Letters With Boys

Bridget and Kai, Week 3 - September

Kai,

I’m glad to hear that our appearance at your soccer game made you a “hero,” if only temporarily. You’ll have to give me your schedule—maybe we’ll make a reappearance sometime. I think the girls had fun.

You’re right about Memphis, but you’re also wrong. She does use her whole quirky, offbeat sense of humor thing as a defense mechanism, but she also used to be really, genuinely funny, before… well, before life happened and she had a reason to need a defense mechanism. I think sometimes people resent her for trying too hard to be “unique” or “different,” but honestly, I don’t think she tries at all. I think Memphis is exactly who she says she is—the good and the bad. And I admire her for that, because even thinking that way scares the hell out of me.

As for Tally… am I sensing a crush there? You can tell me the truth, bud. It won’t hurt my feelings—promise. Frankly, I’d be glad to steer her away from the direction her ship is currently about to sink in. We went to a Seacoast party this weekend (didn’t see you—which is probably a good thing, since it was filled with preppy, fratty assholes), and her pen pal, Ezra, came onto her pretty aggressively. Even tried taking her up to his room after she’s already explicitly told him she wasn’t interested in hookups.

We broke it up, of course—me and Mem. Tally probably could have handled it on her own, but you can never be too careful.

My point is, if you’re really interested in Tally, let me know. You seem like a good guy, and I’d much rather she be hanging out with someone like you than someone like Ezra.

Fondly,

Bridget

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Hey Bridget,

You girls went to Ezra Finnigan’s party? Yikes. You’re right that it’s a bad crowd. Please be careful—I’ve heard more than one story about those guys spiking girls’ drinks with more than just liquor.

Yes, I do realize how problematic that is, considering he’s our class president. What can I say? Seacoast sucks.

As for your friend Tally, the humanitarian in me would be willing to meet her again sometime, you know, for the sake of saving her soul from Ezra’s evil clutches. Maybe we could all get together? I wouldn’t want her to feel weirded out.

We have an away game this week, but if you want to swing by the following Wednesday evening to catch our home game, you’re more than welcome. In the meantime, I’m also free this weekend for whatever you feel like getting into.

Best,

Kai

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Humanitarian Kai,

How noble of you to make that offer. Why don’t we all get together at the Velvet Room this weekend? Something tells me you don’t have a fake ID, so I’m enclosing my cell number for you to text me a headshot. I’ll get the ID taken care of for you.

Just do me a favor—if she likes you, take it slow. And be gentle. I don’t mean in a s****l way—though, that too—but be gentle with her spirit, would you? Tally isn’t like me and Memphis. She’s shy and (relatively) inexperienced, at least when it comes to boys.

She’s a lot more experienced when it comes to real-life s**t. She’s got that one in common with the rest of us. But I’ll let her tell you more about that herself.

We will also be happy to come to your soccer game—you know, assuming you don’t say something stupid on Saturday that screws that up for you.

Love,

Bridget

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Bridget,

You’re really cool, you know that? You’ve come so far since that Park Avenue Princess who told me she wasn’t going to have time for me.

I would be happy to meet with you and your friends at the Velvet Room, and you are of course correct that I don’t have a fake ID. Texting you a picture of myself now.

This probably won’t shock you, but I don’t exactly have a breadth of experience myself when it comes to women. So I don’t think you need to worry about that.

I will do my best not to embarrass myself so badly on Saturday that none of you want to come to my game next week. Any tips? What do I wear? What do I say? What do I avoid saying?

Love,

Kai

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Sweet Kai,

You’ve never even been on a date before, have you?

Wear a pair of jeans (preferably black or dark-wash) and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to your elbows. If you don’t have any of those, a plain t-shirt beneath a leather or denim jacket. If you don’t have any of that, well, go shopping.

I have always found that the best and easiest way to make conversation is to ask the other person questions. You already know a lot about me, but you don’t know much of anything about Mem or Tally, so load them up. (Okay, but not really. Don’t scare the poor girls.)

As far as what to avoid saying… well, maybe don’t talk about Ezra. And try not to ask them overly personal questions—you know, ones they might be uncomfortable answering. Both those girls have a lot of baggage that they don’t necessarily want to unpack with strangers.

Would it help if I encourage Mem to invite her pen pal, Gray? I think you said you two got along fairly well, right? He’s been chomping at the bit for the chance to meet with her, and she’s been on the fence about it.

Let me know,

Bridge

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Bridge—

You caught me—never been on a date. This is good advice, though. I’ll go shopping on Saturday morning, as all I really own are workout clothes.

I think you should absolutely encourage Memphis to invite Gray, though more for his sake than my own. The guy can’t shut up about her. I’ve never seen him like this with anyone. We’ve never been super close—he runs in a bit of a rougher crowd than I do, though not the sleazy kind like Ezra’s crowd. But I think he’s a good guy, mostly, and I wouldn’t mind having another dude around.

I’ll see the lot of you on Saturday. Looking forward to it.

Love,

Kai