I like you a lot, but I only want to be your friend

I think in general my high school experience was a good one, a largely enjoyable time, amusing, supportive, nourishing...all that crap. But still, even in the most positive high school environment, you can't avoid the fundamental cutting cruelty, the angst of adolescence. You can't avoid pimples, and saying cripplingly awkward things, and feeling deeply, suicidally melancholy on occasion. And most of all, you just cannot avoid someone like....oh, who was it, anyway? Someone like Leslie Graham (Jesus Christ!!) who takes you on the balcony at a party to tell you: "I like you, but I ONLY WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND YOUR FRIEND YOUR FRIEND FRIEND friend friend friend...." and having that echo in your ears for MORE THAN TWENTY FIVE YEARS. I mean, to this day I CANNOT TALK TO FEMALES. And it's all her fault.

OK, that's putting it a little strongly. But still. I sometimes think adulthood is about recovering from adolescence.