December 2001; After an out-of-town Debate Tournament:
Late at night, while in the hotel, I was bored because there were only five or so girls, and they were “talking about relationships” in my room, so I went into the guys’ room where they (about seventeen or so guys) were watching Universal Soldier on TV. The whole floor and one of the beds were taken, so I walked over to the other end of the room. I was going to sit on the lil table in the corner, but some random guy, I later knew to be James, said, "Come sit down" and motioned to the bed he was sitting on by himself. So I did.
On the bus ride home from the debate tournament I was sitting on one of the first few rows across from my friend, Jen. She had the hugest crush on my friend, Phil, who was also on the debate team. So, of course, we were talking about him. Every so often I’d look toward the back of the bus where Phil was sitting. But everytime I looked back the random guy named James (who was sitting in front of Phil) would look at me. I considered James to be just one of those blah nerdy guys on the team - they all blended together to me, I never paid attention to them. So it bugged me that he kept looking at me. I even mentioned to Jen “Ok, that’s enough now.”
After about a half hour, the two people who had been sitting behind Jen and me decided to move closer to the back of the bus. After they’d left, James came and sat behind Jen. He and I started to talk, and make fun of Jen (because of being so obsessed with Phil)
At one point Jen whinely (i think i made up a word) yelled to the back, "Phil, they're saying I want you." (apparently she was in denial) I was in a silly mood so I said, "No, no, I said I want Phil."
Jen thought this was hilarious. She laughed really loud and said, "No, you want James". I, being in no mood to pretend argue with her said, "Oh, that's right, you got me" to Jen. Then James said, "Wait, Susannah, doesn't that mean I got you?” Which slightly freaked me out. I mumbled, "Yeah, I guess you're right"
About an hour later James pulled a little piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and wrote something on it, and then put it back into his jacket. About three minutes later he pulled the paper back out, looked at it, then replaced it in his pocket. About five minutes later he did it again. Then another five minutes later it happened again. I kept thinking, “What the heck is he doing?” Finally, he handed the paper to me. (by this time it was incredibly dark outside) I couldn't read what it said, so I held it up to my Discman (because the screen lights up when you push the buttons), all I could read was "call me", but I could tell there was more written on it, including a phone number.
***Disclaimer: I have know idea what I was thinking from here on out***
I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was he joking? Surely he couldn’t be serious! No one liked me! ...So I handed the paper back to James. With a perplexed look on his face, he asked, “Ummm, why’d you give it back?” I made up something about not being able to read it because of the darkness. He put it back in his pocket.
Senior Ball was that night (it’s a guy’s choice dance) so I said I was going to go stag to it. James said, “How about we get some people together and go?” I was (for some insane reason) bugged that he attempt to change my plans. (I was such a dork, I know!) So I re-stated that I was going STAG. (Can we say "hello brat???")
Later, when we got to the school, we were walking down the hall together and I mentioned that it’s depressing to be at school on a Saturday night. To which he replied, "Only when don't have a date, well.....umm...nevermind."
A few minutes after that we were in our coach’s classroom waiting to use the phone. James emptied all the contents of his pockets, looking for a paper with his parents cell phone number on it. A guy named Chris (who I had a mad crush on) started looking at the papers James had put on the desk. He picked up the one James had handed to me and said, “Call me? What the heck?” James glanced at me, I quickly looked down.
After I had used the phone I went into the hall to get a drink. James was out there with some of his friends. He walked a few feet away from them. When I walked by he quietly said, "Susannah, do you want to go on a date sometime?" A million things rushed through my mind. “Is he for real? Is he kidding? Is this some kind of mean joke? Am I supposed to get excited and say yes merely for his friends to start laughing? What do I say that would say yes, but I-can-take-it-or-leave-it also?” I started to do some sort of thumbs up thing, only then realized how dumb I would look if he was serious. Then he’d be standing there, putting his dignity on a line, asking a girl out in front of his friends only to have her do a non-chalant thumbs up I-could-take-it-or-leave-it thing?
So I quickly started chuckling at myself and continued walking. (What? What?!) By the time I realized I hadn’t answered him I was already at the drinking fountain! And I didn’t want to yell back down the hall to him.
So that’s where we stood. He asked me out, I started to put up my thumbs, but instead started laughing and walked away. WHAT THE CRAP?!
That next Monday we had class together. I tried to smile and be nice, but he completely ignored and avoided me. I thought for sure I had screwed up royally any friendship we may have had. But by that Friday he was talking to me again.
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