Alia/Rob: Movie night

Cathy was really into the idea of dragging me out to see the movie with her friends. She was talking about it all week.

I don't know what to make of the situation. If I were a guy, I would think she's into me. Hell, if I were a girl being described the situation I would think she's into the guy. But I've been up front with her about the fact that I am not looking for a relationship of any kind. Still she persists. I've been friends with guys before, but never did such a thorough job of confusing them about what I wanted (I think.)

The sad thing is, I really do like her as a person. I never hear anything about Cliff's interactions with males, aside from her occasional peeks into the men in Raine's, Sarah's, and that other chick's life. I don't know how she's coping with the estrangement of her gender, but I'm feeling really odd about it.

I can say I'm looking forward all I want, and how I know that in a few months, if all goes as planned, I will be myself again. But in the present, part of me just wants to take care of this situation one way or the other.

Unfortunately, that is not what happened. Inaction reigned once again in the life of Alia Frye/Roberto Garcia. Probably for the best, since my last two big dramatic actions have netted me a lot of ill feelings and a male body.

So what did happen? Exactly what you might've expected. I went with Cathy to the movies. We met her four girlfriends, one of whom had a boyfriend. The other guy and I bookended the ladies, with Cathy to my right. They spent the entire film being being alternately appalled and amused by what they saw on the screen - what such a large group of women were doing at such an obvious guy film I had no idea. There were parts they did seem to like, and parts that simply made them groan. The girl with the boyfriend spent the whole night asking him for updates on the plot, and Cathy and I fell into a bit of a running commentary of our own that probably did not amuse those around us.

For my part, the film got more than a few laughs out of me. My mother would be embarrassed, I used to be such a dainty girl, shy about everything. The opening dog-rear joke madem e roll my eyes but subsequent humour related to bodily functions made me laugh more and more as the film went on. Maybe it's the male body, maybe it's just me. I never hated these movies but I definitely don't remember laughing at them like that before.

We all went out for coffee afterward at a ridiculously pretentious pseudo-Starbucks wannabe place. In theory I was getting to know the girls better but I found them too similar to a lot of the gabby shallow types I knew in University, the ones I secretly envied at one point. The boyfriend for his part looked at me with a look of understanding "Yeah dude, I get it," except no, dude, you don't.

I asked Cathy afterward what was up with the film choice, and they explained it was their theory that watching guy flicks made them understand men more. "I know you probably think we all have you figured out, and for the most part we do, but that doesn't mean we don't want to know more."

I laughed, "Trust me, Cathy, I'm a lot more complicated than I let on."

"Oh, is that so?"

And for a second there, it looked like she was going to go in for the kiss, or she was expecting me to do so, but instead of anything, we both stood still - until she poked me in the abs playfully and walked off into the night.

What do you do with a woman like that? Who plays with you one night, then comes back on Monday and talks about this booty call she made. I mean, I've had many conversations with my girlfriends about random dudes, but rarely for the benefit of guys like the one I currently am. She comes up to me Monday at work and says to me "Hey, you wanna know something? After we hung out on Friday night, I called this guy I know. He was busy, so we met up the next night, and..." well there you go.

Why did I need to hear this, I ask. She shrugs and says she just thought I might be able to use it. She looks down at my belt - except not at my belt - and says "don't think I don't notice."

Goddamn this little thing. We disagree about so much.

-Alia