In 4th grade I had a crush on a boy in my class named Max. He was cute, smart, and he made me laugh.

I remember writing a note to my friend at time Victoria (shoutout to her if she's reading this) that just said the words "I like Max" in like blue colored pencil or something.

But she was terrible at stealth note-passing so when she passed it back to me it was intercepted by the teacher. For some bizarre reason, instead of just tossing it in the trash and chiding me for passing notes during class, my teacher called THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.

The Guidance Counselor -- Ms. Walker -- drags me out of class in front of everyone, pulls me into library (which is a big open space right in the center of the school) -- and starts screaming at me. SCREAMING. Pointing right in my face.

Soon the librarian Ms. Cook overhears the conversation, comes over - snatches the note off the table, reads it - & tosses it back at me. "CHRIS, THIS IS DISGUSTING" she says. Now they're both standing over me, a 9 year old, screaming at me about how disgusting I am for this note.

"We're going to need to speak to your parents about this and maybe get a mental health professional involved. And how do you think this affects Max?"

I just sat there and took it because, you know, I'm 9 -- and have no idea how to react to any of this besides being terrified.

After they spent another 20 minutes standing over me berating me and calling me all kinds of names, eventually they let me go back to class.

It was recess time, so everyone was lining up to go outside. I go to the end of the line. Feeling shaken up & embarrassed about what just happened. As an adult it all seems silly, but to a 9 year old it felt traumatizing. Max -- walks up behind me in line. "Crap" -- I thought

He very simply and casually leans over and says, "I know you like me. I don't care." and shrugged.

PHEW.

Then we went to recess.

So. On #NationalComingOutDay I'd like to extend a big fat FUCK YOU to Ms. Cook and Ms. Walker, and a thank you to Max for being more accepting an open minded as a 9 year old than grown ass women who call themselves "educators".