i met a girl.

at the reading.

which went alright. kat didnt show up, but i knew she wouldnt, and i got someone to sing for me, a highly respected man, too, and so that was good.

but i met a girl.

and not just any girl yo.

she showed up at work one day, and, uh, she caught my eye.

so much so that i became shy crayon, and this meant i became quiet crayon, and that meant we didn't really talk.

i sort of chalked it up, as she was leaving, as a missed opportunity.

she came by work again, however. but i was with jennifer and let her go once more.

then tonight. tonight. she was at the reading. and i only knew of two people who would be redaing with me, out of... four others, i guess, and so i was sort of hoping she would be reading, too, so i could, uh, strike a conversation up.

she didnt read.

she listened.

and at the reception, afterwards, she talked to me about my stuff.

she. talked to me. me, people.

so i timed it we left together.

i asked her where she was headed, she told me, i said well hey, ill just walk with you there, im sort of wandering tonight, and she thanked me.

i was just going to walk her home, you know, establish a beginning to a friendship, but then she said well hey, if you've got nothing else to do tonight, why dont you come in, stay a little. you know, if you want to.

and, uh, i wanted to.

so i did.

for about two hours.

folks, i was a stranger. and she let me into her house and we talked about all kinds of stuff.

mainly stuff she was passionate about.

and i told her how i write.

and i met her room mates and she called someone while i was sitting there, said "im with a friend right now, but you can come over if you want to... oh, a new friend, we met at the reading, followed me home..." and i cracked up, because she made me sound like a little lost mutt that just followed her home and she felt bad for just leaving me outside.

but she didnt say that like at all, she said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

AND I HAVE MET A NEW GIRL.

i dont know where this is leading, outside of a new friendship.

she gave me two cds and a book, and i'm going to return the favor by tossing out some of my favorite cds and a book or two.

man.

i met a new girl.

and we talked, right?

and there was nothing, nothing about her that i could look at it say no.

uh, except for the fact that she might, might, have a boyfriend.

BUT STILL.

as a friend.

shes passionate about a lot of stuff, i could listen and watch her talk all night, and.

and.

and she might rival the girl soon enough, if she keeps this level going, between us, in her, in me.

thats such an odd thing for me to say.

but there it is. and i feel it in my stomach.

im nervous, scared, a bit of everything, but i want to run after this with a dangerous blindness that will cause me to stumble and fall often but will lead me.

lead me somewhere.

im not sure where yet.

a great friend, quite possibly.

yeah.

woo.

ok, i'm going to go wear off all this excess energy by running in tight circles in the middle of the floor.