He wrote in my third grade yearbook that he thought that I was cute.  He wrote his feelings regarding me in pencil, so I scrubbed with a pink eraser until all traces of him were gone.  He was in a karate class that met just before my brother’s, and I used to watch him in awe, despite my embarrassment that he thought I was “cute”.  Later, he dated my childhood best friend, and I learned that he had quite severe drug and alcohol problems.  My friend’s experience showed me that sometimes you have to distance yourself from abusers, despite love.