Things didn’t let up at all when I finally walked in the door after sitting on the cement stoop outside smoking a cigarette and pondering my situation. Shannon pounced on me as soon as the door opened. I explained the whole situation and she told me that Greg had called and he was all apologetic. Yeah, that’s what I wanted, him to confront me, while I apologize to him. I dismissed the whole evening, got into a pair of comfortable pajamas and curled up on the sofa to listen to Shannon tell me of her love life, it wasn’t so abysmal.
     In high school Shannon was my ‘normal’ friend. In other words I have no idea why she hung out with me because I was so strange, maybe it was because we had such a long standing friendship. But then again, Shannon was friendly to everyone. She was on the pep squad because she was so cheery. Shannon also had her pick of boyfriends because she was so sweet and nice. She had even dated Greg for maybe a week or so. Shannon was almost too good to be true. I however wasn’t fooled for a minute. Shannon had always tortured me, no not in the literal sense. She loved to tease the hell out of me, and as far as I could tell I was the only one she did it too. I felt honored, in a peculiar way.
     Anyway, Shannon now seemed a little squeamish about discussing her new romance, which was very irregular for her. I couldn’t tell if she didn’t want to jinx it, or it wasn’t going as good as she hoped. And no matter what I did she wouldn’t give me a hint either way. She did however want to discuss Evan Johanson, to which I informed her wasn’t something I wanted to do at that moment, but Shannon always had this way of wheedling me until she got the information she wanted.
      “Is he as handsome as he as in high school?” She asked me when I finally submitted to questioning. “I swear you had a thing for him.”
     “I did not but yes he is just as handsome, perhaps even more, and arrogant too.” I told her with a sneer and denied the crush that I had on him but I wasn’t that, I was remembering how that handsome man had insulted me.
     “You know, I can’t believe it.” Shannon said, flipping her brown curls across her head. She sounded as if she had an epiphany, and that it should be obvious to me what it was.
     “You are stuck in their stupid rivalry.”
     “You have got to be kidding.” I had already deduced that fact while sitting out on the stoop.
     “No really. Because it’s you, it’s funny, cause looking back you were a freak, even if you were smart.”
     “Thanks Shannon for putting the whole thing into perspective for me. I think the word you are looking for is derision.” I tried to remind her as she stifled a yawn.
     “I think you should play this thing out with Evan. It might not lead to anything, but it would sure be fun.” Shannon the ‘liberal thinking’ woman said.
      “Go to bed, Dr. Ruth,” she didn’t argue with me. So I was left alone on the couch wondering why the world worked like it did. It just didn’t make sense. But I knew Shannon was wrong about one thing, I couldn’t play this out. I didn’t need Evan or Greg using me in their stupid mind games. I could continue to go out with Greg occasionally, and I would get Evan out of my mind, and that would be that. Yes I was settling, it was safer than getting involved with Evan. Or so I thought.