The plane's smooth landing didn't comfort me much because I knew that my arrival only made the end closer.The plane's smooth landing didn't comfort me much because I knew that my arrival only made the end closer. After being together for three years, Melissa and I were probably breaking up, yet here I was, leaving school early just to go to to her senior prom. Ironic. I had rushed through my individually arranged final exams, prematurely ending my freshmen year, and taken the next flight leaving San Francisco to be at her prom. And I knew it would end. When it finally did a few weeks later, I wasn't too surprised. Tensions had finally mounted to the point where even good sex couldn't keep us together. My heart ached at the loss, but I knew the best thing to do would be going out and dating as soon as possible. Anything else would simply prolong the inevitable "recovery period." Unfortunately, the past year in college hadn't done wonders for the confidence I left home with last fall. School had been much more difficult than anticipated, and the few good looking women I met in California weren't very interested in dating (particularly not a freshman). All this was a bit of a shock, especially the lack of good looking women: what did they say, nine out of ten women in California are beautiful ... So while I was at school, I became more attatched to this long distance relationship than I should have. I made more long distance phone calls, wrote more letters, and thought more about one person than I think I ever have in my life. Joining a fraternity at that time probably would have done me some good. Self-discipline lended a hand, however, and I was successful at getting myself back in the social scene as quickly as possible. The beer and the brethren were able to keep my mind off Melissa, but I still a lingered here and there. Socializing hadn't been enough. It was a few weeks later, in a get-in-with-anything-resembling-an-ID bar, when I saw Lisa. I had met her before even though we went to different high schools, and I knew she went to UPenn with some friends of mine. With the confidence of alcohol and the help of those same friends, I got reintroduced and a date. |