From: GoodCrush
Subject: GoodCrush: You’ve got a new message
Date: February 14, 2010 2:34:26 AM EST
You’ve received the following message from Crush Master in your GoodCrush inbox. Respond from your inbox.
Someone has a crush on you!
What?
Who is it? Who. Could. It. Be?? How can I find out who crushed me? This calls for an OMG,OMG,OMG,OMG moment.
Mystery and intrigue,
In which college might you be?
Do you know me from afar,
Or are we never far apart?
[Days later. Obsession fades out.]
[Or not.]
1382 MISSED CONNECTIONS
I posted two nights ago. It was purely an accident I came across you.
Just for kicks, why not? I’ve never met you before.
You’ll never see it anyway.
From: crushmaster@goodcrush.com
Subject: GoodCrush: You’ve got a new message
Date: February 23, 2010 3:13:08 AM EST
(A Response? What were the chances that you would even see this, let alone reply to my post? Hold on, anonymous. Matt, this better not be you humoring me.)
You were watching me when I handed over my ID during breakfast. Or at least I thought. Everywhere I went I kept looking for that LOOK, that knowing, bemused look.
Are you the one who crushed me?
How did you even see this?
From: crushmaster@goodcrush.com
Subject: GoodCrush: You’ve got a new message
Date: February 23, 2010 3:46:58 PM EST
About five people e-mailed me with the link. Haha.
From: crushmaster@goodcrush.com
Subject: GoodCrush: You’ve got a new message
Date: February 23, 2010 11:19:46 PM EST
I’m sorry. I don’t mean to ignore you or be callous. But, I’m not much up for playing games.
From: crushmaster@goodcrush.com
Subject: GoodCrush: You’ve got a new message
Date: February 23, 2010 12:38:15 AM EST
But this is driving me nuts so give me another clue.
My reply:
Before we can continue on this far
I need to know that you are who you are
Reply back with the anonymous box unchecked
And we’ll see how else we might connect
Correspondence: Stop.
Story: Pause.
You have a midterm. I have a midterm. 33 exchanges later. 26 hours of laughter, frustration, speculations later. I run into you — purely by accident. More exhausted than just the 3 a.m. drain, you didn’t look up as you held the door open for me.
Sleep.
I woke up 10 minutes before my first class started. It was pouring. Umbrella — where’s my umbrella? Screw that. I grabbed my jacket and hat and ran.