Perspectives (Part 4: Majoring in Drama)

#1 asks:despite the fact that he frustrates, I think that I've fallen for him  what defines "fallen" in your opinion?3:23 AM I'm looking for real responses here  not something contrived

When it comes to gravity, I'm stupid.  I don't know how or why it works.  I've heard things about the moon, and Newton's apple.  I've even fallen down stairs just to see if I could hit my head just right enough to figure it all out.  But I still don't know anything about gravity, other than, it works.

And, of course, I'm going to liken falling in love to gravity.  It's an easy analogy.  Both can be explained with graphs and equations.  Neither make any damned sense to most people.  Still, devotees of science and romance claim that they understand them.  Both get you through most of your life, while occasionally knocking you on your ass.  Both are bitches.

I've never really thought of either one of them having definitions.  Gravity is serious.  It's something that binds you.  Falling is an accident that results in gravity.

Here's something I've never been completely honest about.  Sora.

I was turning twenty-nine.  I'd been in stupid with Ben for months, and knew that if I didn't get in a relationship soon, I wasn't going to get over him, the way I never really got over Ryan (and I  don't mean I was going to kill him, though that thought certainly crossed my mind on a near-daily basis).  So all I wanted for my twenty-ninth birthday was to fall in love with someone else.

So when I was asked to do a poetry reading on my birthday, I said sure.  Why not?  Ben was out of town.  Celeste had plans.  And I tried not to make big deals out of birthdays, so I invited a few friends to my show in Rhode Island, printed up some books, and grabbed the commuter rail to Providence.  There, I met up with my friend Cheerio and blah blah, the show happened.  And the show went long.  Very long.  I'd planned a half hour set, including a reading of my first ever "chapbook", a hand scrawled journal I'd written when I was six.  Complete with stick figure drawings, and a count of how many Cherry Cokes I'd had to drink (it's a life long vice).  When I realized I'd been going for forty-five minutes, I asked how much longer I had, and the host told me to keep going.  SO I went.  And, at one hour, I stopped.  And the host asked me to do one more piece.  So I decided to do my hallucinating while waiting tables poem, which involves me wandering around the venue.  And, while wandering, I circled around a pole that had been obstructing my view of a certain section of the audience all night.  And on the other side of that pole was Sora.  He was staring at me.  Like, in a creepy way.  STARING. 

At the end of the night, I was selling books, and talking with Cheerio and Zouzou (no relation to Zuzu, they just have the same phonetic name), when Sora approached me.

"HI!"

"Hi."

"This was my first ever poetry reading.  My friends told me it would be something I would really like, but I didn't think it would be for me, but I thought you were really really good, and I wanted to buy your books and see if maybe you had another show coming up somewhere that I could go to and see you again."  And then he just smiled.

"Uhhh.  Thanks.  Well, I don't have any other show shows for a month or so, but there's a big slam in Boston next Wednesday to decide who will represent Boston at the National Poetry Slam.  I'll be in it.  And, no matter who wins, it should be a really good show."

"Cool."  Stare.  Smile.  "Here's my Myspace profile, could you send me the info?  I'd really like to be there."  Stare.  Smile.

"Sure."

Stare.  Smile.  Walk away.

"Wow." Zouzou said.

"Yea."  I said.  "He was a little intense."

"A little intense?"  Cheerio said?  "He wants your dick.  Often."

And because I am completely oblivious, I said "No.  He's just really really into poetry, I guess."

Zouzou laughed.  "Hon, no.  That intense little drama student is completely besmitten with you."

I shrugged.  "I don't know if I could date someone who was majoring in Drama."

"I think you're a little old for college students, anyway,"  Said Cheerio, who had just cursed me more than either of us could ever possibly know.

My new friend Mike offered to drive me back to Ben's apartment (I was catsitting Rufus while Ben was in Virginia), and on the way we discussed "the intense drama student", whose name I didn't have, but whose myspace profile, I did.  While we were talking, I turned my cell on, and noticed I had a message.

"Hey, Adam, it's Ben.  I'm still in Virginia.  Anyway, I saw this totally awesome pair of shoes down here that would be completely perfect for you.  And I know it's your birthday, and all.  Happy birthday, by the way.  And I was thinking about getting them for you, but they were really expensive, and I didn't know if I could afford them, or if you could afford them, so I decided not to get them, but I wanted to let you know that I was thinking of you.  Happy Birthday."

And that's why I needed to not be in love with Ben.  A really good friend would have bought me the damned shoes.  A moderately good friend would have called, regretted that they couldn't really afford the shoes, but would have bought them, and asked to be reimbursed.  A really good friend who was completely broke would have never mentioned the shoes at all, and just called to say Happy Birthday.  Ben was none of those things.  But I had been in love with him.  I didn't really like him very much, but I was in love with him.

It turned out that the message was very old, because Ben was already at home in Allston, when Mike and I arrived.  And we drank a little.  Shit was shot.  Ben sprawled out on his bed, and craned his neck in a way that someone had told him accentuated his jawline.  And I packed up my stuff, said goodbye, and Mike prepared to drive me back to the apartment I shared with Celeste and Sir Trick.  And it would have been a long night, sure.  It was a bit past midnight, but I could get in bed by say, twosih, on this now early morning after my birthday, except...except...except Mike's car was not at all where he parked it a scant half hour ago.  But right above where he had parked it was the number of a tow truck company.  A number Mike dialed while scowling at his phone.

Now I could tell you that while he dialed, and spoke, I was thinking only of that strange intense little drama student.  That my thoughts were pure or dirty or whatever.  But I wasn't thinking of the (I still think) hot guy who'd given me his myspace profile because he wanted to come up to Boston and have me do him.  I was thinking of Ben, who had been very direct about how he didn't find me attractive, how he didn't love me in any way.  I was thinking of him sprawled out on his bed with his head cocked at a funny angle.  How he had called to let me know that I wasn't important enough a part of his life for him to get me a birthday present.  How much I loved him, and his stupid goddamned chin.