Inside the Mind of a Teenage Boy, Part 2
Life After a Breakup
Read Part 1

By Matthew, 17

After months of happiness and seemingly endless joy, your soul mate is gone.

There is no greater slap in the face. The person you could always turn to is the very last person you feel like seeing. The only one you thought you could trust is the one who made you cry. You find yourself lost and looking for answers. You have no idea what went wrong or what mistakes you made. But most of all, you have no idea what you are going to do next. It seems impossible to find a way to move on, but you know you must.

Everywhere your boyfriend or girlfriend went is now just a giant hole. In the same way a car builds up speed, you have spent so much time building your life around them. Your feelings were getting stronger every day as you fell deeper and deeper into what you thought was love. Screeching to a halt, the brakes of reality have been slammed on your shoulders. Now you must face the unbearable task of moving on. In the back of your mind, you know that your boyfriend or girlfriend isn't coming back. However, in your heart, you wish they were still there holding you in their arms. No matter how hard you try, your mind will not do what your heart tells it to do.

The Boy Factor

Believe it or not, boys think almost the same way as a girls do after the end of a relationship. Okay, well at least this boy does. I can only really speak for myself, so take my comments with a grain of salt, as they are only generalizations based on my own and my friends' experiences.

Boys think that they have everything all figured out, and can predict their ex-girlfriend's every move. Boys aim for one thing after breaking up (even though they probably won't be totally over you for months to come) they try to act rock solid around their ex. Jealousy is often brought into the game. Everyone knows it; you always try to look your best when you know you are going to see your former flame. Hiding your feelings, you try to make your other half look unimportant to you. All the while you are just concealing a devastating lie: you want your love back.

Matthew's Tips for Movin' On

Reconnect with your friends.
As dark and cloudy and evil as it may seem, you cannot allow yourself to hide from the world. The first step to moving on is re-installing all the pieces you may have lost during your relationship. Strengthen your friendships. Use these ties to help fill the holes left by your girlfriend or boyfriend. Surround yourself with people who you enjoy spending time with. There will be times when you find yourself alone. During these times, do not try to stop yourself from thinking about your lost love. The more you try not to think about what happened, the more you will think about it.

Delete your ex from your life.
Although it seems like an impossible action, try as much as possible to shut your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend out of your life. Hide the pictures, put away the presents, and calm your urge to pick up the phone and hear their voice. Our teenage years are supposed to be some of the best of our lives, so assume that we'll meet new people throughout our years. Some of them will treat us well and some will break our hearts, others will straight up screw us over. There is no need at such a young, inexperienced age to live our lives moping every moment because of one relationship.

Looking Ahead

When all is said and done, you will look back at your actions and ask yourself what you were thinking. Realistically, high school is not the end of your life. Don't fear to love again. Life is about searching for happiness and learning from your mistakes. When you find what you are looking for, hold on and never let go.