Being rejected is definitely never a good feeling, but some rejections hurt worse than others. It's especially bad when the other person goes out of their way to be cruel and hurtful.
It can be even worse as a teen, when folks are just starting to figure out the whole relationship dynamic thing and may not have the best self-esteem to begin with.
Reddit user u/Turkeyboi17 asked:
"Teenagers of Reddit. What was the worst ever rejection you have experienced or witnessed?"
Fair warning, there is a lot of secondhand embarrassment and cringe to be found below. These are teenage rejections, after all.
The parents
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"I don't think you should meet my parents. They don't even know we're dating yet."
"We're dating?"
Belle to my Beast
I once did a musical where the final two people, one was a freshman dude, and the other was a senior girl, were bowing at the end. After they both bowed, the guy asked for everyone to stop clapping for a moment, to which he turned to the senior and said, "I've felt a connection with you this whole time, will you be the Belle to my Beast?" And I kid you not the whole audience was silent except for the senior's boyfriend laughing in the front row. She calmly walked off stage and the director broke the news to him that she was already seeing someone.
That was the last show he did with us I think. And myself and others still joke with the senior sending her texts like Will you be the Belle to my Beast.
Let's move on
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Not currently a teenager but when I was one I was in a game of spin the bottle with my crush and a bunch of other people at a birthday party.
We played several rounds and when my spin landed on my crush she just got up and said "let's play something else"
Miserable
I had a girl in my middle school class that I liked. I tried talking to her, but being in middle school it's hard af. We're all in line trying to get in the classroom and I was standing behind her. I was just staring at the back of her head a foot away from her, I was trying to get in class. She was just turning her head and I guess caught me staring (at her head btw). She made a disgusted face and said "omg you're such a creep" in front of everyone in the hall. Some other girls and guys started getting in on that joke. For almost half a year people would purposely run or look away from my direction laughing so I couldn't talk to them in the halls. It was miserable.
Poop
I had pooped my pants when I was about 6. I was always given hell for this incident. It eventually died out, but it still happened sometimes. So anyway I really liked a girl for 3 years. Finally asked her out when I was about 14. She didn't say anything, just turned and went away. 2 days later a everyone in school knew that "poopman" asked her out. I was called that till I left school.
Working out
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There was a guy I grew up with who I really liked for a really long time. Once we got into high school we shared some extra-curricular activities and started hanging out more and it seemed the perfect time to be brave and ask him out. When I did, he said that we weren't a good match because I like books and he likes working out. Ouch.
Crushed
Was accused of being a stalker after trying to talk to a girl. Confidence absolutely crushed.
Unique
During High School homecoming season, my friend decided to ask this girl to the dance, despite not really knowing each other that well. Few days prior to the event, he dressed up in a suit, brought rose flowers, and waited outside a class the girl was in. When she came out, she saw my friend with bunch of random people forming a curious crowd all laughing and excited to see what would happen. She covered her face and ran away, ignoring my friend's desperate act of trying to stop her. It got super awkward after that, and my friend looked devastated... On the homecoming though, he came by himself and took over the stage with mad dance moves. He was very unique and fun guy.
Acting class
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I'm not a teenager now, but when I was I really liked a guy I was in acting classes with. I've always been really androgynous and back then I tried to compensate by going overly girly. One day I plucked up the courage to ask if he wanted to go out sometime. He looked me dead in the face and said, "No offense, but if I wanted to date someone who looked like my little brother, I'd date my little brother."
I've been rejected a lot, but that one hurt.
Notes
I was in primary school and I tried to start a conversation with a girl through notes I saw someone do it earlier in the week but with another person. This was where we couldn't talk during class.
I wrote her a note saying ''Hi :)'' we made eye contact she gave me a disgusted look and dropped it on ground that hurt me so much. Words couldn't explain.
