“But she’s obviously nuts about you, dude. Why wouldn’t you want to see her?” he asked. “Besides, she’s freaking hot!” “It’s not like I don’t want to see her. I want to see her, but not if she is still with John. I can’t do that to him.” I said. In Aberdeen, she had wasted no time in seeking me out. Sometime that summer, I started feeling really depressed. My love life was spotty and my job was horrible. I was talking to my mother about it, getting frustrated and freaked out. Mom said that if I was so dissatisfied with where my life was going then I should consider going to college. She offered to pay for my first semester’s tuition and room and board. School started in the fall and I moved into Kramer Hall. I remember in Psychology, one of the professors said, “I want you to look at the person to your left and now to your right. One of these two people will not be here by the end of the semester.” “Well, that won’t be me,” I muttered. But of course, it was me. I wasn’t very serious about my studies. I think I went to only about a month of classes. The damn shame is it cost my parents around two and a half thousand dollars. What a crappy investment that was. However, the universe had plans for me. A few weeks later, I was walking through Lakewood mall with Troy, when who do I see? It’s Heather walking toward me, with her boyfriend no less. What do I do? Do I turn around? It’s much too late for that. She sees me, and her smile takes up her whole face. “Hello Heather. What’s up, John?” I say. We talk for a while, but it is very uncomfortable. I am no rock star, but for a moment, I felt like one. Imagine you are with your wife, and Brad Pitt or Jim Morrison walk up and begin to talk to your wife. As far as she is concerned you don’t exist anymore. I am sure that is what John felt like. As soon as Heather saw me, he no longer existed. Despite my honorable intentions earlier, I gave Heather my phone number while John stared knives into my head. How did I think this was going to end up? 193
4 P.M. COUNT