As Valentine’s Day approaches at Arcata High, love takes center stage. With the occasion just days away, the question arises: How do individuals at Arcata High know that they love that special someone in their life?
“Kleo came over to my house to watch ‘Garden State’ and we made dinner and […] that whole night was just really special and our relationship didn’t start till well after, but I knew at that moment that I definitely liked her more than a friend,” senior Samson Haines-Sobolewski said.
According to him, the movie “Garden State” is a romantic comedy with two weird people in love and it reminds him of his own relationship with Gaiera.
This heartwarming memory of his contrasts with another senior, Aliviana Bacca-Lastra’s gradual realization of love for her boyfriend, Micah Boyett.
“It wasn’t really like a realization […] I just found that after our first and second date I just wanted to be around him all the time and I felt really safe around him,” Bacca-Lastra said.
In contrast to Bacca-Lastra’s gradual love through an increasing desire to be constantly with her boyfriend, junior Malea Melendrez and their partner, Beyla Jones, had to go through a pivotal moment during the summer of 2022 when they had to withstand the challenges of an almost three-month separation.
“We had just started dating […] and we had been dating a little less than a month, and she was going away all summer […]. I had to come to terms that we were going to miss almost three months together […], but then we made it through that even after not dating for a very long time. After she got home, the first person she wanted to see was me,” Melendrez said.
These stories showcase the richness and complexity of love, reminding us that each journey is unique. From the sweet nostalgia of movie nights to being tested through separation, the diverse paths to love within a high school community show the beauty and resilience of young love.