Page 15 of Love at a 7-Eleven

"Oh, thank you, I'm excited about it. I fell in love with history during middle school. I loved my teacher, so I just hope to do the same for someone else that age."

"Aw, that's so nice of you."

"You usually text. If it's just to say congrats on the job, I feel like you would've texted me. I'm hoping you're calling with relationship stuff. Did you see Cole again? Last I heard, you had blocked him."

"Oh, no I haven't seen Cole. It's not even about him. That was over as soon as it started, basically. It is guy stuff, though. I'm sorry to call you with that."

"Oh, no, I love it."

"I really don't know what I want to say about it. I don't think I need any advice or anything, I just kind of wanted to tell you what happened—how we met." Even as I began to speak, I knew I wouldn't give her all the details. I didn't want anyone to know everything.

"Aw, you met a new guy? My dreams are coming true. I'll live vicariously through you. Please tell me the whole story."

"Yes, we met yesterday, and we got together last night for him to take a history lesson from me."

"Oh, my gosh, this is already starting off so good. History lessons? This is amazing. You met him yesterday?"

"Yes, and it was so good. We were together for hours. We met at this diner, and I talked to him about Richard the Lion Heart for two hours, and then we went for a walk, and talked for two more hours after that. It was crazy. His questions were insightful and he was so interested. We got along so well. And there were moments when…"

"When what?" she said excitedly. "Are you in love?"

"Wh-when we looked at each other, and it was like…"

"Like what?" she said when I paused.

"I won't say love, but yeah, we liked each other."

"Well, that’s good," she said, not seeing the problem.

"Yeah, I thought so. We were out until like two in the morning. We really got along great. It was wonderful and perfect. And then we parted ways in the middle of the night—when bad decisions are all but forgiven. And there was not so much as a kiss on the cheek."

"Why not?" she asked sounding like she was already invested.

"I don't know. It was going so good I even felt like we were attracted to each other, and then he just got awkward. It was like he was fighting some internal battle."

"Oh, no. Do you think maybe he's with somebody else?"

"I thought the same thing. He seemed conflicted."

"Oh, gosh, that's not good. I guess it's good that he didn't kiss you. That shows that he's a good person if he is with someone else and he couldn't do it."

"I thought he was a good person. We had already hung out for so long. He knew I was getting invested."

"How'd you meet him? On the Internet?"

"On the Internet? Where did you get that?"

"I don't know. I don't know where else someone would sign up for a history lesson. Through a college?"

"No, I just met him at a… seven-eleven."

"At a what? A gas station?"

"Yes."

"For real? You're lying."

"It was over by Halas Hall. We knew some of the same people, through football."

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