My High School Crush Kissed Me On A Bet To Humiliate Me. Now He Transferred To My College And Wants A Second Chance. Should I Give Him The Satisfaction Of A Response?

A Happy Ending

Spring semester started in January and I threw myself back into my routine. Classes were harder this term but I liked the challenge. Rocco and I fell back into our pattern of studying together and getting coffee between classes. Leilani and I hosted a small party at our apartment to celebrate the new semester and invited our closest friends.

I saw Nico around campus more often as the weeks went by. He was always with his girlfriend, the girl from our high school he’d been seeing since fall. They walked to class together holding hands, sat close in the library studying, got lunch at the dining hall at the same table everyday. I noticed how he treated her with obvious care and attention, opening doors for her and carrying her backpack and listening when she talked. He looked at her the way I used to wish he’d look at me.

Part of me wondered briefly if he would have treated me that way if I’d given him a chance back in the fall, if I’d been willing to overlook what he did in high school and start fresh. But mostly I just felt glad I trusted my instincts and protected myself. Whatever version of Nico existed now, the one who was apparently a good boyfriend to this girl, didn’t change what he’d done to me or make it okay. I’d made the right choice keeping him at a distance.

Rocco and I were studying in my apartment one night in late February when he put down his textbook and looked at me seriously. He said he needed to tell me something and he hoped it wasn’t too soon but he couldn’t keep it to himself anymore. My heart started beating faster and I put down my own book. He said he was falling in love with me, that he’d been feeling it for weeks but wanted to be sure before he said anything. He said being with me made him happier than he’d been in a long time and he wanted me to know how he felt.

I sat there for a second processing what he just said and realized I felt exactly the same way about him. Our relationship had been so different from anything I’d experienced before, built on actual respect and genuine affection from the very beginning. There were no games or tests or proving myself worthy of his attention. He liked me for who I was and showed it consistently through his actions.

I told him I loved him too and watching his face light up made me feel completely certain I’d said the right thing. He pulled me close and kissed me and it felt nothing like that kiss with Nico at the party years ago. This one was real and honest and exactly what I wanted. We stayed up late that night talking about our future, making plans for the summer and senior year, imagining what might come after graduation. Everything felt right and easy and good.

The Girlfriend

The campus activities board put on a big spring festival in March with food trucks and live music and games set up all over the quad. I went with Leilani and some other friends, wandering between the different booths and eating too much fried food. Rocco was working a shift at his campus job but planned to meet us later.

I was waiting in line for lemonade when someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around and saw a pretty brunette girl I didn’t recognize smiling at me. She introduced herself as Nico’s girlfriend and said she’d heard we knew each other from high school. I was surprised but recovered quickly and introduced myself properly. She was sweet and friendly, asking about my major and what classes I was taking this semester. We chatted for a few minutes about campus life and professors we both had. She mentioned she was thinking about joining one of the clubs I was in and asked if I’d recommend it. I told her honestly that I loved it and she should definitely come to the next meeting.

I could tell from the way she brought up high school that Nico had probably told her something about our history, but she didn’t ask any direct questions and I didn’t volunteer any information. We talked about normal things like homework and the festival and plans for summer break. After a few minutes she said it was nice meeting me and headed back toward where Nico was waiting by one of the food trucks. I watched them walk away together and felt completely neutral about the whole interaction. She seemed nice and I hoped things worked out well for her.

Johnny found me at the library a week later while I was studying for a big exam. He sat down across from me and asked if we could talk for a minute. I closed my textbook and said “Sure.” He seemed a little uncomfortable like he wasn’t sure how to start. Finally he said:

“Nico talks about me sometimes when they hang out. Not in a weird way, but just mentioning me as someone who taught him an important lesson. Nico credits not getting a chance with me as the push he needed to actually change his behavior and become a better person. Nico tells people I was right to reject him and he deserved it for what he did.”

I listened to all this and then told Johnny I appreciated him sharing that information. I said I was glad Nico learned something from the experience and seemed to be growing up, but I also made it clear that I didn’t reject Nico to teach him a lesson or help him become better. I did it to protect myself from someone who had hurt me badly and showed no real understanding of why that mattered. If Nico’s growth was a side effect of my self-protection, that was fine, but it wasn’t my goal or my responsibility. Johnny nodded and said he understood completely. He said he respected how I handled everything and he was sorry again for his part in what happened at that party. We talked for a few more minutes about other things and then he left me to study.

Final Lessons

As spring semester moved forward I barely thought about Nico except when I occasionally saw him around campus. My days were full of good things that had nothing to do with him. Rocco and I were solid and happy, spending most of our free time together and making plans for our future. My friendships with Leilani and my other close friends felt strong and supportive. My grades were good and I was doing well in all my classes. I had genuine confidence now that came from within myself, not from anyone else’s validation or approval.

The girl who cried in her car after that party felt like a completely different person, someone I used to be but couldn’t fully remember being. I’d worked so hard to build this new version of myself and I was proud of who I’d become. Sometimes I’d catch a glimpse of Nico across the quad or in the dining hall and feel absolutely nothing. No anger, no hurt, no curiosity about what might have been. He was just another student at my school. Someone who existed in my world but didn’t affect it in any meaningful way. That indifference felt like the ultimate victory, better than any revenge I could have planned or executed. He didn’t matter to me anymore and that was exactly how I wanted it.

Leilani and I were having dinner at our apartment one night in April when she brought up how much we’d both grown during our time in college. She talked about coming here as a freshman feeling lost and unsure of herself and how different she felt now as we approached senior year. I mentioned how handling the Nico situation taught me that I don’t owe anyone access to me even if they claim they’ve changed or want another chance. I said learning to set that boundary clearly and stick to it without guilt was one of the most important lessons I’d learned.

Leilani got quiet for a second and then said watching me do that helped her set boundaries in her own life. She said seeing me refuse to compromise my self-respect or let someone back in just because they wanted it showed her she could do the same thing. She mentioned a guy she’d been seeing freshman year who treated her badly and how she used to make excuses for him and give him chance after chance. But after watching how I handled Nico, she realized she deserved better and ended things. I felt proud hearing that my experience could help someone else, especially someone I cared about as much as Leilani. We talked for hours that night about growth and change and becoming the people we wanted to be.

The club I was active in held an awards ceremony near the end of the school year to recognize members who’d contributed the most. I knew I was getting an award because the president had told me ahead of time, but I was surprised to see Nico’s name on the list too. The ceremony was nice, held in one of the campus event spaces with refreshments and a small crowd of members and their friends.

When they called my name I went up and accepted my award, thanking everyone for a great year. A few awards later they called Nico’s name and he went up looking genuinely pleased. After the ceremony ended people mingled and congratulated each other. Nico came over to where I was standing with some friends and congratulated me on my award. I congratulated him back and we stood there for a moment in comfortable silence. Then he said he was genuinely glad we ended up at the same school because it forced him to grow up and face what he’d done. He said he knew I didn’t owe him anything but he wanted me to know he appreciated how I handled everything. I thanked him for saying that and told him I was glad things seemed to be going well for him. We talked for another minute about summer plans and then went our separate ways. It felt like a good ending to that chapter: polite and respectful without any lingering tension.