Awkward

Mike and his friends were chilling on a bench outside the Stratton Student Center that evening. A smoothie rested in his hand while a bag of chips sat between him and his girlfriend, Jessie. Ryan suddenly looked up from his phone. “Hey Mike, you should check out Raymond’s latest post on Insta.” Mike took a sip of his smoothie, unlocked his phone, and opened i********:. “Proposal gone wrong?” he asked. Curious, he tapped the reel. The video opened. Jimmy stood facing Fumi. “Please be my girlfriend.” Fumi looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, Jimmy. I’m actually not ready for a relationship at the moment. I’m really sorry.” Before Jimmy could respond, Matt walked into frame carrying a small gift box. “Hey, Fumi.” “Hi.” Matt smiled nervously. “I’ve had a crush on you for a long time, and I’d like you to be my girlfriend.” “Yes.” Matt froze. “Yes, I’d be your girlfriend.” His face immediately brightened. At that moment, Jimmy’s iPhone slipped from his hand and hit the floor. The sound turned several heads. Students nearby stopped talking and glanced over. Matt bent down, picked up the phone, and handed it back. “You okay, bro?” Jimmy took the phone without a word. A few students exchanged looks. Jimmy looked directly at Fumi. “Didn’t you just say you’re not ready for a relationship? It’s obvious now that you were lying. You could have just said you didn’t want to be my girlfriend.” Fumi shook her head. “It’s the truth, Jimmy. I’m not ready for a relationship with you.” A student somewhere behind the camera whispered, “Damn.” Jimmy stared at her. “But I love you and I want you to be my girlfriend. That’s why I asked.” Fumi looked at him carefully. “You love me? Are you sure you do?” Jimmy looked down. His mouth opened slightly, then closed. A second passed. “Yes… I do. I guess I do.” Fumi stepped slightly closer. Her hands stayed at her sides. Her voice stayed even. “Look, Jimmy. I love you, but as a friend. I don’t mean to hurt you. I’m just being truthful to myself. I’m being authentic. I know what I want and I choose that because it makes me happy.” Around them, a few students had their phones out. Some were murmuring to each other. Others were still moving through the Student Center, unaware of what was happening in that corner. Fumi continued. “You seem to have lost yourself. You’re no longer the Jimmy I knew.” She paused. “What happened? What changed you, Jimmy?” Fumi reached out gently. Jimmy pushed her hand aside. Without another word he turned and walked toward a vending machine around the corner. A few students stepped back to let him pass. Then he walked out of the Stratton Student Center. The video ended. Mike stared at the screen. The views were already in the hundreds. Then Jessie looked up from beside him. “Isn’t that Jimmy?” Mike looked up immediately. Students moved through the evening crowd outside the Student Center. For a second he couldn't find him. Then he spotted him. Jimmy. Walking away alone. Mike stood up so fast he nearly dropped his smoothie. “Jimmy!” There was no response. “Hey! Wait! Jimmy!” Jimmy stopped and pulled one side of his headphones off. “It failed,” he said. His voice was flat. He kept his eyes forward. Mike caught up to him. “I know it did. Raymond posted it on Insta and tagged me in it.” “Screw Raymond,” Jimmy said. “I know I failed at getting a girlfriend. Having him post that makes it hurt even more.” Mike nodded. “I know. I know. But you’ve got to be calm, man. As long as you keep trying and don’t quit, you’re not a failure.” Jimmy looked away. “I’m a failure.” He put his headphones back on. “I quit.” Heartbreak songs by Clara Mae filled his ears. He started walking again. “Wait!” Mike called after him. “No matter how many rejections, how many no’s you got, you just need one yes to find a real girlfriend. So keep trying. I wish you all the best. Got it?” Jimmy didn't answer. He continued walking toward the Charles River. Through the evening traffic. Past the glowing streetlights. Past students laughing and talking. Past the green trees and vegetation lining the road. Across Memorial Drive. Eventually he reached the guardrail overlooking the Charles River. The wind was cool. The air was fresh. Jimmy stood quietly, looking at his faint reflection in the water. The glow from his headphones shimmered beside it. And as he stared into the river, he remembered how it all began.