After-School Crush Days

How this stage loves

When you fall for someone, your head fills up with nothing but them. A single reply can make your whole day, and no reply can make the world look a little dimmer. Your feelings take off before any game-playing can start, and hiding that you like someone isn’t really your thing. People often call you “easy to read,” but that’s just the flip side of being straightforward. Liking someone without weighing what you’ll get out of it is a talent that gets harder to keep as you grow up. When you want to tell someone how you really feel, this all-in honesty is your strongest weapon.

Sound familiar?

• ✓Just seeing your crush’s name somewhere gives you a little jolt
• ✓You somehow remember exactly when your message got read
• ✓Asking a friend for love advice turns into a three-hour session

Love quirks

When your feelings run high, you want to make the next move before they’ve even replied. Because you feel so much, you notice every tiny change, and some nights you end up overthinking alone.

Other stages

• Love mental age 13–15After-School Crush Days
• Love mental age 16–19Full-Throttle Teen Love
• Love mental age 20–26In Love with Love
• Love mental age 27–35Down-to-Earth Romantic
• Love mental age 36–49Cozy Couch Era
• Love mental age 50–64Been There, Loved That
• Love mental age 65–88Front-Porch Love Guru