By: Jordan Lee

Date: April 22, 2025

I have a lot of regrets from high school, but one that’s stuck with me for years is not pursuing a relationship with one of my best friends. This person, who I’ll call Alex, had a crush on me from 8th grade all the way through graduation. I know this because they told me, multiple times. And I knew it, too, but I just didn’t act on it.

Back then, I was a mess of teenage confusion. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted or who I was. I was so busy with the chaos of high school—crushing on people who didn’t know I existed, trying to fit in, struggling to figure out who I was supposed to be—that I didn’t really take the time to notice the love I had right in front of me.

Alex and I had been friends for years. We’d laugh about everything, finish each other’s sentences, and share so many inside jokes that I’m pretty sure no one else would ever understand. There were moments when I felt something more than just friendship. When I’d catch Alex’s eyes, or when we’d have one of our late-night conversations, there’d be this little spark in my chest, but I’d ignore it. I’d brush it off as nothing because I was too busy crushing on someone else during my Junior and Senior years. And yet, I always felt nervous around Alex, a kind of nervous excitement that I never quite understood at the time.

Everyone around us seemed to see what I was too blind to notice. My friends, classmates, even teachers—they’d comment on how cute we’d be together, or how we’d make the perfect couple. They’d joke, “You guys should just get together already.” And every time they said that, I felt something. A mix of fear and longing, but also something that felt like it was too late to explore. It was too late, because by that time, I was already too wrapped up in other crushes, too caught up in the idea of someone else.

Looking back now, I wonder how things would have turned out if I had just stopped overthinking and said yes. If I’d been brave enough to kiss Alex when the moment felt right. If I’d allowed myself to feel what I now know was love. Instead, I just let it slip away, out of doubt, out of fear of what people would think, out of my own insecurities.

The worst part? I’ll never know. I’ll never know if Alex and I would have worked out, or if we would have made each other miserable, but I think, deep down, I’ll always regret not even trying.

We’re still friends, and we’ve talked about it once or twice, but it’s never the same. The “what ifs” hang in the air, unspoken but undeniable. It’s a painful reminder that sometimes, you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone, and that the biggest regrets are often the ones where you let something good slip through your fingers because you weren’t brave enough to take the chance.

4o mini

You said:

Not Everyone Deserves Access Sometimes No Response Is the Response I do dislike a few people and that means I avoid their energy. It’s simple. No hard feelings, no toxicity, no discussions about them, no drama – just distance and peace.do you relate? Do you feel that too?

ChatGPT said:

Title: Protecting My Peace
By: Claire Hughes
Date: April 22, 2025

I’ve learned over the years that not everyone deserves access to your energy. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is put up a boundary and walk away quietly. No explanations, no arguments, just distance.

There’s something liberating about realizing that you don’t owe everyone your time, your attention, or your emotional investment. For a long time, I thought that I had to keep peace with everyone—always trying to smooth things over, trying to be the bigger person, trying to explain myself when someone didn’t understand me. But now, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s okay to just not respond. To not engage. Sometimes, no response is the response.

There are certain people in my life—old friends, family members, acquaintances—who I’ve decided to distance myself from. I don’t hate them, and I don’t wish them harm, but their energy just doesn’t align with mine anymore. It’s not about being petty; it’s about protecting my mental health and my peace of mind. Some people bring chaos into your life, and you don’t have to keep inviting that in just because you feel obligated to.

I think there’s this idea that we have to constantly explain ourselves, make amends, or stay in touch out of guilt. But what I’ve learned is that when someone’s behavior doesn’t serve you, you don’t need to waste your time trying to fix them or fix the situation. I’ve started practicing the art of just… not responding. I’ve muted conversations, ignored calls, and just let things go. There’s a certain power in that, in refusing to let toxic energy invade my space.