The words I love you can set a spark that ignites a fire. But for some people, heat is too much to handle.

“I love you”.Three words, eight letters. It’s hard to believe that such simple words can mean so much, but those words are one of the biggest moments in a relationship. Admitting your love for someone can be one of the most important steps in a high school relationship.

“I love you” hasn’t always been such a cause for anxiety. There was a time when this phrase was just another collection of words whispered between two people. It wasn’t such a big deal. So why now do those 3 words make or break a relationship?

With such a big percentage of students being or in or having been in relationships, this is a big predicament at Boise High School.

“I think I love you should be a big deal”, an anonymous student said. “When my partner said I love you it was over text, and it wasn’t as big of a deal as I would’ve liked it to be”

The pressure of saying I love you puts an obvious strain on student relationships. Knowing when to say it is an interior struggle. The first “I love you” will always be a bigger deal than the following ones, putting even more pressure on students to say those 3 words.

However, choosing never to tell someone that you love them could result in the end of the relationship. “Me and my boyfriend dated for 6 months” another anonymous student mentioned. “He never said I love you, it was really tough, I didn’t feel like he cared about me at all. It was only when we were breaking up when he said it.”

In conclusion, there may never be a correct time to tell your partner how much you adore them, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it. While “I love you” may be an important step in the relationship, it is only the beginning of the staircase.