Lovesick Teenage Blues

WorPartOneIrecentlymetyou.Ilikeyoualot.ButI’mnotgoingtothinkaboutyou.No,I’mnot.I’mnotgoingtowonderandworrylikethis:Willweeverholdhands?Willwecuddleandkiss?Willyoulaughatmyjokes?WillyoulikewhatIwear?Willyouscratchmyback?Willyouplaywithmyhair?No.ThistimeI’msmooth.I’vegotitdownpat.I’mnotgoingtowonderandworrylikethat.I’mnotgoingtocareifyoulikemeornot.You’rejustanewfriend.Ijustlikeyou.Alot.PartTwoYoulikeme!Youkissedme!Ablessing!Acurse!Ithoughtitwasbetter!Butno!Nowit’sworse!Yousaidyouwouldcallme.Butwhatifyoudon’t?Ithinkthiscouldworkout.Butwhatifitwon’t?Youtoldmeyourbirthday.ShouldIgetyouacard?ShouldIgetyouapresent?Decidingishard! LifeWorks29

ShouldItellmymother?ShouldItellmybestfriend?Isthisanewstart?Orwillthissoonend?Arewenowa”couple”?Oristhisjustafling?I’mjustsoconfusedabouteverything!ItwasbetterpretendingthatIdidn’tcare.Itwaseasytothinkofthethingswedon’tshare.Butnowthatyoukissedme(AndIkissedyou,too!),Everything’sdifferent!SowhatshouldIdo?PartThreeYousaidyouwouldcallme.Butyoudidn’tcall.Iwaitedandwaited.Youstilldidn’tcall.Istartedtowonder:Areyouallright?Didyouforget?Whereareyoutonight?Doyoustilllikeme?Ireallyfeelblue.TwotimesinarowitwasIwhocalledyou!Sonowit’syourturn.I’lljusthavetowait.I’llsitatthisphoneUntilitgetslate.Well,laterandlaterandlateritgot.Yousaidyouwouldcallme.Butno,youdidnot! Iwaitedandwaited,Thenfinallycalledyou. IlowstupidIwas!Wh.itadumbthingtodo!30LifeWorks

Youwereasleep!Youweren’tgonnacall!Youdidn’tremembertocallmeatall!Wetalkedforabit.Youtriedtobenice.Butyouweresotired,youyawnedatmetwice!Oh,whydidIcallyou?Whycouldn’tIwait?BythetimeIdecidedtocall,itwaslate!HowstupidIwas!Whatadumbthingtodo!Threetimesinarownow,Ihavecalledyou!Onethingforsure,NexttimeI’llwait.Iwon’tcallyounexttime,Nomatterhowlate.Ihaveitallplanned.I’vegotitdownpat.Nexttimeandnexttimeandthetimeafterthat.’Tilfourtimesgobyandit’syouwho’scalledme!That’showIwantthisnewfriendshiptobe!’CuzthatwayI’llknowYoustilllikemeandall.SothenIwon’tcareThenexttimeyoudon’tcall.PartFourItfinallyhappened!Wehadourfirstfight!ItossedandIturnedandIgrumbledallnight!WhydidIsayit?Ifeellikeajerk!Oh,Ishouldhaveknownthatthiscouldnotwork!Westartedoffgreat!Wekissedandheldhands!LifeWorks3 Youwantedtoseeme,andsowemadeplans.Yougavemeacall.Yousentmeanote.Youwroteandyoucalled!Youcalledandyouwrote!Youtoldmeyoulikedme.Youkissedme.Alot!Butnowthingsaredifferent,Likeitornot.Yousayyouarebusy.Youhavelotstodo.Toobusytoseeme?Well,I’mbusy,too!I’mthatunimportant?IguessIdon’trate!Orelseyou’dfindtime,you’dmaketime,foradate!Isaid,”Youdon’tcare!”and”I’mnotgoingtochaseyou!”ButnowI’membarrassed.Oh,howcanIfaceyou?Youcalledme”demanding.”You”neededyourspace.”Well,nowyoucanspreadoutallovertheplace!AndifyouthinkI’mgonnacrawlback,well,I’mnot!Idon’tevenlikeyou.Notevenalot.PartFiveWhat’sthisinthemail?Didyousendmeanote?It’sbeenawholeweeksincethelasttimeyouwrote!Howcomeyouarewriting?Ithoughtyoudidn’tcare.Ithoughtyouwerebusywithnotimetospare!ShallIopenyourletter?ShallIseewhatyouwrote?YouknowI’msobusy,notimeforanote!Well,maybethisonce,I’llseewhatyousay. Icoulduseagoodlaugh.I’vehadahardday.32LifeWorks

What’sthis?”Iamsorry.”You’resorry,yousay?Andyoufeelbadaboutwhatyousaidyesterday?Andyousayyouwillcallme?I’veheardthatbefore.Idontwanttowaitforyourcallsanymore.Infact,Iwasleaving.Todomanythings.Iwon’tevenbeherewhenthattelephonerings!Oh,no!Thephone’sringing!Ihopeit’snotyou!WhatshouldIsay?WhatshouldIdo?Ijustwon’tanswer.I’mreadytogo.Butthenifit’syou,Iwon’tevenknow.ShouldIpickupthephone?AslongasI’mcool... Ireallydon’tlikeyou... Iwon’tbeafool.”Hello”(Ohmygosh!Itreallyisyou!)”Ijustgotyourcard.””Yes,I’msorry,too.”PartSixwonderfulworld!Oplanetdivine!Everysweetpleasureonearthcanbemine!Thesunisamasterpiece,risingatdawn!Therainscomedowngently,refreshingthelawn!Lifeissobeautiful!ThankGodabove!Onceagain,Iammadlyinlove!Itstartedoutslowly.Wemetjustbychance!ButIsawthelovebehindeveryshyglance!NotoncedidIquestionyourlovefromthestart!1neverhadreasontodoubtvourtrueheart!LifeWorks33

DidIbringupthefactthatyourbeautifuleyesHavemoresparkleinthemthanthestarsintheskies?DidIhappentomentionyoursweet,dreamyvoiceThatcallsmetoloveyou?Idon’thaveachoice!Diditevercomeupthatyoursmile’ssobrightThatIcanseeheaveninthedarkestofnight?Yes,therearesomelovers—unlucky,I’mtold — Whoendupwithsweetheartstoocarelessorbold,Whocan’tfindthetimetomaketimeforadate,Andcausebrokenheartstocry,worry,andwait;Whosaytheywillcall,butthenpromptlyforget!But,oh!SuchapersonIneverhavemet!No,myhoney’snotlikethat!Thankheavenabove!OrelseIwouldneverhavefalleninlove!PartSevenWhydoesthishappen,againandagain?Youfinallysaidit:”Let’sjustbefriends.”WhatmustIdoinordertofindApersonwhowon’tdrivemeoutofmymind?Whydidyouhavetoplaygamesandpretend?Whyleadmeon,ifthisistheend?Areyouscaredofcommitment?Scaredofthetruth?Scaredyou’renotwildenoughforyouryouth?Whychangeyourmindaboutmeeveryday?Whydrawmecloser,thenpushmeaway?Oh,givemeasweetiewhoknowshowtogive,Knowshowtobehonest,knowshowtolive,Who’sbraveenoughtoadmitbeingscared,Who’sgrown-upenoughtorespectwhatisshared!UntilIcanfindsuchaloverandfriend,I’llhavetoriskgoingthroughallthis — again! 34lifeWorks