i think crushes are superficial. you don't like the person you're crushing on. you like the idea of a person and their appearance, but not them for who they really are beyond what you see physically. liking someone, REALLY liking someone, i think, is different. when you like someone, you know them. even if you don't know them that well, you know them, and that's the distinction. you don't just like their appearance; you like the way their eyes light up when they talk about things they love, you like how their eyes soften when they're sad, you like the way their lips stretch when they smile and how their eyes crinkle up a little. you like the way they speak and laugh and their humour and the jokes they tell. you like their hands and how they use them when they talk or how they fiddle with things. you like the way they walk and the way they sit and the way they eat. you like the way they look when they're spending time with friends or when they're concentrating on something. you like the tone their voice takes when they're teasing you. you like the subtle raise of their eyebrows when they see you. you like the soft concern in their voice when they see you're not doing okay. you're always thinking about them. from the moment you wake up to the moment you lay your head down at night, they are on your mind. you wonder how they're doing, how they feel and you worry about them if you think they might not be feeling well. you wonder what they think of the funny things that happen to you throughout the day. you search desperately for them in the halls, and you're happy when you catch a glimpse of them, even when they don't notice you. you just... you like them. you like everything about them. even the bad things. you like them for who they are, not for who you imagine or want them to be.