Once upon a time I was waiting for the bus to take me to school. Stranger boy that was shorter than me started talking to me and we discovered we knew some of the same people. He proceeded to sit by me on the bus and talked to me about whatever stranger boys that are shorter than me talk about. I reached my stop and he asked for my number. Since everyone on the bus pretty much heard him, I didn't want to embarrass him by saying no so I gave it to him. He called me that weekend and left a message asking if I wanted to go out sometime and to call him back. Not really wanting to go out with the boy, I never called him back. "You'll probably never see him again," I said to myself. Don't ever say that. You will ALWAYS see them again. Foolish.

A few days passed. One morning I got to school earlier than intended so I decided to pass the time sitting in one of the soft chairs in the game room of the Institute building. I opened my backpack and looked at my planner and went through various papers in my folders. As I was looking down at my lap, going through a class folder, I sensed that someone sat down in a soft chair near me. "No one does that," I thought. "I have clearly claimed this grouping of soft chairs as my space. How dare someone sit down in my personal bubble."

I heard the clearing of a throat and a timid voice said, "Hey."

I looked up. Stranger boy that was shorter than me met my gaze. "Oh, hi." I said, awkwardly.

Boy: I thought it was you. How are you?

Me: Good. Well, I have to get to class . . . (I started to quickly gather my things to get ready to dart out of there)

Boy: Did you get my message?

Me: Ummm . . . yes.

Boy: Why didn't you call me back?

Me: Honestly, I thought it was weird. I just don't know you at all.

Boy: Okay . . . well, how am I supposed to get to know you if we don't spend some time together? (said with a slight smirk)

Good one, boy. Good one.

Me: Fine (sounding annoyed), we can do something, but it would have to be something really casual.

Boy: Like what? What would you like to do? (spoken slowly and patiently as if he is speaking to a child)

Me: I don't know. We could get ice cream or something.

Boy: So, would it be okay if we went for ice cream this Friday? (again with the patient/demeaning voice)

Me: (exasperatedly) Sure.

Boy: (patiently) Is it okay if I pick you up?

Me: (curtly) Yes. I need to go to class. Exits the awkward presence of stranger boy.

So that super awkward moment led to an awkward date where we spent way to much time sitting at a table in Farr's ice cream shop and stranger boy told me his favorite things to do are to "throw things" and "think." I told him I had to be home 15 minutes earlier than I originally told him because I had to meet the boy my roommate was going on a date with that night. Not even a lie. On the drive back to my apartment he said something like, "I think God led me to find you in the Institute building." No, stranger boy, I don't think He did.

Stranger boy called me the next weekend to go ice skating. I told him I thought about it (his favorite activity) and I'm just not interested.

The End