my girl friend
(Notice the space right there?)
While I was sulking over the Odyssey, sitting next to me was my girl friend who actually loved the movie. Said she's read the original text and that I should read it too. For some reason, I couldn't dare to speak up, tell her: 'Ultimately the movie's what matters, not Homer's text'. I suppose I didn't want to spark a debate, the 'Everybody's entitled to their opinion' inside me stepped up. Perhaps to her disappointment, we couldn't really geek talk about the movie after we finished the movie. I'm now left wondering what we would've done if I didn't vouch for the movie. The movie disappointed me much, to my regret, I was so out of it to what mattered most right there and then: her.
We became friends when we became classmates during the pandemic. Despite her moving to a different school, we somehow managed to stay in touch. I don't know how. Counting our most recent meeting, we have probably only met 3 times. First was prom (I remember being really surprised), I remember she brought a guy. Second was last summer when we played cards together with other people, my mother called me to come back home. Third's this.
I didn't try thinking too much before our meeting - a guy and a girl hanging out together alone 🤔🤔 Probably two days after I agreed to the hangout per her invite, I tacitly assumed somebody's joining along us. There weren't any plans for the hangout. When I suggested we watch the movie and she agreed, I realized I assumed wrong. I started dreading it even minutes before the meeting. Tennis terms: A Challenger series player receives a wildcard to a Grand Slam. I'll update this example if I can thinking of anything better.
To my relief, when we finally met, we got to talking just fine. When I first spotted her, it was then I realized for the first time that my friend looks attractive. A bit taken aback. But. Just a friend. An attractive-looking friend.
I don't know how it must've been for her, perhaps hanging out with a guy (or me) meant nothing, but I felt strongly double-conscious.
Dinner together - single leg table. Was taken a bit aback in the first minute. I was definitely slightly exhausted because when she'd land a joke, I'd be unable to catch it either she quipped too fast or my hearing's just isn't sharp. But her style was strikingly similar to mine. I didn't knew that. Looking back (rather cringingly) the one who carried our conversation was her. I spoke pretty honestly. Wonder if talking honestly reveals something disappointing about myself.
All things said, what I appreciated most about the dinner was that, minus a phone call by her mom, I cannot recall any phone interruption throughout our conversation. Small thing but quite meaningful to me.
When the dinner ended, multiple thoughts went on my mind: 'Should I pay for dinner? (we split later) What if I'm trying too hard to look gentlemanly? It's not like I cannot pay back. It's not the end of the world just because I'm not paying for the two of us now' (I am insufferable)
A bit of a chat before she got picked up quick. The end.
I think it's cool that we're chill enough to meet up like this. My estimation of her certainly went higher after the hangout (can't speak for her side). But I found the contrast rather fascinating: Y needs somebody to invite me for a hangout, my friend does it nonchalantly; that's how you make somebody 😳😳