For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for February 03, 2023

What could possibly go wrong?

These kids and their notes. Back when Michael was their age, he was writing notes to Martha, telling her not to share the note with her friends, getting mad at Martha for sharing the note, then ignoring Martha, until she solved the problem by kissing him. If Anthony was half the man that Michael is, he would be writing a note to Elizabeth and telling her not to share it with Dawn and Candace.

Dawn, if you listened to Candace about cutting your hair short once upon a time, why are you still following her lead by butting into your friend’s crush crisis?

It’s Candace. She can do no less.

Think the smarter move would be to put a note in Elizabeth’s locker.

What could go wrong?

Matchmaking like that seldom works right

Don’t do it! It will backfire! But they will…

Who would have guessed that plain ugly girls who have hair that looks cut by Moe the Three Stooges barber would even know what to write in a love letter. Certainly no past experience.

“Dear Anthony… You are goofy, pasty, and gross. Take your passive-aggressive stalking somewhere else and stay away from me, forever. Sincerely, Elizabeth”.

Everything.

These kids are fortunate to flirt during school hours. There are some schools that waste time on athletics, math, science, geography, an so forth. Those schools have some obsession about “the future of their students”.

Hmm… That would be cruel. Anthony is so shy and insecure, a note like that might just cause him to go run and hide from Elizabeth.

Maybe I’m slow, but I just noticed that Dawn seems to be oriental. Is that so?

There was a boy, C, in 2nd grade. He walked me to the corner every afternoon. When I moved near the end of the year he gave me a bracelet & a kiss on the cheek. Fast forward to my senior year in high school. I finally re-found C! I knew where his locker was (right outside my 2nd period class), so I made sure I knew his regular pattern, then slid a note in his locker with just 2 words: “Turn around.” He turned…and there I was! Unfortunately, since it was near the end of the year & C was going away to college, we didn’t date or anything. However, he did write in my yearbook, “To my long-lost love.”

Very interesting?

This is why back in the day you would have a friend who would ask somebody if they liked somebody. Half save everyone embarrassment – half get the ball rolling.

Don’t do it, girls. Neither Anthony nor Elizabeth will thank you.

Can you forge another person’s handwriting convincingly?

Okay,maybe Candace could…..

Ah High School.

Ah, positively Shakespearean. Much Ado About Nothing, to be exact.

Forget notes. They should have a candid talk with Anthony and suggest he man up and ask her out after telling him that Elizabeth likes him.

Here comes trouble!

First it was Michael and Martha, now Anthony and Elizabeth. If kids are not socializing, flirting and hooking up, then what is the point of pubic school anyway?

Candace and Dawn sure did a Pearl Harbor on Elizabeth and Anthony.