Freshman year. First year of high school. Fourteen years old.

All you want in life at that time is for someone to like you back. Someone to show you that you’re not just a hormonal, acne-riddled freshman, but someone who likes you for you.

You stroll down the halls, staring and gazing at people, just waiting for a potential suitor to stare and gaze back. You start snapping people and sliding into their DMs, trying to look your best by updating your profile picture or sending a snap from the right angle to get a good response out of someone you have your eye on.

Finally, someone notices your hint of beauty. And by hint of beauty, I mean your Snap score or amount of followers on Instagram.

They ask you, whom they’ve never talked to in person, to go on a date with them. To the movies, of course.

Without a doubt, you say yes and rush into the living room to ask your mom if she can take you to Crowne Pointe on Saturday night to meet up with a boy you’ve never talked to in real life. 

At this age, your mom is still asking you who the boy is, if she can meet the parents, and most importantly, is the guy actually real? You angrily roll your eyes and respond to her, so that you can go tell your new boyfriend that you can go to the movies.

Saturday night comes around and you’re on your way to the movie theater. 

The boy is there in Nike sweats and Crocs, while you showed up in your nicest, but most casual outfit that you spent all night picking out. The next two hours drag on with awkward stares and grazing hands. 

School returns on Monday, but the guy has said nothing to you since Saturday night. Your first modern day heartbreak over a useless teenage boy has officially occured.

Senior year. Four years into high school. Eighteen years old.

You’ve spent the last four years getting to know plenty of people and you finally found the one you might actually spend the rest of your life with.

You’re finally able to drive. You can meet up for dates. You’re practically an adult and don’t always have to ask for permission. All of this because you’ve ultimately found someone who likes you for you.

Your love life has evolved from going on dates to more quality time with that person because you love them. You’re not as concerned with the image of you and your significant other, but with the importance of your future with this person you love so dear.

You still feel the little freshman version of yourself jump inside of you when your significant other tells you that they love you, or even just that they actually think you’re pretty. You still appreciate the bare minimum, but you realize that there’s so much more. 

It’s about all the little things that you wouldn’t have appreciated as much when you were consistently checking a random guy’s Snap Score to see if he was busy or just ignoring you.

You never thought four years ago that you would go from pointless movie dates to talking about plans after graduation with the person you love more than anything.

So much more than cheesy movie dates. So much more than falling asleep on FaceTime. So much more than being each other’s number one best friend on Snapchat.

If you’re reading this and thinking “Well, I haven’t experienced this yet!” Don’t settle. Your person is coming to you at the perfect time. Hold out hope that they won’t treat you like a freshman boyfriend in Crocs at the movies.