'When I was 15, I fell in love with a straight friend. Inadvisable, but perhaps inevitable.' Sean Hewitt on teenage infatuation

The author reflects on the complexities of experiencing first love at a young age, particularly for a straight friend. At 15, the author grapples with intense feelings that feel like both love and suffering, creating a profound, transformative experience. This poignant reflection captures the bittersweet nature of first love, often marked by yearning and the challenges of unreciprocated feelings. The experience becomes a key rite of passage that many face, leaving lasting impressions that shape one’s understanding of love and relationships.

Falling in love with a straight friend at 15 was both a rite of passage and a turmoil I thought I would never escape.

This first love was defined as much by its joy as by its anguish, transforming my life and shaping my perspective on love.

Read at Independent