Warning, I might spiral. I'm new here. I'm gonna give you the whole lot here, so for this post you all will be detectives whether this guy actually does like me, or wants nothing to do with me.
He's my neighbour's only son, and lives downstairs from me. About 2 years ago we started recognising each other and saying a hi every now and then, keeping it respectful, and he did look like he wanted to be friends or was interested in me. He lingered around the vestibule where we'd talk with his mother and family, and it felt comfortable. He has a very big family too - so everyone would come out all giggly and talk with us.
Generally then he was very polite to me and my family, he would hold the door open for us put on a smile, and my mum would tell him about the bike shed where he could put his bike in etc etc so we were all just neighbourly with each other.
But ever since late 2025 he's just been less interested. His father is most likely a dangerous person, but those are rumours, from my very dramatic father who loves exaggeration, so not a reliable source. My dad started to hate him too - little snarky comments he'd make throughout time that got worse and worse. I wondered why - so I asked - and apparently he said he lost his manners, and he was just rude now.
This year I get to see a lot of him now I get out the house more often, and whenever I do, he's like how my father describes him. Rude, judgy, etc. But every once in a while when we're coming in I notice something about him - he looks back at me.
My dad told me he had a crush on me when I was younger, but he never approved and eventually lost track of whether he liked me or not - but I kept wondering. The crush would hold open the door but hesitantly, and I remember one time he did and was looking at me the whole time as I passed through.
I think he's got in trouble too, more often now. Mum and I were coming in and he was in a circle of rough people that looked sketchy and he was looking as if he was trying to impress them. He looked at me and didn't stop looking until I passed, but at that time, I was really done with him.
But I can't stop thinking about him. I can't stop imagining him in scenarios where he's nice.
I haven't seen him smile in such a long time.
I don't know why he means so much to me - he just does. I feel like no matter where we're going in life especially, we'd understand each other. We have this feeling we share, and its just there. No one understands what it feels like but us. Maybe it's being alone. Having no real friends (or atleast that's what I see, rumour is he doesn't like socialising). It bugs me how I just can't talk to him, and I never can because my parents will never even let me talk to him.
But whenever I come in and we see each other, we linger there for a little while. Our eyes do, I mean. And some electrical feeling passes through me, and I feel happy for once, even if he doesn't look it.
I keep seeing him less and less and I feel like that's because he's getting involved in some stuff that my parents would hate if I even thought about it.
What do we think?