By Samantha Rios

My elementary school years were a time filled with endless free time, lasting laughter and fun love. Fun love, as my mom once referred to it as, is an innocent and simple relationship between two childish kids. And while my “fun love” relationship in elementary school was quite pure, it certainly wasn’t simple. Taylor Blackburn was an incredibly talented fourth-grade drawer, math aficionado and my first crush.

Taylor and I were quite dissimilar. He enjoyed solving complicated math problems and I took pleasure in repeatedly reading the Junie B. Jones book series. He made the entire class laugh with a silly punchline and I would choke up whenever the teacher would call on me.

But these differences strengthened our compatibility.

When I was having trouble completing my math homework, he would come to my rescue and break down each problem until I understood. When he couldn’t come up with a few extra sentences to finish his book report, I would ask him a few questions about the plot and out came two new details he forgot to mention.

Taylor had shaggy, light brown hair, a mildly tan complexion and a goofy smile. He often wore collared shirts with baggy carpenter jeans and always carried his olive-green messenger bag.

He was a sociable yet reserved kid who wasn’t afraid of discomfort or eccentricity. He loved to sketch anything and everything he believed his little fingers could properly illustrate. His passion for drawing was disregarded by most of our peers, except for me. I showed interest in his work which he immediately recognized and appreciated.

This exchange of interest and appreciation led to a new friendship that revolved around teaching and learning. We became art buddies, and then reading buddies, and then recess buddies and then eventually fun love buddies.

When I recall these memories and reminisce about my “fun love” times, I not only wonder where Taylor is now but also feel a sense of gratitude for him and his friendship. He accepted my introversion and I accepted his extraversion. We balanced each other out and embraced our newfound ambiversion.

By Tania Salceda

In general, the event of having a first crush is such a memorable thing. Well, for me, it really isn’t. All I remember is being so head over heels for a stranger. How could this be? How could I possibly have the biggest crush on some kindergartener whom I have never even talked to? Well, he soon ended up talking to me, but not in the way you would imagine!

He became my worst nightmare. Once the word got around that I had a huge crush on him, my young life completely took a turn for the worst. He then transformed into my first bully.

I’m guessing he either liked me back but was too embarrassed to say so, or he simply thought I had cooties and was not good enough for him. Due to his bullying, I was afraid to go to recess every day. My fear of my crush bullying me pushed me to become friends with my teacher, which led to me telling her all about my situation.

One day my teacher asked him to stay in during lunch to have a serious talk with him. He received a lunch detention for bullying and ended up apologizing to me.

Now that I think about this time, it was quite memorable, and it taught me that having a crush at such a young age will not benefit anyone. It also taught me to never share a secret.

By Cody Nabor

My first crush came along back in Japan in 2011 when I used to live in Yokosuka. I was a young kid so when I heard the word date or crush or anything love-like it disgusted me.

I don’t feel so disgusted now but back then loving someone was a vile thing to me. I wasn’t the one to just stumble upon her; her friend introduced me to her and I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so beautiful. I was speechless. I was trying to say something like “nice to meet you,” but I just stood there and stuttered.

Her name was Sam, and she and I became great friends. I was a young kid so getting the feeling of loving someone else other than your family is shockingly new.

I liked her a lot but the only thing I was wondering was if she liked me back. I was wondering for a while if she had feelings for me like I did for her. I mean we were friends for a good 2 years and I still didn’t know what to do with myself.

Until one day at a party, her sister asked me to come outside with her and when I followed her around the back of the building. There I saw Sam and her friend standing there waiting for someone which was me. I began asking what they needed me for and that’s when I learned the truth from Sam. She told me about how she felt about me.

I no longer felt the cold but a warm feeling in my heart instead. I was shocked to hear her response because I was afraid that no one liked me back or that I wouldn’t be found handsome, but it looks like someone proved me wrong.

I then told her how I felt, and I couldn’t move after saying it because of those butterflies I had in my stomach. Taking a good look at her I could tell that she felt the same except she was blushing. From then on, she and I began dating, but secretly because her mom didn’t like me. I sort of liked the feeling of going under the radar with Sam.

Then in 2014 we had to depart from each other because her dad was going to be deployed to Hawaii and my dad was going to retire from the Navy. When I heard this, I was heartbroken and sad. When I arrived in California I was super sad that I lost contact with her until I got a phone, so it became a long distant relationship. Sam and I dated for 5 years and I loved every second of it, but at the end of 2017, also known as my freshmen year, she broke up with me.

It still hurts me to this very day because when she broke up with me was my first introduction to depression. That’s the story of my first crush, Samantha H.

By Angela Nuñez

My first crush goes back in time to 2012, fourth grade. I don’t really remember my crush’s name, but the thing that I do remember is him having dirty blond hair, light blue eyes, cherry lips, and flushed cheeks.

My fourth-grade self thought he sparkled very brightly,as if lights illuminated his face every time I saw him. I thought he was super cute. But he didn’t seem interested in me. I don’t think he even knew who I was, although we were in the same class.

Occasionally we would talk, and it felt as if he was talking in slow motion. I guess you can say I was head-over-heels for him.

He was very popular with the girls and, of course, he ended up liking the cutest girl in class. My little fourth-grade heart was devastated. He ended up moving away and I got over him quickly.

By Emely Villanueva

When I was young I never paid much attention to boys. They didn’t really matter to me or catch my attention. I thought they were gross and annoying. But then one day that all changed.

I was about 7 when I was watching Disney Channel and a movie was coming on and it was called “High School Musical.” I had never heard about it or seen it, so I decided I was going to watch and see what it was about.

I sat down and started to watch; the songs were catchy, and the storyline was very interesting. Then a guy came out and his name was Troy Bolton, and he was such a cutie.

His eyes really caught my attention. They were like a piercing blue/green and I just thought he was so attractive. I never felt that way in my life about any boy. I was OBSESSED.

I got blankets and posters with him on them. My 8th birthday was “High School Musical” themed. I would re-watch the movie just to see him in it. Now that I look back on it I think it’s funny how obsessed I was. But to this day I still think he’s HOT.

By Brenda Vargas

First crushes are usually the crushes that hit the hardest and for me, well, there was no exception. Throughout the years, yes, small crushes came and went, but none like the one that I had in the fourth grade. This was my first real crush.

I felt nothing the day I met him when I walked into the school bus. I was moving to a new school, I was nervous, and paying close attention to people was the least of my worries. It came to my surprise when I walked into the classroom and realized he was there, too. After a couple of days, I made new friends, and he was one of them. He was a nice person, very sweet. He was also very funny, and our bus rides home consisted of lots of laughs.

Towards the end of the year, I realized that I had developed a crush for him. I told my friends about it and they encouraged me to tell him about my feelings. I didn’t want to tell him how I felt. I was too scared. After several days of battling with my inner thoughts and friends, I decided to tell him about my feelings. To my disappointment, he said he would rather remain friends. I was crushed.

Summer thankfully came in at the right time. I took the summer as the perfect time to let my crush for my friend die out. I was unsuccessful. The first day of fifth grade reassured me of that, but it eventually went away.

I now chuckle when I think about it. My young, little heart was shattered but that’s OK. I’m just glad that at the end we ended up remaining friends.