Stories of Your Life and Others

Marc Esposito, fourth-year student at Waterston College:
That Pembleton thing sounds totally crazed. I could see doing it like a
setup for some prank. You know, as in, you'd fix this guy up with a girl, and
tell him she's an absolute babe, but actually you've fixed him up with a dog,
and he can't tell so he believes you. That'd be kind of funny, actually.
But I sure as hell would never get this calli thing. I want to date good-
looking girls. Why would I want something that'd make me lower my
standards? Okay, sure, some nights all the babes have been taken, and you
have to choose from the leftovers. But that's why there's beer, right? Doesn't
mean I want to wear beer goggles all the time.
Tamera Lyons:
So Garrett and I were talking on the phone again last night, and I asked
him if he wanted to switch to video so we could see each other. And he said
okay, so we did.
I was casual about it, but I had actually spent a lot of time getting
ready. Ina's teaching me to put on makeup, but I'm not very good at it yet,
so I got that phone software that makes it look like you're wearing makeup.
I set it for just a little bit, and I think it made a real difference in how I
looked. Maybe it was overkill, I don't know how much Garrett could tell,
but I just wanted to be sure I looked as good as possible.

---

As soon as we switched to video, I could see him react. It was like his
eyes got wider. He was like, "You look really great," and I was like,
"Thanks." Then he got shy, and made some joke about the way he looked,
but I told him I liked the way he looked.
We talked for a while on video, and all the time I was really conscious
of him looking at me. That felt good. I got a feeling that he was thinking he
might want us to get back together again, but maybe I was just imagining it.
Maybe next time we talk I'll suggest he could come visit me for a
weekend, or I could go visit him at Northrop. That'd be really cool. Though
I'd have to be sure I could do my own makeup before that.
I know there's no guarantee that he'll want to get back together. Getting
my calli turned off didn't make me love him less, so maybe it won't make
him love me any more. I'm hoping, though.