As I get older the word beautiful has less and less meaning to it. I’m 16 right now and have been in a few relationships, all of which were uneventful. There were fun times, bad times but nothing that stick out- as i said I’m only 16. But all of the people I have dated have called me pretty or cute or beautiful as expected and I didn’t care when they did.
The other day a boy was talking to me over text. I knew about this boy and that he was no good. I knew that he was only trying to get with me because I am a pretty girl and his ego is only fulfilled when he has a girlfriend by his side and when his group of friends are asking “did you get anything yet?” about whatever girl he has that week. Because I knew this, I made it obvious that I wasn’t interested. I didn’t want to be rude- I am a nice person but i just didn’t want any trouble and I didn’t want to lead him on. That night (after I ignored him all day because I was working) he told me he thought I was cute. The next morning he walked me to class. Sure, he could have been trying to be sweet but I knew his motive because he did the same thing to one of my friends the week before. I laid out the hints so very obviously; i mean I only answered a few of his texts. What really boggled my mind was that he didn’t know me, he has seen me, my profile pictures on facebook, my selfies on instagram, but he didn’t know who I was so how could I be cute?
This boy that was into me and thought I was cute and told his friends how I was perfect and cool but didn’t know a thing about me. He didn’t know that I was really into broadway musicals, how I have been playing piano since first grade, how I love to write, or how I love really stupid stuff like puns. We all know that if someone calls you pretty we just automatically have to appreciate them, but why do we? And I’m not saying I don’t like being called pretty or beautiful because yes it makes me feel good. But when you’re assuming that I am “cool” because i might be pretty, you loose me there. It doesn’t make sense to me. You could be the most attractive person in the world but that doesn’t mean that you’re a good person and it defiantly doesn’t mean you’re cool. What it really means is nothing.
Relationships now are tossed around like a game of catch and I am really tired of it. Don’t just tell someone they’re beautiful and expect a happily ever after. You have to make them feel beautiful. Ask them about their lives. Get into their heads and pick out the things you love and don’t love. What do they want to do when they graduate highschool? What is their favorite thing about him or herself? What is their least favorite memory? Relationships don’t take a few hours, they can take a few months and sometimes even years. But what do I know right? I’m only 16. I know that I am exhausted from hearing sob stories about relationships that last two days. They don’t exist. And I bet that they started from a “you are beautiful”. Anyone can tell you that, they can mean it and they can not mean it. Don’t get fooled by the spell of woo and batter your eyelashes and say thank you then be their girlfriend. It’s easy to tell someone they’re pretty. To mean it, maybe not. It’s a lot harder to make them feel pretty.
And there is no problem with complimenting someone for the sake of being nice. It’s when you want something in return like a relationship for calling them beautiful.  
I found out later that he called me some pretty bad names from a friend of his. He said to her that he just “really wants a relationship.” This proves my point that he expected something in return for a complement. Compliment someone because you want to make them feel good. And complement someone because it makes you feel good. Also, I am dearly sorry for not being an easy target. Better luck next time i guess.