When Summer Hurts: Adolescence, Relationships, and Lessons on Rights

By Azul, from Argentina

Hello, my name is Azul, and today I want to share a story about being a teenager. It all started last summer. But before I rush ahead, let me start from the beginning.

In 2023, a girl stepped into the chaotic, confusing world of adolescence, a world filled with drama, love, and everything in between. She was confident, surrounded by friends, and enjoying life. Then she met him, the boy who made every love song suddenly make sense, the boy who seemed to freeze her world the moment she saw him. “Friend, I think I love him,” she told herself. And just like that, she entered the whirlwind of teenage love.

At first, she was happy. But one day, something felt off.

It was a sweltering summer day, 30°C (86°F). She wanted to hang out with her friends and show off her outfit, just a normal outfit, nothing fancy. Instead of a simple compliment, she got:

“Don’t you think that’s too short? Do you want everyone to see you like that?”

She froze. Nobody had ever spoken to her that way before. The first word that escaped her lips was “sorry.”

She should have walked away, but teenage love can be blinding. She stayed, and slowly, her confidence began to erode. Passive-aggressive comments turned into outright insults. Friends tried to intervene, but she defended him: “He’s good, you don’t understand.” Gradually, she found herself isolated, trapped with a manipulator.

Her self-esteem became fragile, and the loneliness and manipulation began to weigh on her mind. She even started hurting herself, seeking a temporary escape from the emotional pain.

One day, her mother finally asked: “What’s wrong?”

She wanted to scream, to ask for help, to escape the cycle of insults, restrictions, and manipulation. But instead, she muttered: “Nothing, ma…”

But her mother thought it was trivial. “Yes, what is it? I said dirty clothes go in the hamper.”

Her sense of self-worth crumbled further. She kept obeying her manipulator, who even drove her friends away to have all of her attention. The once happy, confident girl was slowly disappearing.

It was not until a friend appeared, one her manipulator had pushed away, that she began to see the truth. He helped her recognize how badly she was being treated. For the first time in years, she saw a sliver of light. She gathered her courage, ended the toxic relationship, reconnected with her mother and friends, and most importantly, began to recover herself.

Azul bravely shares this story because she knows other girls face similar challenges — believing that love means accepting everything, even when it hurts. Through GLOW Club, girls build supportive friendships and learn from mentors in safe spaces where they can talk openly about healthy relationships, boundaries, and respect. By sharing these stories and creating spaces for honest conversation, girls like Azul use their voices to support one another through difficult experiences.