“What?! You liked me, too?!” Becky screamed at me, four months after I started dating her best friend, Alicia. “Why didn't you say anything?”

“I thought it was obvious.” I said. Then again, I always think it's obvious when I like a girl, but they never seem to notice it.

I met Becky on the bus ride home from Washington High, my “rival” school, when I started taking Japanese classes there. She wasn't attracted to me. Nope, she was attracted to my black sweatshirt & messenger bag featuring a crudely drawn dragon named TROGDOR the BURNiNATOR emblazoned across each one. For over four months we sat next to each other, and in those four months we got to know each other pretty well. My day would be ruined if she wasn't on the bus or if she had some bad news to tell me about her family.

Second semester finally came, and low and behold I needed to drop Japanese so I could take a history class. So long new friends from Washington, I won't be in your classes or on your buses. I stopped by after school one day to drop off my books and I Becky dancing outside. She, along with a short-haired friend I had met a long time ago, was practicing for the school play or musical or something. So Becky came running toward me and jumped into open arms. We walked back over to her friend who I was re-introduced to. “Travis, this is Alicia. Alicia, this is Travis.”

After that day, I would come see them after school for a couple hours. My interest quickly moved to Alicia. I was constantly being told by Becky that Alicia had a thing for me, which was good, because I had a thing for her. Of course I didn't ask her out because I was afraid of relationships, afraid I might make her sad, and afraid of the hurt. I continued to see her every possible day and spend as much time with her as I could.

I don't dance, and don't care much for dances. But when I was asked to go to Washington's Grub Tolo I couldn't dare say “no.” Alicia and I were still friends at this point, and so we had no real commitment to each other. But when I was approached by a small hoard of scantily clad girls to dance and if I was single (I had donated blood that day and stayed on the wall to avoid fainting), I just pointed to Alicia and said “I'm with her.”

“Hm? Oh, you're with Alicia? Ooh, I've heard about you.” Word travels fast on the Women's Psychic Network. “You're lucky, she's a hottie.” One said before walking off. Alicia came back over a few minutes later.

“Hey hun, how're you doing?”

“Um... those girls just asked if I wanted to dance with them... That's weird. Nobody at my school ever asks me to dance, let alone talk to me.” Turns out they were friends of Alicia's, which made me a bit more at ease. I stayed either at the wall or at the table on the far side of the room for the rest of the dance, still not feeling well. I could use that pint of blood back.

A few weeks later, I went to see a movie with Alicia. Becky tagged along also because Alicia wasn't allowed to go on dates. I'm glad things are different now. After the movie got out Alicia had to run off to catch her ride who misunderstood when she was supposed to get there. I didn't have a chance to ask her... Damn it.

I got a call later that night. It was Alicia. We talked for a while, about the movie, about our lives, the normal filler conversation when it's 11 O'clock and you're too tired to think of anything interesting. “So... You don't have a boyfriend, eh? That's sad. 'Cause I know this guy who would make a really good boyfriend, I think.”

“Oh yeah? Who's that?”

“He's about 6' 2”, 135lbs, real nerdy. His name's Travis.”

“A-are you asking me what I think you're asking me?” Of course I'm paraphrasing this conversation because it was late and I was spurting out the first words that came to mind, but it's mostly accurate. That night I had my first real girlfriend. Granted, she was a Sophomore and I was a Senior, which caused some things to be said to me by my peers.

“She's fifteen? You're eighteen, you cradle-robbing pedophile!” was a common response. Ask me if I care, you'll get a two-letter answer. She was pretty, smart, and openly liked me. It had been two months since I met her, which I was told was a ridiculously long time to wait to ask her out. We didn't even say the “L word” until a few more months had gone by. Everything else was moving by so quick I could hardly keep up.

Everything was going swell... Then one day, we were talking on the phone. I had been looking into getting another Volvo and found one I liked for a really good price. I was talking to Alicia about it, then something happened. Something bad. She went off on me about how cars are stupid and there's absolutely no need for more than one per driver. My hobby, my connection to my dad, was a dumb thing to be interested in and she would have no part of it. I didn't say anything. I was too stunned and angry to speak. “Hello? Hello?” I hung up the phone. I couldn't deal with something so blatantly disrespectful. I don't care for musicals, but that's her thing and I support it, so why can't I get that in return? No, I couldn't say I don't like musicals. I couldn't say I think they're boring. That would just escalate issues. The phone rang. I let it sit for a moment, but I couldn't just cut her off.

We worked it out, but it took a few days. There were a few times where I thought that those were the end days for us. Everything is back on track, and after 7 months we haven't been better. Now the biggest problem I have regarding us is how to end this story about us. Hm...

2005-11-01T00:22:23