knows what's up.
Junior year, I was working on a play with Awkward Boy and it was clear to anyone that he was completely smitten with me. I didn't care one way or the other because I had no interest in him, although I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy the attention. My friends all got it into their heads that we should date, and even though I didn't like him, I said why not? Harmless enough, right? Wrong.
We "dated" for a few months, but the whole time I was completely mortified to be seen with him, and all I could think about was breaking up with him, although I had no idea how. Each passing day seemed to make things worse. He gave me a white belt as a present before a dance, he sang 'My Funny Valentine' off-key at a prom after-party, and he left a cluster of campus flowers on my car one day after school. The very thought of him made me want to recoil in disgust. I just did not like him romantically at all.
I thought I was doing a fairly good job ignoring Awkward Boy. I tried to send him signals that I wasn't interested, hoping he'd take the hint, but to no avail. In the end, I wrote him a letter, gave it to him, and never returned his calls or spoke to him again. That was not the most mature way to handle it, of course, but at the same time I was clueless and angry at myself for being pushed into such an uncomfortable situation. I knew I didn't like him, so why did I go out with him?
The whole thing was so surreal that to this day I don't count him as a real boyfriend. In my head he never really was, even though we went to plenty of dances and the whole student body knew we were together.
The thing is, no matter how bad you want to start dating, you should wait till you meet someone you actually like. Because if you don't, you might end up with an awkward white belt from Banana Republic. And trust me, you will never wear it.
Got any life lessons you learned the hard way? Share in the comments, and we can all commiserate.
Topics: Life
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