Poster's Note: This post was written by Chelsea Lou, who inadvertently posted this under Matthew T. Sussman's name. We apologize for the confusion, as Mr. Sussman has no known hang-ups over Brad.
"Why do we fall, sir? So that we might better learn to pick ourselves up." - Alfred Pennyworth, Batman Begins
Everyone remembers their first love. I myself was 17, about to graduate high school, when I wound up falling hard and fast for my 22-year-old manager, Brad. We were inseparable and according to most, a very affectionate and "cute" couple (people were probably just telling me this because I've said the same thing to some really gross couples in my time, but no matter.)
Four months later, I moved an hour and a half away to start my college career. We tried to make it work, but at 18, I knew it was futile to make a long-distance relationship work out when I was just trying to adjust to college. I was a mess — I came home every weekend, and weekends turned into 4-5 day self-appointed vacations. When I wasn't with him, I was in complete emotional free fall. I tried transferring home three different times, each time squandered by my parents. We broke up. I was broken-hearted and depressed. It happens.
After the break-up, Brad and I entered into the relationship purgatory of "friends with benefits," or "in a relationship without titles," or, as I now know it as, "complete and total bullshit." Again, it happens to the best of us. I just couldn't move on. I began dating guys at college, but whenever I was home on break, I wound up back at Brad's house. I was the lost little puppy that just couldn't go home.
After a year of the aforementioned "complete and total bullshit," I finally got the hint that we were never going to be a full-fledged couple. I moved on and finally sort of got over him. I met my fiance', Matt, and life is great.
Article comments
1 - RJ
Congrats! You were true to your man in the most dire of circumstances. You could have easily fallen into the trap of "it's just once more, for old time's sake" and "Matt will never know." You could have gotten wasted and done terrible things and then blamed it on the beer.
But you didn't.
Again, congrats. :)
2 - Mark Sahm
This should be a public service announcement to avoid talking to ex's at all f*%#ing costs, or if you dig in the past, you get nothing but dirty.
Did Matt go back and rough him up? Now that would make the story juicier. Heh.