This is the first of many posts about dating in college! The stories will vary between charming to drama-filled to heart-tugging. I'm aiming at absolute minimum tea spillage. So this first story is from me, names will not be used, and some details will be changed to keep the anonymity of those involved (for future posts and reference). If anyone wants to share (anonymously) their story, send me an email or message and I will get back to you!
Where do I even begin? For me, dating someone seemed like a far off task. It's late in the semester, and I was honestly trying to keep my grades afloat, as I had many scholarships that depended on my GPA, therefore my priority was my classes and not a partner. I was introduced to a guy that seemed very nice and sweet, and so I tried to make an effort to get to know him more. He was artistic and talented, and very different than what was a typical guy from his city. I proceeded with caution though, as he had a negative reputation that preceded him (Red Flag). I learned from my dear friend that he was quite notorious among the colleges. Somehow, the side I saw and the rumors I heard did not seem to match at all, so I continued to talk to him. I should've listened to my friend.
After a turn of events, I had learned that he spread a malicious story about me to many people, so many people that the friend who warned me about him told me that her friend (who I have never met) told her the rumor (word travels fast in small areas). What shocked me even more was that I ran into him the night before she told me, and he acted nice and kind to me. I tried to confront him by phone, and was met with complete silence. I was furious. Why would someone spread something about someone who has done nothing wrong? I just wanted to know why.
After the anger and frustration, I realized trying to get answers was not worth my time. To see someone stoop so low and being brought to anger by it gives power to that person, and that I should be the controller of my emotions. I knew that I was truthful and that he had lied and dragged me down to cover his own inner demons. I learned from this that you should trust yourself, and that you should rise above and shake off an annoyance such as this. People will lie about you in life, but you should choose to take the high road as you have more dignity and respect for yourself than that person does for themselves. Stay focus on the end goals, because at the end of the day, those who try to drag you down are temporary occurrences in life. The truth is the truth for a reason and will always come out.