Writing by Helena Seryma
Meet cute or a cute, adorable, or entertaining first meeting of a romantic couple. It’s a meet-cute where they instantly fall in love.
That initial look, that first heart skip, is critical in establishing your love story. How do you describe your first crush?
Remember how you felt the first time you experienced a throbbing pain in your chest? When you assume you’re sick rather than admitting you’re in love. You went through the five stages of falling in love: denial, anger, runaway, desperation, and eventually acceptance.
When you go deep into your recollections of your first crush and remove the rose-colored glasses of youth, what remains is that basic emotion.
Mine happened when I was 13. A very tall class captain with silky brown hair and light brown eyes, I couldn’t help following around. He used to sit before me and my attention was glued at the back of his head, where the soft hair curled over pale skin. I’ve never understood my attraction to the nape of the neck.
Memories are very sensorial. And that’s what you need to translate in a romance, especially in the first encounter of the main protagonists.
The Formulae to a Cute Meet:
- Introduce your main character and their inner/outer conflicts. (Reason which they will resist this love story)
- Bring out the big guns. Try to think of something that will spice up your meet cute. Insert Plot twist!
- Don’t be scared of cliches and tropes. Use them, subvert them, break them.
Going back to my first crush, after months of flipping glances and uneasy smiles, something finally happened but not in the direction I wanted it to go. What was I expecting from a shy 13-year-old boy? It took me years to get over this first disappointment.
After the sweaty pupils returned to the classroom after the afternoon break, one of the boys approached me with a knowing smile. He was one of the students who trailed the Class Captain. So when he neared my desk, my heart raced in anticipation.
“The Class Captain said that he wants to date you.” My heart dropped.
“Why doesn’t he come and tell me?” He laughed and walked to his desk on the other side of the room. The space gradually filled up with rowdy kids with too much enthusiasm. Still, my crush hadn’t returned, and I waited for him to finally speak to me. I was jiggling as the minutes passed and he didn’t return. My leg twitched from nerves, and my palms sweating like crazy. He raced inside seconds before the teacher arrived, not even looking at me. He sat down and ignored me, staring straight ahead. I spotted the flush on his cheek and over his neck from where I was.
In English class, I couldn’t understand anything the teacher said. I kept wishing for him to give me a sign. I waited, jumping whenever he moved in his seat. But nothing happened. The next class arrived, and he didn’t even stir or turn around till the conclusion of the day. My heart had already begun to sink till there was a huge hole in my chest. I bowed my head and swiftly packed my belongings while fighting back tears. When one of my friends invited me to go with her to take the bus home, I leaped at the chance.
I gave a last glance over my shoulder. He was surrounded by his friends. He stood taller than the other boys. For a second, our eyes collided. His were full of regrets. Mine drown in disappointment.
After that, we were awkward. I later learned that his pals had made fun of our not-so-subtle stares. He was ashamed of it, and instead of confronting them, he fled. For years, I despised stupid boys, which had an effect on my love life. It took me years to realize he was just a shy 13-year-old kid. I carried that crush and disappointment around with me like smelly luggage.
So, if you have to write about that cute meet, remember to include details from your childhood crush. So keep writing. Everyone should tell their interpretation of their crush.
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