#GirlsShitToo

Spring Break

Spring Break was the third week of March, and it was pretty eventful.

I hung out with my usual crowd: Alex and Benny and Dylan, plus Justine. But I also hung out with my newer friends. 

First, Valerie asked me out on a date.

Valerie

Sun, Mar 13, 9:24 AM

Valerie

Let's go out for coffee. Tonight at 7? Starbucks on Serene?

Dallas

Sounds good

Valerie

C U then! 😘

I had no false hopes about this being a date-date instead of a friend date, but I still felt amused at how the tables of my life had turned: I was actually going out with Valerie. That night on our date, after she had paid for an actual cappuccino for me, I asked her something I'd wanted to know for a long time. "Why are you dating Chad Anderson?"

"What do you mean?" Her spine went erect: she was probably already going on the offense.

"I mean, I don't really know him, that's all. I'm probably wrong, but I've always assumed he's just a typical dudebro. But last Friday in chemistry you said we like people for who they are. So I'm curious...who is he?"

"He's really great," was all she said.

"Is he? Why didn't you call him the other week when you got sick?"

"I was embarrassed, okay? He probably wouldn't have made anything of it, but I guess I like him having the illusion I'm a perfect girl. It's not like that will last forever, you know. One day when we're married the two of us will become very familiar with each other. Besides, you just happened to show up when I needed help, like it was meant to be."

"Yeah." I smiled, thinking about how, after the events that conspired that day, I had become so much closer to Valerie. I thought I might be losing some of my desire for her, and I was glad. Not because of her diarrhea—because my thoughts had been occupied by other things? Because I knew I never had a true chance with Valerie? I don't know. Crushes were annoying. Anyways, I would rather have Valerie's friendship. "Do you really think you'll get married?"

"I don't know. I hope so. I'll probably end up going to Cal State so we can be closer. Okay, yeah, he's not super book smart. He might make it as a businessman—we'll have to see. He doesn't care as much as I do about social justice issues, which is annoying. But maybe I want the better job, anyway. Maybe he can be the stay-at-home dad. Sounds great to me." Then she said, "So, what's up with that picture of you and Adree?"

"What do you mean?"

"You two look totally down to kiss."

"Down to kiss? Yeah right."

"Why not?" she asked.

"For one thing, Adree's straight."

"How do you know that?"

"Hasn't she only had boyfriends?"

"She went out with Jay Henderson for like two weeks and Carl Bane for like four months, and I know her and Dennis have hooked up. But that isn't conclusive evidence that she won't go both ways. Don't you think it's weird that after I posted a selfie with you she just had to post one too? She doesn't want to see someone else by your side. Besides... " Valerie leaned in and started whispering to me through the steam of our decaf cappuccinos, "She dared me to French kiss her when we were in fifth grade at a sleepover."