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Saturday night is like clockwork. By 9 p.m. I’ve got a pedicure on my toes. By 10 p.m. I’m trying on all my clothes. And before I’m out boys are blowing up my phone(s?).
But there are nights when life isn’t quite as dazzling as Ke$ha would like you to believe. Such as the ones when the only boys calling me are the ones I “accidentally” gave my number out to the night before.
Those are the nights when you let that shit ring.
Now before you judge me, I shall firstly say that I know giving out my number and ignoring the poor guy who calls is a horrible thing to do and that this is a problem I want to solve. Secondly, I want to explain that it’s not always what it seems.
So here’s the dilemma: When a guy asks a girl for her number, she can either say yes or she can say no. Logically, saying yes would entail interest, whereas saying no would not.
But what if the girl says yes, and then ignores the guy’s call? That’s still a punk move, right? Why would she give her number in the first place?
The moment in which this decision occurs is one wrought with anguish and confusion.
A typical situation would be for a guy to come and talk to me for a bit at a party. He seems nice enough but I wouldn’t do anything to lead him on. Then suddenly, he asks me for my number.
I want to say no, but he hadn’t triggered my tool-doppler, so I am unable to tap into my normal instincts to do so. Instead I choke. Before I can think of a better lie than “I don’t have a phone,” the numbers come tumbling out of my mouth.
“3…0…3…”
Not even fake numbers—all the real ones. I’m in visible disbelief at myself as I watch him type them in.
And then, he hits the send button. My phone, which was in my hand the entire time preventing me from effectively lying about its non-existence, lights up like a backstabbing little punk.
“Just so I know I got it,” he says.
My face hurts from batting my eyelashes and smiling to hide my sheer panic. Oh well—at least I didn’t have to hurt his feelings.
That thought consoles me just long enough until he calls me the next day and I totally don’t want to hang out. Even then as I ignore it, I fumble with whether or not I should at least pick it up to say, “Hi,” since I’d already given him my number anyway.
What I’m trying to say is that I do want to do the right thing. So I do what I think would be nicest. Sometimes I think saying no would be too harsh especially if the guy is nice, and I hate to lie. What I realize though is in trying to be nice and not being honest with how I feel, I’m not being fair to either person.
So in the future I’ll work on being honest up front when I’m not interested in talking on the phone. While I know it’s tough to be the one to put things out there, just know that it’s tough being put on the spot, too.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Natalie Bui at Natalie.bui@colorado.edu.
