So...

I've known all summer the Guy 1 is leaving to start a teaching internship later on this month. That's okay, especially since I'm fairly sure he's the type of guy who will keep in touch. Since I first wrote about guys 1-3 I decided that it wasn't nice to toy with him given I'm not particularly interested, even though it's cute that he'll follow me like a puppy if I say "hi." He has since found a girlfriend, and his mentioning it didn't cause even a damp spark of jealousy, so I think I was right to stop encouraging him. I'm fine just being his pal.

To everyone's shock, however, Guy 2 got a job offer in DC Friday, and he's already made up his mind to take it. Jesus, I don't think I could ever make a snap decision like that. And I do mean snap since he told us he was taking the offer Friday, within hours of getting it.

This hurts more, mostly because unlike Guy 1, he's unlikely to come back next summer. He went off to help someone move across the country, so I don't even know if we'll be able to get together and celebrate his new job before he heads off to DC. I know that I'm not the only one bothered by that.

Still, it could be worse. I could have a fierce crush on him and be heartbroken right now that he's leaving. Instead I'm just mourning the loss of a friend I occasionally flirted with.

Speaking of crushes... Remember how I complained that Guys 2 and 3 had been stolen by Social Studies? That means I haven't been able to talk to them nearly as often as I'd like the last couple of weeks. Another of my friends was swayed to the darkside too, and I spent breaks with her today. (she's leaving too, dammit. Moving out of the country in a month!) During one of those breaks she made a point to tell me, apropos of nothing, that Guy 3 broke up with his girlfriend this weekend.

I knew she could tell I'm interested in him! She joked to him that I had a crush on him last month, but I don't think he realized she was semi-serious. That's okay, I don't think I'm subtle enough for that fact to be a secret from anyone...except maybe guy 3.

I didn't say much in response to the announcement, except when she said she didn't know why to comment that he had called the girl "his current girlfriend" so that didn't sound like she was the one. Of course, I wish I knew exactly what motivated her telling me... because she wanted to know if she was right, or if he asked her to do some digging?

I told you, part of us doesn't get older than sixteen.

Of course, the project I'm working on only goes another  day or two before we're off for a month. Great timing, huh? Social Studies is behind, so maybe I'll be called in as part of the Calvary... even so, though, that'd still probably be less than another week's work.

I'm still wishing and hoping that he'll be involved with benchmarking next month. And that I'm paired up with him, given I recommended him. (people are often responsible for teaching the people they rec the ropes). He'd do a good job. Not like "Oh, guy 3, I'm sure you'd do a good job!" but that he would. I'm a good teacher, and a hardass when I have to be. I don't have much trouble at all keeping that separate from being attracted to someone. Even if they are distracting to sit next to.

Maybe it makes me a bad person, but I really hope he doesn't get another job offer before late September. We're supposed to find out this fall if leadership is going to finally be offered fulltime positions rather than being temps, so who knows, with Laura and Guy 2 both having abruptly left writing, maybe they'll hire some new people to replace them, too. No, no, this idea is completely altruistic, and not at all self-serving

Before you think I've lost my mind, I'll make a confession. Even if Guy 3 and I are never anything more than friends too, it's okay. One of the things I like best about him is something I rediscovered about me. It's been a long time since I've instantly (within a couple of weeks of meeting him, did I ever mention?) really liked someone this way. He's shown me that I'm still capable of it, so if not him, there's hope for meeting someone else and liking him that quickly as well, you know what I mean?