Awkward College Romance - NEW INSTALLMENT - Part 11

“Are you kidding me with this Jeff?” I didn’t mean to sound incredulous, but this was big news.

“No, Tom, I am not kidding. I do have those feelings --- and I don’t know what to do with them.”

“Well I wish I had the answers, Jeff.” And boy, did I wish I had a few very specific answers. But being both Scandinavian and Midwestern, I was unable to come right out and ask if I could kiss him or something. Plus, so much had happened by that point that it would have been wrong.

“Jeff, it’s getting really stuffy in here. Do you want to go out an take a short walk with me?" I desperately wanted to change our environment, in hopes that in a different room everything wouldn’t seem weird and surreal.

“Sure Tom, let’s go. “



We went out into the night with no particular destination in mind. I needed to walk slowly so as not to jiggle my arm, which was nicely outfitted in a full arm plaster cast. I went into automatic chatter mode, which I’ve been well known for in times of crisis. For a man who is normally short on words, if you put enough stress on me I can prattle on about absolutely nothing for hours on end.

At one point we came to an athletic field of some sort and just walked around the perimeter several times in a row.

“So Jeff….what’s up for you next, then? What are you going to do?” (As in, what are you going to do….WITH ME?)

“I don’t know Tom…." He stopped and looked right at me. “What ARE we supposed to do about these feelings?”

I froze. No idea what to say. I had already laid out for him how I felt so I didn’t feel it was my place to go any further with that idea.

So I just continued walking, and Jeff followed.




Eventually we ended up back at my dorm. He walked me back to the room, but I didn’t intend to invite him in --- so I stopped outside the door, turned around and said “thanks for coming over tonight, Jeff. It was really nice to talk to you.”

“You too, Tom. See you tomorrow?”


-------to be continued----------