January 25, 2013: Girlfriend is Better
Song: “Girlfriend is Better” by Talking Heads from Speaking in Tongues
(Picture from shutterstock.com)
“My girlfriend is better,” Gavin thought to himself, turning down yet another classmate’s advances.
“Was better,” he mentally corrected himself with a cringe.
She was smarter. She was prettier. She was kinder. She knew him better. She knew what he liked and what he didn’t and knew how to convince him to try new things.
This woman, this…Claire? didn’t. She didn’t know about his favorite color or his favorite movie or that time he pantsed Robbie Watters and everyone laughed but Gavin felt really terrible right away. Susan knew, Claire didn’t. And so he—politely, of course, oh-so politely—got off from her in a hurry.
It had been this way with Tracy during orientation. And Vivian at that Students for World Justice Meeting. And Erin at that off campus party. Although he wasn’t sure that one counted. They were both pretty drunk, so she may be she wasn’t really hitting on him. Or sober she wouldn’t have? In any case, she wasn’t Susan. She wasn’t his girlfriend.
Because his girlfriend (when she was his girlfriend) knew him better. She loved him best. And until he met someone like her, just exactly like her, what was the point of saying yes? What was the point of awkward get to know yous and new private jokes. When you already knew the better, the best, why accept the good or even the great?
So Gavin said no yet again, with his body language and his excuses, and went on his way.
“My girlfriend is better,” he thought once more.
“Or was, when she was my girlfriend,” he whispered with a shake of his head.