7th grade crush

There is a kid named Dennis who I've known since 7th grade. We had a lot of the same classes together in high school, a lot of the same friends, and stuff like that. Dennis and I go to the same college and have taken 2 classes together. This quarter we have the same film class. I looked him up on facebook one day in class and added him as a friend. I realized he was gay.

Dennis is very introverted and so we never really talk. In middle and high school, he was always reading. The other day however, Dennis was very bold and told me this. He comes up to me one day as we're walking from class. I am wearing black jeans and a black buttondown shirt. He tells me that the dark look works on me. I say something like I'm trying to be dark and mysterious. Dennis says something to the effect of it is sexy on me and works for me. Then he tells me he has had a crush on me since 7th grade. WHOA is all that I can think in my mind- does he know I'm gay? It caught me off guard, so I didn't say whether or not I was. My facebook and myspace both say straight; maybe he just has a good gaydar.

In 7th grade Dennis was a heavyset little kid in my science class. He would always smile and make eye contact with me. He would steal my papers and stuff like that, which I found strange. I realized later it was his way of flirting. In 9th grade in literature we always did group projects together. Dennis is not hot, so we don't have to worry. Anyways, in 10th grade he joined water polo and he lost a lot of weight. Now he is tall and thin, but definitely not my type.

Anyways, we have been flirting quite a bit online via facebook. I am a little hesistant to as everyone on my friend's list can easily view my profile and see; but so what?

Dennis: "thanks for the add."

I changed my facebook status to say "I am excited for Wednesday."

Dennis: What, Mike, may I ask is so exciting about Wensday? - I'm reading Thomson today, very pessimistic about film as a medium. But today is Hump Day, the middle school year, the middle of the quarter, and the middle of the week, so its all downhill from here!

Me:Dennis-

You summed it up so well! Hump day- that's always a good thing- middle of the quarter - middle of the week - everything is downhill!!!

Other little things that excited me about today:
- I got a haircut today
- I filled out my timecard at work
- I got an -ok- grade on my Spanish test and that was my midterm... so I feel relieved... the end is near
- On this fine Wednesday I enjoyed our film class. It gave me lots of time to surf myspace, facebook, and the like. I was paying attention though- I always do.
- As for Thompson, him and I have a date a lunch date tomorrow where I'll learn about his ideas on film and QUALITY TV.

Dennis: don't be so precocious: you make feel hopeless by comparison. But I'm glade you're doing well. Let me know how lunch goes.

"...the end is near."
One can only hope...in so many ways.

Me:How are things going for you? Sounds like you are busy! I am too... but I'm trying to be optimistic as opposed to pessimistic.

Lunch didn't happen- Thompson stood me up. Can you believe that? (translation: I left my book at home so I couldn't read on my lunch hour).

Now, unlike you I am further behind because of Thompson.

Dennis sent me a message on facebook:
I feel busy, but I don't know why. I wake up each morning, riverrun to midnight and wonder what I did all day: nothing productive apparently. I see my work piling up each day and promise, "tomorrow, tomorrow," secretly hoping I can hold out until the end of the world.

I'm too cynical to be an optimist for any reliable length of time. I start out each day saying to myself, no matter how ridiculous the cause, "What a lark! What a plunge!" Really it just seems very ironic before noon. But I do find random people and things to keep me happy throughout the day, and that is enough to keep me in the present most the time, beyond optimism and pessimism.

It's too bad about your lunch, though I'm not sure Thompson is the kind of person I'd like to meet. This is getting a bit long so I'll send it as a message.

But don't disparage! Put everything you can't do today into a pile, promise to do it tomorrow, and hope the world ends before too long! My God, that's a desperate view of things, isn't it? Well in any case, this letter distracted me enough so I will not have to worry about it.


Me: How do I respond to that? I don't... and wait for the next message I get from him last Friday.

Dennis:
Yay! 3 day weekend! My midterm for class wasn't very good, but I'm at the point where it would be alright if the world kept going. I liked "Sex and the City" more than "The Sopranos." Maybe I'll rent it one day. Have fun.

Me:
Totally agree with you on everything- yay for a 3 day weekend!

My midterm also wasn't very good. A lot of it I felt like I didn't have the adequate knowledge to talk about- like camera techniques, then it was like we haven't had enough discussion on quality TV for me to be able to elaborate as much as needed when it came to explaining how a show was more literary like. Oh well, it is done; I tried, so I'm not going to let it get to me. Something tells me the world will keep spinning.

Definitely enjoyed Sex and the City more... hey... it involved sex... that's a good thing... hot people... good topic. A couple of friends have recently got me into the show and it is pretty funny. Miranda gets on my nerves though. I like Charlotte and Samantha.

Dennis:
Ah, really? I like Miranda. She seems like the most sensible character. Anyway, you've been one of those random people who have made my happy lately, so thanks.

So that's where everything stands right now- decisions decisions. What witty comment can I come up with to write back with? Do I tell Dennis about me? What does Dennis know? I have been trying to hint in my wall posts to him though- instead of saying "hot guys or girls," I said "hot people." I said I have a "lunch date with Thompson." How many straight guys would say that? HAHA... it's all good... not worried... just kind of enjoying our comments back and forth to each other