Weird Ways You Showed Your Crush You Liked Them

As adults, we value honesty, straightforwardness, and passion in people we're interested in romantically. When we were kids, though? Well, let's just say that we had some weird ways we showed our crushes we liked them in the '90s — things that certainly wouldn't fly today. Kids are shy and awkward and totally self-conscious... but then again, so are some adults. Regardless, the '90s weren't just iconic for the clothes, music, and Britney Spears' plaid skirts; it was also a decade with its own unique communication and relationships.

I get the biggest kick out of the roller coaster of emotions that having a crush was. The excitement you felt upon seeing them, the sadness you experienced when they were out sick, the butterflies you got whenever they called your name... You were crushing hard on them. You didn't want them to know, but you did. So you would drop hints and play games and totally mess with their head, and then wonder why they were confused as hell and completely clueless.

In the ‘90s, you didn’t come right out and tell a person that you’d love nothing more than a round of Seven Minutes in Heaven in the janitor’s closet with them. You didn’t tell them that they were the Nick Lachey to your Jessica Simpson. You didn’t tell them that their name was written inside all of your cootie catchers. Oh no. Instead, we pulled one of these clever maneuvers.

1. You Were Mean To Them

I feel like this was the go-to move with all our childhood crushes in the '90s. It's not like you could compliment the boy on his Sonic the Hedgehog tTapper Keeper or the bowl cut his mom just gave him. Instead, you told him Sonic was for losers and his bowl cut made his head look like a potato.

2. You Expressed Your Love In Symbols And Acronyms

I'm not entirely sure if this was a universal thing; but when we were kids, we'd declare our love for our crushes using secret messages written on our hands — always in milky pen, of course. You'd artfully write "I <3 JB" on your hand, and everyone would be in a frenzy because there were three kids with those initials. And even when they guessed the right person, you'd never admit it. Suckers!

3. You Loved All Of The Things They Loved

You'd never read a single issue of Zillions magazine in your entire life — but the instant your crush mentioned that they read it religiously, you immediately became an expert. You were going to find common ground with your crush, even if you had to lie through your teeth to get it.

4. And Hated All Of The Things They Hated

You never really had a problem with the Power Rangers, but your crush absolutely despised the Green Ranger. The Blue Ranger was so much better, and honestlym why did they need the green one anyway? From that day on, you vowed to change the channel anytime the Green Ranger was talking. You hated the color green anyway.

5. You Slid Notes Into Their Locker

Back in the day, we communicated via paper using these archaic things called pencils. The notes you snuck to your crush were never anything obvious; it's not like you'd come right out and tell them that you wanted them to rub their cooties all over you. Instead, it'd be something completely inconsequential: "My mom packed me macaroni and cheese for lunch." "Did you see that someone threw up in the hallway?" "I'm going to Chuck E. Cheese this weekend."

Ah, romance!

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