Say You Like Me
Two
I looked out the kitchen window at Ryan’s house and saw that the rain had finally let up. It had been a pretty wet spring which was good for the flowers but terrible for my lacrosse team. Hockey season was finally over and now the only thing left to do was chose what college we would attend this fall. Of course I had already chosen to attend the University of Colorado in Boulder where I had gotten a full scholarship to play Division 1 lacrosse. Ryan, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea where he wanted to go. It was no surprise that every college he got accepted to had an excellent hockey team but Ryan wasn’t totally into the idea of going to college. He had dreams of playing in the NHL and his huge ego of his had convinced his mind that he was going to play straight out of high school. If it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t have even applied to colleges.
Now we were sitting at his kitchen table weighing all the pros and cons of each school. Gabe was also over because I needed his help to get in Ryan’s head and help him choose. “This is so stupid!” Ryan complained for the millionth time. “I’m just going to get drafted this year by an NHL team so this whole college thing is a complete waste of my time.”
I sighed. “Come on Ry! You don’t know that you’re going to get drafted so it’s better to have a back-up plan.” I argued.
“You think that I’m not good enough to get drafted? What a great girlfriend you are.” Ryan scoffed.
“She didn’t mean it like that!” Gabe interjected.
“Do you think you’re so superior now that you have a D1 scholarship to… to… where are you going again?” I sighed and shook my head. I had told Ryan about fifty times where I was going to college. Sometimes when I talk to him it seems like he’s not even listening.
“University of Colorado,” Gabe answered, “You should really pay attention to your girlfriend. She’s told you at least twice since I’ve been here.” Ryan shot Gabe a glare and went back to looking at the pamphlets of each college he was accepted to.
“This one,” Ryan finally said, “I’ll go here.” I smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you.” I said as I got up to leave.
“Thank you for being patient with me. How about we go out tomorrow night? How about 7:00 at Del Dente?” Ryan suggested.
“Sounds perfect.” I kissed him one more time before heading out the door with Gabe close behind.
“What a change in his attitude.” Gabe said once we got into my car.
“I know; it’s kinda weird.” Ryan had never been a romantic guy. He didn’t really like going out on dates, especially to a fancy restaurant. “Maybe he’s just grateful that someone actually cares about his future?” I suggested.
Gabe just shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe,” he said, “or maybe he’s just guilty.” Gabe mumbled quietly. I shot him a questioning look.
“What do you mean?”
Gabe looked at me sympathetically, just as he did a while back when we were in Ryan’s kitchen when Gabe was trying to tell me something about Ryan. I pulled into Gabe’s driveway.
“Now’s not a good time to talk about it. I’ll see you later. Bye Nat!” Gabe squeezed my hand then got out of the car, only looking back only once to give me another sympathetic look.
“Stop looking at me like that!” I yelled out after him but I don’t think he heard me. I sighed and pulled out of the driveway. “That boy is so weird.” I thought to myself as Gabe’s actions replayed through my head. I drove to the mall to pick up something new for my date with Ryan the following night.
Now we were sitting at his kitchen table weighing all the pros and cons of each school. Gabe was also over because I needed his help to get in Ryan’s head and help him choose. “This is so stupid!” Ryan complained for the millionth time. “I’m just going to get drafted this year by an NHL team so this whole college thing is a complete waste of my time.”
I sighed. “Come on Ry! You don’t know that you’re going to get drafted so it’s better to have a back-up plan.” I argued.
“You think that I’m not good enough to get drafted? What a great girlfriend you are.” Ryan scoffed.
“She didn’t mean it like that!” Gabe interjected.
“Do you think you’re so superior now that you have a D1 scholarship to… to… where are you going again?” I sighed and shook my head. I had told Ryan about fifty times where I was going to college. Sometimes when I talk to him it seems like he’s not even listening.
“University of Colorado,” Gabe answered, “You should really pay attention to your girlfriend. She’s told you at least twice since I’ve been here.” Ryan shot Gabe a glare and went back to looking at the pamphlets of each college he was accepted to.
“This one,” Ryan finally said, “I’ll go here.” I smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you.” I said as I got up to leave.
“Thank you for being patient with me. How about we go out tomorrow night? How about 7:00 at Del Dente?” Ryan suggested.
“Sounds perfect.” I kissed him one more time before heading out the door with Gabe close behind.
“What a change in his attitude.” Gabe said once we got into my car.
“I know; it’s kinda weird.” Ryan had never been a romantic guy. He didn’t really like going out on dates, especially to a fancy restaurant. “Maybe he’s just grateful that someone actually cares about his future?” I suggested.
Gabe just shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe,” he said, “or maybe he’s just guilty.” Gabe mumbled quietly. I shot him a questioning look.
“What do you mean?”
Gabe looked at me sympathetically, just as he did a while back when we were in Ryan’s kitchen when Gabe was trying to tell me something about Ryan. I pulled into Gabe’s driveway.
“Now’s not a good time to talk about it. I’ll see you later. Bye Nat!” Gabe squeezed my hand then got out of the car, only looking back only once to give me another sympathetic look.
“Stop looking at me like that!” I yelled out after him but I don’t think he heard me. I sighed and pulled out of the driveway. “That boy is so weird.” I thought to myself as Gabe’s actions replayed through my head. I drove to the mall to pick up something new for my date with Ryan the following night.
4/9/13