To the boy I loved in high school,

I remember the day you told me

Everyone has an addiction

for some it’s smoking

and others it’s binge drinking

My addiction wasn’t nicotine or alcohol

my addiction was you

Your inquisitive brown eyes

your infectious laugh

and a smile that could light up the whole room

I was captivated by the way you spoke my name

allowing the syllables to roll off of your tongue

like boats on the waves of the ocean

Having you here

was like seeing everything I’d ever lost

come back to me

Your presence became my drug

the adrenaline rush I needed to get through the day

You also became the root of my pain

stretching deep into the foundations of my soul

Day after day I watched you pull away from me

and there was nothing I could do

You are the person

I never stop searching for

in a crowd

But if given the chance to go back in time

and stop myself from getting to know you

I don’t think I would do it

You taught me how to be selfless

How to be strong

How to accept the truth

Though it was painful

I would rather be miserable

Than ignorant to reality

I have started to move on

And since the moment you left

I have met many

With brown eyes

And bright smiles

All of them just like you

But nothing is quite as strong

As that first taste