Why I'm Single

Part 1

"Aw, sorry Victoria, but I'm actually going to homecoming with Eric. I knew you'd be upset. Look, I'm really sorry!"

I shrugged and flopped backwards on my chair, all of the blood rushing to my head, and my mess of brown hair sprawling across the floor. "It's okay, Caroline. Not like this doesn't happen every year."

"Hey!" Caroline protested. "I didn't want to go any-"

"Relax," I groaned, returning to an upright position. My eyes were throbbing and my face was bright red, but I would be lying if i said those few seconds of being upside-down weren't fun. It kinda gives you a new perspective on things, you know? "I'm just messing with you. Though, I will say that I had bought popcorn, cookies, and chocolate covered pretzels for our "'#hoconogo.'" I messed with the strings of my sweatshirt- a nervous tick- as I shot her a look that translated roughly to "But I know you'd rather go to homecoming than watch The Avengers and eat food at my house." I hope the message was successfully conveyed, but some people just aren't very perceptive.

The redhead frowned. "I also have some other news."

To tell the truth, I was beginning to get a little scared then. I bet my life that she wouldn't say what I thought she was going to, but you speak of the Devil, and the Devil comes.

"I-I'm dating Eric, too."

Shit. Really? Did she really have to say that? Caroline was one of the two "last loners," a group consisting solely of her and me. I was now the last single girl at Puget Sound High. I had sincerely hoped that we could stick it out until the end of senior year. It was so much easier to avoid criticism when you weren't the only one to be criticized, but now, I was fresh meat. The problem was, I didn't really want to be in a relationship anyway. I was "one of the guys," so you could only imagine where my struggles might come from. High school relationships are awkward, strained, and unproductive. If you're not gonna marry him, then you're gonna break up with him. Not worth my time, thank you very much. I'd rather be playing Call of Duty- the original, of course.

I didn't know what the hell to say. 'Oh, uh, that's great?' 'Congratulations!' 'I completely hate you, and you're now irrelevant.' Those were all good options. The last one was what I really wanted to say, of course. "That's cool."

That's cool. Wow. Very creative, Victoria. In retrospect, I should have gone with the "I hate you" one, but it's too late now.

Caroline looked completely relieved. "Really? That's great because I though you would be so mad, but you handled it well!

The entire situation was awkward. I just kind of got up and said I had to pee or something, and that she could go home. We were done studying anyway. I went inside the bathroom and sat on a closed toilet for about ten minutes -checking my email or something to pass time time- until I was pretty sure that she had left. I hoped the fact that I had earbuds in signified the people around me that I didn't want to talk. Out of spite, I turned on Smells Like Teen Spirit and cranked up the volume to an unhealthy level. I guess it was either because I felt like retreating into the classing teen-angst anthem, or felt like retreating into the classic teen-angst persona.

At any rate, the fact that the Seattle atmosphere shared my current depression made me a great deal happier and made the long trek home a great deal more bearable.