All-state football player
Dating a cheerleader
Invited to every party

I know what you're thinking. But let me add one more detail to the picture:

Terrified of Socializing

It's true. I was petrified when it came to my peers. I was all of those things on the first list, but cool was one thing I was not. My friends may have been cool, my girlfriend was -- hell, a lot of people probably thought I was. But inside, my L.D. had such a brutal grip on my self-esteem that I couldn't talk to anyone. I was a mess. And my insecurities only grew worse with time.

My girlfriend -- yes, the same one who wrote my papters -- acted like a buffer between me and the world. I could function socially if she was beside me. I could pass any class as long as she "helped" me. But as far as I knew, I was incapable of succeeding without her. And, soon, she became more like a crutch than a buffer.

A lot of L.D. students will cling to one thing that makes them comfortable. It's like a quick fix, a way to dampen all the uncomfortable experiences by one thing sure and constant. Obviously, I clung to my girlfriend.