But I need you to go, 'cause Kelvin will just leave me there once he finds a cute girl on the dance floor.
Dennis - I really ought to be studying for finals. Besides, why do you want me to go? Aren't you going so you can finally meet Tiffany? I sighed. I was already way behind schedule.
Please? he begged, giving me his best puppy-dog eyes. I've never asked you for anything before...I need you to come. Please?
After much more hassling and reassurance that I didn't need to study - my grades don't matter anymore! - I finally relented and agreed to be his wingman for the night. Kelvin and Dennis then gave me five minutes (no more, preferably less) to primp and whip my hair into submission, while they figured out travel plans.
Twenty minutes later - I am a girl after all - I was ready to go. Meeting the boys downstairs, I was shocked to find another guy who was going to catch a ride to the club with us. Though, given my luck, I should have figured that our travel plans would include this guy.
Shooting death glares at Kelvin, who merely smiled innocently and asked if I wanted to sit in the back with our friend, I grabbed Dennis' hand and pulled him into the backseat with me. He might have convinced me to be his wingman, but there was no way I was going to endure a 30+ minute drive talking about I-don't-know-what with that guy. Hello, Awkward, party of two.
Once we got to the club, we met up with the rest of the group whom I didn't really know. Cute, scantily-clad girls and boys dressed in striped dress-shirts milled about as Dennis not-so-conspicuously pointed out the target girl - who was talking to a rather attractive boy.
Maybe being Dennis' wingman wouldn't be so bad after all.
We sidled up next to them, and introductions were made. After seeing that Dennis was actually having a conversation with Tiffany that seemed to be going rather smoothly, I pulled the guy away and started a conversation of my own. We clicked right away since he rolled with my sarcastic punches and even pulled a wisecrack or two. It was one of those fun conversations, where it's closing time before you know it, and you're surprised that you are actually sober since the whole time the two of you were talking, you were so entranced and entertained that you forgot you were holding a drink. It hit 3am, and the rest of the party decided it was finally time to head home, so we smiled, and with a casual "I'll see you around," walked away from each other.
The next morning my friends quite eagerly woke me up, hoping to hear me regale them with tales of love at first sight, since they insisted that they saw sparks fly between me and the boy. Dennis chided me to "tell the truth" since he had unwittingly played wingman for me, instead of the other way around. I laughed and noted that there were only two weeks of school left.
So? He's going to be in Springfield!
Yes, and I'm going to be in Chicago.
Well, it doesn't matter, you have two weeks still.
You mean I only have two weeks.
The conversation turned to other things - such as the flop that was Tiffany and Dennis - but I couldn't help but wonder how things would have been different if I had met the guy a year, two years, earlier. We could have been great friends instead of mere acquaintances who bonded over dorky dances.
I need to keep reminding myself that there's no point in thinking about the boy. Two weeks is too short for anything. And though I don't know how things might be different if there was more time, I wish I had more than two weeks. But that's how it goes, isn't it? You only find what you're looking for when you're least expecting it.
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Side note: Coincidentally, his roommate happens to be the same guy who caught a ride with me, Dennis, and Kelvin to the club. What a small world. And they couldn't be more different from each other.
3 years ago
