Can you give this note to Jenny?

I am hoping most of you can remember back to your elementary school days and your interactions with the opposite sex. Most of these interactions would be hilarious to any of us now. Think about who you may have been friends with, who you dated, and who you "dated".

Dating is the most objective thing in the world in elementary school, even before you know what the word objective means. Although many times dating is currently objective for some parties involved these days, the distinction is usually figured out with haste. During elementary school, this is certainly not the case.

I'm sure most of you have been a part of this exact same scenario: dating someone without actually talking with them face to face. In elementary school, options are limited, as well is space. But somehow, someway, you have the ability to completely avoid said person that you are "dating". You may take the long route to lunch or tie your shoes at the end of class to avoid the classroom-door-merge situation.

The only correct, seemingly appropriate at the time, ways of communicating are through an intermediary: phone, friend, letter. You may ask Johnny to give Susie a note to pass along to Jenny. Or, maybe, you get Jenny's number from Billy and muster up the courage for a phone call. You speak for 20 seconds about Ms. Margie's wig, before an awkward pause in conversation, and she suddenly needs to "get ready for her sister Betsy's ballet recital". You believe her and carry on as if all is peachy and dandy.

You continue communicating this way, avoiding eye contact, and generally acting like a wuss for another few days until unexpectedly, without warning, you receive the dreadful news. Jenny asked Louise to give you this note...."I don't want to be your girlfriend anymore - Jenny."

Confidence crushed, you regress to sweatpants, hollow chocolate bunnies to the face, and imaginary Lego battles until middle school, where you end up way behind the other sixth graders who managed to converse nicely with girls. Hello husky jeans, goodbye social acceptance.

I could have at least given up my Snak Pak at lunch and asked about her science class? Darn.