Nobody Told Me About Her

Nobody Told Me About Her

 "Paul." she said, "I just don't think things are working out for us. I'm breaking up with you. Bye."

 She swished about and headed for the door, her long blond ponytail swaying to and frow.

"But, but...I thought things were going great between us."

My words were too late, she wasn't there anymore.

 Meggie, who always seemed to be around, walked up, put her hand on my shoulder and said,

"I'm so sorry Paul. I didn't mean to listen in, but I couldn't help but hear."

I looked at her and mumbled, "Yeah, well, it happens."

"Yeah," she replied. "I think we need to go to Freddies and get thoroughly plastered.

I tried to warn you about her you know."

"You did? Hmm I don't recall that."

Meggie laughed, "That's because you were too head over heals in love. You couldn't hear a diesel train if it was about to hit you. That, you see, is the crazy thing that love does to a person.

 It blinds you to reality, and dulls your senses. 

 You see what you want to see, hear what you want to hear, feel what you want to feel.

Ninety nine percent of the time all that stuff you're feeling, hearing, seeing... it's wrong."

 I put the palm of my hand against her forehead and gave her a little shove.

"How do you know so much about this stuff? What are you, about fifteen or so."

She looked at me as though I had insulted her,

 "I'm eighteen you dope. You should know this. We practically grew up together."

"Sorry, " I said, "I get confused sometimes."

"Yep," she replied, "Like choosing the wrong girl all the time."

 

She put her hand on top of my head and ruffled my hair,

"How could you not have seen this one coming. Didn't you know, She does this to every guy she dates. You are a blind idiot for not seeing it."

I looked at her knowing she was right.

"Yeah, but in my own defense, I was, as you said, temporarily blinded by her spell."

 "Temporarily," she laughed. "There's no temporary about it. You were permanently blinded."

She put her hand to my forehead,

"I think maybe you're still blinded."

"Probably," I muttered, "Hey, I'll take you up on that Freddie's offer, if you don't mind being my stand in date."

"Great," she muttered, " just what I always wanted, to be a stand in for a cheating, lying, horrible bi..."

I intervened before she could finish. 

"MEGGIE!  Let's not let our emotions get us to say things we wish we hadn't."

"Oh but I do wish it, I wish it a lot!" she exclaimed.

 We left El Jardin's Mexican Food Restaurant and headed to Freddie's.

 As we walked down the sidewalk she reached out and grabbed my hand,

 "You know Paul, I've been in love with you all my life."

"Have you now, " I said, trying not to act surprised.

"Yep. So why haven't you ever asked me out?" I would've gone you know."

I paused a moment then answered,

 "I don't know. It's just that, well, I think you're a little odd. 

Look at how you dress, I mean, your jeans are all ripped and torn and all sorts of colors. It's a little weird.

 And your hair, it kinda goes everywhere. And, what color is it anyway?

Is it purple, is it green? Who knows? You change it almost every week. Isn't that bad for your hair, all that dye?

 And then there's those rectangular, thick rimmed, black and white polka dot glasses,

I mean, do you really need those things?

 I just never got the impression we had much in common."

 I didn't understand what happened next. Meggie should have been insulted and screamed at me before running away. That's what she should have done. 

Instead she grabbed my other hand and looked into my eyes and, almost in a whisper, said,

 "I know one thing we have in common. We both have a heart that needs someone to love it."

"Huh," I thought, "she might have a small point there."

She put her arms around my waist and held me close.

"Promise me that tonight you will at least pretend that we are a couple, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend. 

Tomorrow you can do what you wish and I won't bother you anymore. Is it a deal?"

"It's a deal," I said.

 As expected, we both got pretty hammered. I had to practically carry her back to her place.

 

I stayed with her that night just to be sure she was okay. Funny thing, I wasn't in much better shape.

 I was still there that morning, and the next.

 It was a funny thing about Meggie, she was interesting. We could actually have a real conversation about real things. It wasn't about me, it wasn't about her, it was about life.

  

I liked her.

Who knew it would turn out like this?

Nobody told me about her, and now it is too late.

Meggie,  I guess she's not so weird after all.

 

Reviews

[wtp]

This is a nice version of the "love was right in front of me" story. I am a fan of dialogue-driven stories like this one, and definitely enjoyed the conversation between the outspoken and slightly misfit Meggie and the bemused and vaguely passive Paul. I liked the closing, but wonder if you should change the tense in the next to last sentence: "Nobody told me about her, and now it *is* too late." That would match your final sentence, and give the impression they are still together...