Tell me the story of your high school crush!
But first, I’ll tell you mine.
I was a freshman; He was a senior. I was the type of girl who guys didn’t notice. He was every girl’s not-so-secret crush. We were both in the drama department, but while he was the star of the show, I was “Townsperson #5.” And I was sooo clueless, staring at him during cast meetings before or after rehearsal. Sure, he was used to getting stared at, but still…could I have been more obvious?
More cringe?
The answer to that is YES. One glorious afternoon in the week leading up to opening night, the cast of Our Town had a pre-run-through meeting before getting into costume. We all sat on the floor, half-listening as the director told us to replace our props to the backstage table as soon as we exited the stage. As a mere extra, I didn’t use any props, so this lecture didn’t apply to me. I was much more focused on the fact that Jake was sitting right next to me.
What’s more, his shoelace was untied!
In a burst of out-of-character boldness, I leaned over and tied the worn laces of his Converse sneaker, looping a perfect bow. When I was done, I hazarded a glance at him. He smiled his swoon-worthy smile and said, “Thanks, Laurel.”
HE KNEW MY NAME!!
Did we ever exchange words afterwards? Sadly, no. But I would cherish that moment for years to come.
I revisited that memory when I began writing The Side Project, intrigued by the question: what if, years later, an impossible high school crush turned into something more?
As we approach The Side Project’s release date on November 13th, I’d love to hear and share high school crush stories from y’all. So I created this form where you can give me the deets. And if you do, you’ll be entered to win a blind date with a book, genre of your choice.
Thanks, and stay tuned! I’m hoping to share lots of really great high school crush stories!
Leave a Reply