About chickenlove

Summer of 1998. Teenage sweat, chlorine, and hormones in the air. $1 pizza on paper plates, Jaden's MiniDisc blasting N'Sync. Ryan's pool party was the event of the year. Maya was there too, like always. We'd been classmates for four years, which also meant I'd been in love with her for exactly 1,460 days.

Maya was my dream. Her sweet face framed by silky honey-colored hair. She doodled colorful peacocks and snails on her math notes, and most importantly — laughed at my odd jokes harder than anyone else. Making her laugh was my favorite thing in the world. Every time our eyes met, we shared a smile that felt like a secret. I was certain she was the one.

But I couldn't tell her. What if it wasn't mutual? What if I got laughed out of the room, roasted by the guys circling like hyenas? So I stayed quiet. For four long years.

That night, I finally promised myself I'd do it. No more waiting. No more silence. I walked into Ryan's backyard rehearsing what I'd say… and froze. Maya was at the edge of the pool, kissing Jack. Friggin' Jack. And friggin' chicken-me.

My chest collapsed. I left before anyone noticed the tears in my eyes. That moment — my chance slipping away — is still one of the most painful memories of my life.

Years later, Maya confessed she had been madly in love with me too. All along. But she waited for me to make a move. And when I didn't, she gave up on "chicken-me" and fell into Jack's arms instead.

That's the tragedy. We loved each other, but fear kept us apart. And it's not just my story — it's everyone's story, told in different ways.

That's exactly why chickenlove exists. So no one else has to miss out on true love because of silence, doubt, or fear. If chickenlove had been around back then, Maya and I would have known the truth. Maybe our life story would have been very different.

Too many people miss out on love because they're afraid of rejection. At chickenlove, the anonymous crush-matching platform, we believe true love shouldn't be lost to fear (or frustration from ghosting in the dating apps ocean). Our mission is to give people the courage to act, without the risk of humiliation.

We built chickenlove so no crush goes to waste. Forget random swipes. Forget strangers you'll never actually care about. This is about your real crush, your true feelings, and your happily-ever-after.

For once, don't be chicken.