All of my high school friends should have married their girlfriends instead of both of them, that summer, breaking eachothers hearts before freshman year of college— that “fresh start”— from which they’re still recovering (not well).

That summer was a fucking bloodbath thinking back on it— a ritual slaughter of innocence all over.

To even suggest marriage at the time was unheard of. Insane. Would have “raised alarms”— parents would have gotten involved... everyone was justifying this.

No one has really “grown up” much since then either. If they had had kids I don’t think they’d still be in a this stage of extended adolescence. The ones that did get married & had kids are the ones who became proper adults.