We found an apartment in Columbia if we end up having to stay there this next year before heading up to West Virginia. It is in Rosewood and is the most adorable little cottage with one large bedroom, a living room, kitchen and decent-sized bath. It would be the perfect and cosiest of places to begin my life with Will, if that beginning is to take place in Columbia. It is tiled throughout except the bedroom which has beautiful hardwood floors. Right now, I am clinging to it as our starter place, since I have yet to set foot in West Virginia, let alone see any possible housing for us over the internet. Sounds like a blind leap if I have ever heard of one.
But, last time I said that I would tell about my very first encounter with Will Jackson. So, here goes.
I first saw him on Facebook, as lame as that is, it is the truth. I had no idea what Facebook was or how to work it, but my then best friend had just gotten it and had friended every "hot" boy from CofC that she saw. Will was one of those lucky guys befriended by a freshman nobody two weeks before school had even begun. She showed me his page. In his picture, he was wearing a blue trucker hat with wisps of his dark hair curling out from under it. His lips were big and he just looked manly. I was impressed, and then I read his profile. His interests were vague and didn't really give much information. "Astronomical anomoly" is the only one that I can still remember, because I had no idea what it was, but was intrigued and had to dictionary.com it. "He seems like your type," my then best friend said. I nodded my head and asked how she had met him, which she hadn't. "He's cute so I friended him," she said. I told her that she would never meet him. He was a senior and really cute and way out of our freshman league. She shrugged, not interested in actually meeting him just in having hot, older CofC guys as her friends on Facebook.
To say that I completely forgot about Will Jackson after that first viewing of his profile would be a lie. I still didn't have Facebook, and even if I did, would not have had the guts to friend a complete stranger, but I did have my then best friend's Facebook. I stalked him when I could. Read his wall posts and looked at his pictures. I still believe that I would never ever in a million years meet him, but was so inexplicably interested in him and his page. So, after about a month in school, during which time I had a class three times a week with one of his roommates, who I partnered with on projects and accompanied to soccer games, with no clue that he even knew Will Jackson, we finally met on a street corner on our way to a party. My then best friend and I were waiting on the corner of Calhoun and St. Philips for our guy friend, Martin Grant, who we were going with to a Sigma Nu party. When, right before my eyes, Will Jackson with Martin and the guy from my class walked across the street and began introductions. I nearly choked on my spearmint Orbit gum, but tried to act normal. After all, he had no idea that I had been covertly watching his every Facebook move. Will instantly recognized my nameless friend as a girl who had friended him on Facebook. I was just her friend, which meant that I was pretty much ignored. I thought he was gorgeous and perfect and really tall. But, he was quiet and big and confident. He teased my friend, who was already on her way to being very drunk. I walked behind them as I thought they flirted. I reevaluated my opinion of him and firmly decided that he was completely full of himself. I kept my distance.
I couldn't help but notice him at the party, though we had all split ways upon entering the door. When I went into the backyard, he was there talking to other people, not me. Once, I came in the back door as he was coming out. We had to turn sideways to squeeze past each other. He smiled at me then and said hello. I smiled and pushed past him. I was slowly but surely losing my grip on reality and developing a huge crush despite myself. Somehow, at the end of the night, we had all met back up and headed for King Street and food for my then best friend, which was usually a chicken caesar pita from Pita Pit and a bag of M&Ms. Ari, the head guy there, knew us by name and had her order ready. She was the only one eating. We, except for Martin, who was next door at Gilroy's getting his pizza, sat at the table in the window. She had her audience and I was sick of following her around like a pathetic and very sober puppy. I walked across the street to get her M&Ms that she would whine for anyways. I needed the fresh air and a momentary break from babysitting and the little ache in my heart that pricked each time I saw Will talking to her. I knew that he had fallen for her like every other guy we had met since school began. I tried to swallow the truth then as I searched for the candy at King Street Station. I could still see them sitting in the window, smiling and laughing at her as she ate her pita with no care that three good looking guys were watching her every move.
But, when I came out of the station, the Pita Pit window was deserted. I went to Gilroy's and there was part of the group. Martin was eating his pizza with my then friend sitting next to him. Will was sitting opposite them in the booth. I slid in beside him and opened the bag of M&Ms. Sloppily, she dug each piece of candy out of the bag, making a mess. So, I dumped the contents into my hand and sat there moodily, as Will and Martin chatted and laughed with her. Then, all of a sudden, Will was eating the M&Ms out of my hand and talking maybe not to me but with me. The alcohol was making her sleepy and whiney as she nibbled the chocolate. Maybe, she had finally lost her luster. I was still unconvinced as we walked back up Calhoun to our dorm. The guys said goodnight. I told Will that I would friend him on Facebook. We said that we would see each other around. I desperately hoped that he was telling the truth. I signed up for Facebook that night after tucking my then friend into bed. The cyber-stalking has yet to cease.
Part Dos to be continued...
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