The first school breakup is often disproportionate to the length of the relationship. You might have dated for only three weeks, but the grief feels like a divorce. Why? Because you aren't just losing a person; you are losing a future . You lose the fantasy of prom, of walking to class together, of the storyline you had written in your head.

These first relationships are the rough drafts of our adult love lives. We learn how to argue and make up. We learn what jealousy feels like. We learn that we are worthy of being liked, and we learn (painfully) that we cannot force someone to like us back.

: Research indicating that "churning" (frequent breaking up and getting back together) in early adolescence can predict later hostility and conflict in adult relationships. Literary & Narrative Perspectives