You know, I really am very lucky to have such good friends.

Because of them, I started to slowly get over Candy. Even my roommate was great. I didn't expect that. I had a new roommate this year, Alan Verbeek, who was only a freshman. He didn't see the whole relationship unfold between Candy and I, and I wouldn't have thought a freshman would 'get it'. Alan did. Once I finally told him why I was moping around, he was great.

And Cat was, as always, my best friend. I leaned on her as much as I could. The problem with Cat, however, was that she had some shit going on in her life while I was going through this. There was her whole field hockey thing. I sensed some problems with Pru, her roommate. And it seemed like she was going through a rough spot with Colin, her boyfriend. So she wasn't always available to buck me up. That was fine, I understood—she did buck me up when I really needed it. And, when she wasn't available, she handed me off.

Colleen wasn't kidding when she told me to call her if I needed a friend to talk to. I knew Colleen somewhat, of course—she'd been friends with Cat right from the bat—but we weren’t best friends or anything. However, it seemed, whenever I went to the house to find come company, she was always around. I used her as a shoulder to cry on for a few days after our first conversation. Then, I didn't. I didn't want to burden her that much. Besides which, I found it more pleasurable just to talk to her.

Colleen was a first-class conversationalist. I guess that's a bonus if you want to be a psychologist. I was an English major myself—I wanted to write, and, while I waited to become the next Steven King, I was going to teach. But we found some common ground in our majors—I remember a nice conversation about the psychological underpinnings of some Great Works of Literature. Colleen had a first-class brain, a ready wit, and a great perspective. All that, and she was cute, too. A natural redhead with green eyes—yup, she's Irish—she had a nice body and a beautiful smile. I didn't want to ask her again, but I was still mystified that the guys weren't beating down her door.

Anyhow, she, and Cat, and Alan, and my other friends, helped me get through. I started to realize that I really was better off without Candy. And, a few weeks after the breakup, that was put to the test.

I was sitting in a grassy area on campus with Colleen. We were just chatting—when here came Candy.

"Marc?" she said tentatively. "I thought maybe we could talk."

"I don't think we have anything to talk about," I told her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean this to happen. I really want to try to work this out."

"What am I, a glutton for punishment?" I snorted.

"No, Marc, no!" she claimed. "It will never happen again!"

"How many?" I asked quietly.

"Huh?"

"How many guys did you fuck while you were supposed to be going out with me? Total. Including over the summer."

"Why is that important?"

"I'd like to know exactly how many times you betrayed my trust. And then maybe you can explain exactly why you think I could ever trust you again."

"Because I'm done! I got it out of my system. Really."

"How many?" I asked again.

"Seven," she said quietly.

"You're nuts if you think I can just forget or forgive that."

"Marc. Please. I'm begging you! I fucked up. I know that. I'm sorry."

"It's no good." Then I got an absolute brainstorm, as insane as it was. Colleen had been sitting next to me the whole time, watching the exchange—and, it seemed to me, smiling approvingly. So, that's when I got my brainstorm. "Candy, I've found someone new." And I took Colleen's hand in mine.

Bless her, she went with it. And the look on Candy's face was priceless. She just gawked at us. Then she said, "I'm so sorry" with a catch in her voice, and turned and walked away.

That's when I really realized what I had just done. I turned to Colleen and said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For pulling you into this." I sighed. "Candy's not one to keep her mouth shut. It's going to be all over campus that the two of us are an item."

"I don't mind," she said with a smile. She didn't? "Let them think it." Amazing. "You really are over her, aren't you?"

"Yeah. You know, if it had been one guy, or if she hadn't been blowing me off, I might have considered it. But she was completely insensitive. And I don't think I really could ever trust her again."

"I know." She smiled at me, and that's when I realized something—we were still holding hands. I looked down at our intertwined fingers. She did, too—and smiled wider.

Then, unbelievably, she leaned over to me, and kissed me! Shocked doesn't even begin to describe how I felt right then. Colleen was my pal, my buddy! But, there she was, leaning into me, her lips gently touching mine. She pressed in, just a little. Once I got over the shock, I pressed back. Her lips were warm and soft. Her hair smelt like jasmine. Her hand gripped mine a little tighter. My other hand went up to her shoulder and rested there. We were in the middle of the campus, people walked around the grassy area all around us, and her lips were gently massaging mine. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

It only lasted about a minute. Then she broke the kiss. She was beaming, and blushing profusely. She let go of my hand, stood up, and whispered, "I have to go. I'll see you later." Then she was gone.

I sat there on the grass for a good twenty minutes, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened!

--The End--

This is the third story in this story arc. The previous one is I'm A Loser. The next one is Another Girl.