On Affection:
A letter to my high school crush
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/db48a4bfa14f77852f029966cd2c357d48dca1c014334d897e9464f58ea407b7/post-box.png)
5 April 2020
A love letter with text and illustrations by Amber Norrish
A love letter with text and illustrations by Amber Norrish
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ce24b8093922d3f9094672c68c062d8e495e3b21c06eac1703a418f844eab8c5/love-letter_1.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8ae42aed794d8e45aa9c775bc2ee3fad8ebf04f6989d2fb028f578d77a4eb1f5/love-letter_2.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0747dc9888317f3d51944b7c77e8bfd8d047ff7a69cfe81332476031b98a565a/love-letter_3.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0c2343d1747b2d9602ec5fbc40d0b8a92a2e4504694270ba22e64813ef85cc72/love-letter_4.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/082088d973a49dddfdabba555de5bed9e5a8aff4cde81eaa6f52fcc627dcf48d/love-letter_5.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9a827655795eaa9be220de3f0386a7dd7cd8d026b1572c54f43b81a137fa5768/love-letter_6.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/64aa89f983fc1dfd23d13dccf21aa4740e0142ccb1068160e4e178e3990260ef/love-letter_7.png)
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![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c61159ad6889cdae922594c4d003e3f887c59f5e00a7199a670725f7e33b1953/love-letter_10.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5fb93ab5b737dc5e79f1707c452802892c2d2727443a3597b514409ab2b4ce6a/love-letter_11.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/532576b65f3063a63531b759eb0146e37a9cb7f3aed49edb47b361116bf263a0/love-letter_12.png)
>>>
click right on the image above
for next page in sequence
click right on the image above
for next page in sequence
[transcript of pages]
[page 1]
[full page of sketch book covered with rough grey lead pencil lines in verticle pattern; name redacted with hot pink squiggle]
Call me 042780💘💖💖
[page 2]
You turned 18.
💖 and 💖’s engagement.
I lost my car keys at the racecourse on our walk oops.
[two figures sitting at a table, looking at each other]
[page 3]
[drawing of Ascot Racecourse with stars in the sky]
[page 4]
[drawing of old Nokia brick phone]
I got your number and we hit it off with some major flirting on my behalf.
[page 5]
We talked non-stop for two years… many mornings and late nights. I remember warning you I was trouble. You in your caravan and me in my boarding school room, both going to great measures to secure a signal!
[drawing of bedroom with window, desk, red and telstra signal bars, low]
[page 6]
You were definitely trouble for me too, private catholic girl school didn’t prepare me for the messages from a young outrageously good-looking and smart guy like yourself. Again, you made me so nervous and aIways had butterflies when your name appeared in my screen.
[drawing of caravan with stars]
[page 7]
I wish I could say I was the mastermind behind the perfectly crafted replies but I can’t take any of the credit! Beauty of living with 50 other girls was getting them to reply to naughty messages when it left me speechless ha!
[drawing of breasts in lace bra]
Black lace bra
Caravan
🖤
[page 8]
My Yr 12 ball partner was a douche and made me cry. As we got home from the after party at my house, I spent the whole night talking to you under the close-line. Ill always treasure this particular memory.
[drawing of figure underneath cloths-line with wound-up hose and floating pages]
[page 9]
💖 and 💖’s wedding came around Jan 09 and I never told you but I spent the night in the loo because I was so nervous to see you.
[drawing of portable toilet with female sign]
[page 10]
The problems started with less and less contact and failed catch-ups. For me this time, although I found it tough, and guilty because I let go or lost site of what we had. I was consumed by overwhelm of what I was going to do to make my mark on the world. That is another story that I hope to get the chance to share with you one day. Looking back this was one of the reasons we drifted apart. A lot of it I felt was my fault.
[page 11]
However, finishing my arts degree, knowing that art makes me so happy and gives me the opportunity to speak my mind shows me that I haven’t wasted my time apart from you. But not once, through everything have I forgotten our time together, in fact over the last few years I’ve struggled to find the courage to contact you to see if that connection still exists, until now.
[page 12]
I can’t really explain how I feel and what inspired me to do this, I’m just following my gut that’s saying the connection is strong.
[drawing telstra signal bars, full; 💌💖💖]
Amber Norrish
A letter to my high school crush
14 October 2016
A letter to my high school crush
14 October 2016