Saturday, 03/05/05 - 3:00 pm.
I had to be at 9 am at the university, to register the subjects I'm taking this semester. My brother works there as a professor, as you may know or not, and today he had to be there from 9 to 12. I decided to spare my dad the burden of giving me a ride, even though registering the subjects wouldn't take me more than 10 minutes.
My friend Norm is doing his social work in these things of registering subjects. He gives information and makes sure everybody does the right thing and has the right papers. We got to talk for a while, and I was asking him how Carmen and her girlfriend were doing, and he said they were in a wonderful relationship and bla, bla, bla. I'm happy for her.
Wait, confession time!!!, he said all of a sudden. I go both ways, and waved his arms. Meaning he is bisexual. It doesn't surprise me (I expected it), but in spite of me, I was surprised when he broke the news.
He's involved with a 36 year-old (!), and he's been having a lot of, err, "experiences". I'm happy for him, he does look radiant. Sadly, he also got involved with a pretty guy I wanted for my friend Priscilla. Tough luck. But I'm still happy. That circle of friends (Carmen, Norman, Roberto and a couple more) is a bundle of bi and homos. I feel so touched. I already told Norman to take me to the gay zone they hang out at.
I was in line for registering my subjects (before Norm told me) and this guy in some of my classes, Isaac, comes up and tells me I read your book, it's great! I borrowed it from someone, but I'll get my own copy. I was touched again, although a little embarrased.
I read catcher in the rye for a while (I owe it to Nick), after registering my subjects. I sent a text message to my friend Rod, because we agreed to meet up. So we did, just a couple of minutes. He was attending some meeting for social work, so I left him there and went to the library. I found Alice In Wonderland, but when I checked my wallet, I only had five dollars. I looked for the price: $3.70. Phsh, of course I got it.
I went to sit on a bench near building C, where I was going to meet Joe in 30 minutes. There was this guy, not very good-looking to be honest, who started to hit on me. He commented on my Invader Zim pin. Am I interrupting you?, he asked after like five minutes of talking. I said no, I'm just waiting for someone. Boyfriend?. No. Girilfriend?. No. Just an acquaintance. Then he went on to ask me lots of questions (he even sat on the bench), what I was studying, if I played an instrument, why I chose psychology, if The Beatles were any good...
So, um, do you have siblings, or something?. I nearly laughed in his face. "OR SOMETHING"?! I use "or something", and "and stuff", but it's just me joking around. I never say it in a serious conversation. Or something, like what? Do I have any slaves? Luckily he went away with his friends. No, yeah, he was kind of neat. But no one had ever hit on me like that, so it threw me off. I didn't even ask him his name...honestly, I didn't care. I wanted to start reading Alice.
I saw Veronica, too. I hadn't called you, I thought you weren't back from Houston yet. I realized that maybe I've been the one to push her away. I have the feeling Fidel's predictions (one he made in 8th grade, or was it in 11th?) have come true: one day she won't have anybody. Well, I don't want to leave her alone. Sometimes I get the feeling she's the one getting away, but it'd be better if I stopped assuming things and just called her and we went out. This week, if possible. Now I feel like talking to her, but if I call her tomorrow it'll look like I'm doing it just because I saw her today.
Another girl in my class came up to me, and told me something about my book. It's flattering, you know, I can't say "thank you" enough, but I'm always ashamed.
AND, here's the moment that has my heart beating at an unbelievable pace, and that keeps me grinning like the retard I am.
Like I said, I was on a bench, reading Alice. It was past 11 am, and I was expecting to see Joe at any minute. Many people were walking by, but none was coming up to me. For a moment, I thought he wouldn't show up (a stupid though, considering he HAD TO, because he had to register his subjects at 11 am on the second floor of building C).
I kept reading Alice, she was kicking Bill when I heard that voice, THAT voice, saying to someone excuse me for a second, and before I could get my eyes off of the book, this human figure sat next to me and pushed me while doing so. Understandable, because I was near the edge and there was almost the necessary space for one more person.
I looked at my watch to tell him "you're late". I know, I know, I had to do this and started to explain me all his paperwork. Then he got up again and handed me something flat. Here, he said. It wasn't a CD, it was a vinyl record! A Ringo Starr vinyl record.
He seemed to be in a hurry, so I quickly took out The Godfather and handed it to him. Open it, I said. And he took out the Pink Floyd sticker I bought for him in Houston. I also got you this, I thought it fits you. It was a Happy Bunny pin, the bunny holding a guitar, saying "wow, your music sucks hard". He did this face that killed me...it's when you turn your face the other way, pretending to be mad and trying not to laugh after someone has picked on you in a friendly way. Really cute, if you ask me.
Well, I have to get going, he said. This is a fat book [The Godfather], and I'm still halfway through another fat book by this writer, what's her name.... I was a little distracted, looking at the vinyl record, until he mentioned my name and the name of my book. I have no idea what face I made. I got it this week, he said. And we said goodbye.
I opened Alice again, but I had this doubt...did that just really happen? Did he come, and sat next to me, and gave me a vinyl record, and said he was reading my book? The sound of his voice (I love his voice, it's very special) seemed like an echo I'd just imagined. But I looked at my lap, and the record was there. So it did happen. I'm half in love with him, I admit it. It's his goddamn fault, he does these pretty little things that make your aorta bounce in a funny way.
Inevitably, I thought of Joseph. I love that man. And I got back to Joe. I love that boy.
It still seems impossible to me. I once saw this boy on stage, playing Beatles songs, on october 2003, but I never thought I'd meet him, let alone he'd care for me enough to get me a Ringo Starr vinyl record (so it cost him $1, I'm ommiting that). Nobody had ever given me a vinyl record.
And that was my day. Well, that was my morning. Then I just came home trying to keep me from making funny "aaawww"-like noises everytime I think of Joe. And I get all fuzzy when I think of my bi friend. And I crack up when I think of that ugly kid hitting on me. And now I'm going back to Alice In Wonderland. I want to write like Lewis Carroll. The tea scene with the Mad Hatter is sheer genius.