Our Story Part 2: High Fives Cut Tension

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So, a few days went by after the "broken hearted friend" text. I didn't think much more about it; well, I did think about how much it must suck being that guy. I remember that. But I was too busy with my first year of college and dorm living to give it much thought. It was all so new to me, but there was a lot to look forward to . . . it was soon to be my 18th birthday! Now THAT was exciting. Mama was gonna let me wear the pleather the jacket that we paid for (her $30, me $30. She had gotten me more than that on the shopping trip. I was just super excited about the jacket.)
Well, finally, it rolled around, the big one-eight. I remember that morning well. I was awakened by a call from mom telling me "Happy Birthday!!!!". Mama later called me and played my "Happy Birthday Ashley!" cassette tape through the phone. So, I got up, checked my phone, and who woulda thunk it? A text message from Michael Manley.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Your mom told me to do this by the way."

Oh Mikey Manley. Poor, lonesome, single, Mikey Manley. I didn't think much of it then, but I replied.

Me: Thanks

Mikey: When do you wanna get together and talk about Sunday?

Me: Huh?

Mikey: You singin' this Sunday?

Me: I have no idea what you are talking about.

Mikey: Your mom said you were singin' this Sunday.

Me: I didn't say that.

Mikey: Oh. I feel stupid now

Me: It's okay. :)

Man, I didn't want him feeling stupid on top of that broken heart. (It's all your fault, mom. Volunteering me and stuff)

So later on, I believe it was the same evening, I found out, through Mama, that Michael Manley was the dumped "friend."

"Oh no!" I thought, "Homeboy is on the rebound, and that's why he be textin' me!" (We had continued to text and converse. I honestly thought this was weird considering our first cut-off conversation on the phone and considering the fact that we had never met. I didn't understand why he kept texting me, being so nice and all.) I noted then how awesome our last names were, mine at that time was "Buff" and his was "Manley."

One day, on the phone with mama, I told her about Mikey texting me.

"Don't get too caught up with him," she said. "He's on the rebound." (Kids, contrary to what they tell you, your mom and your gut are not always right.) I agreed with her.

Eventually, since we had never met, Mikey and I decided to put a face to the name. I remember this day well; I even know what I was wearing.

I had, at that time, a crush on a guy (whose name I shall not mention right now), so I was looking really cute that day. I had put on a purple dress from AE, cowboy boots, and I had french braided my hair, topped off by a pink and white bandanna. Cah-ute! I went through my day and continued to text Mikey. Eventually, I let my hair out of the two french braids. It was all full and wavy, and you better believe I let that mess blow in the wind a little bit. :)

1:25 class rolled around, and I went to english. Being the slacker I am, I continued to text Michael.

Me: You know, we have never met.

Mikey: You want to?

Me: yeah. When?

Mikey: Student Center? After class? We can play some pool.

Me: Alright!

So, I walked my way to the student center. I was on the look out; I had seen his myspace, so I had an idea of what he looked like.He walked through the doors and I immediately recognized him. My first thought? "Short." He was short.

He walked past me. He was too scared to talk to me cause I looked so good. (<--- joke)

"Hi, Mikey!"

He turned, confusion all over his face.

"I'm Ashley."

"Hi." He still looked thrown off, so I high-fived him to ease the tension. It was gettin' thick up in there; the high-five fixed it.

I didn't play pool. I watched him and his friend Nathan play. I never really had any intentions of embarrassing myself by trying to play pool.

"I'm gonna have to leave soon. I'm goin' shopping with my mom." You bet I was. Sometimes, deep down, I wonder if I was trying to play hard-to-get. Then I remember that I thought he was short. So, never mind.

"Okay." he said. He looked as if he could care less. But, deep down inside, he knew that this love was destined to be more than a forgotten game of pool. I had broken his heart. (<---- huge joke. He didn't know squat.)

I left him there. He seemed happy with his friends. I was smiling from our playful banter about Clemson and Carolina.

"Yeah," he smirked, "I don't think our friendship is gonna work out if you continue to be a Clemson fan."

I was flattered. He had said we were friends.

Mama asked me later what I thought of him. I was honest.

"He's short. But he's cute. I just want to go up to him and give him a big hug." (This, probably had to do with my knowledge of him being recently dumped like a basket of rotten eggs.)

But, I didn't give him a hug for a long time. I didn't want him getting the wrong idea. After all, he was on the rebound, and I'm a level headed woman.

You know its funny,

Buff Manley