Sometimes in life we come across someone who makes us feel completely enamored. There is just something about them that makes us feel happy, whenever we see or hear them we light up, and you just can't stop smiling. When this happens to most people they confess their feelings and every thing is happily ever after. However, there are some of us, like myself, who are too afraid to take the risk of possibly ruining a friendship. So here is a letter to the girl that got away *insert Katy Perry here*, along with a little advice.

Dear ____,

Ever since I met you, I felt some type of feelings that I really couldn't explain. There was something about you that kept me smiling whenever I felt your presence. As we became friends, the feelings started to grow and I "knew" (even though you can never know for sure) that nothing would ever happen no matter how much I wanted it. So the only thing I could think of doing was to suppress my feelings and just move on. It was the worst decision I have ever made. I tried moving on but that didn't work. It felt like the more I tried the less it worked. (If anyone is like me and has anxiety up to the Heavens, then you know how hard it is to take a risk on something so important.) I felt like I was not willing to put our friendship on the line by telling you how I felt. That is the part that killed me. The fact that we kept getting closer but possibly the only thing holding me back was myself ("it's not you, it's me" really was true here). I would talk to all of my closest friends, except you, about you and they would all tell me to take risks even though they knew that I wouldn't. (You know that middle school feeling you get when people ask them if they like you cause you don't want to do it? Yeah, thankfully that did not happen to me.)

I think the main reason why I didn't try anything was because I was one of the people you went to for advice on things and that's how I "knew" nothing would happen. I also respected you too much to tell you how I felt because I didn't want you to think I was only there for you to be with you when I actually care about you. I think it took not seeing or speaking to you for three and a half weeks while I was in the Bahamas to realize how much I screwed up. I took so many risks doing crazy things, but I couldn't take the risk of telling you how I feel. I would rather swim with barracudas and sharks than have the awkward "I like like you" conversation. Yet somehow I feel like I am closer to being ready to take that risk. Something hit me that caused me to write this article, because I realized I should have taken that risk when I could have had the chance. Now it is too late to tell you how I feel because I know you haven't been thinking the same way about me. Or maybe it isn't too late, but I'll never find out cause you probably won't even read this article.

*Quick Advice*

Do not be like me. Do not say you "know" things because you don't. Take risks. If they mean that much to you, why not go for it? Learn from my mistakes to not be afraid of how they view you! If only I had listened to myself long ago, I wouldn't be writing this article.