The Boy from the Elevator
I was perfectly content spending Valentine's Day 2002 consuming unlawful amounts of chocolate, and this was how i spent most of the day--err, week.
I had called my friends from my cell to theirs, during a break between classes. I had bought them all yellow roses, presenting it to them with a pack of Big Red gum and a Lucky for Love scratch-off card, which provided them with a what, when and where.
I had gone to yoga. And i had had an incredible first experience there. Granted, i could not easily manage the handstand, but I'm a whiz when it comes to contorting my body. My suitemate, Brit, Brit's roommate, my suitemate and Anthony had all come with. After the initial "Ohms," and giggles we managed to focus. In fact, I think I found innerpeace. On Valentin'es Day. As a single person. Ironic, I know.
And at 10:30 PM, we were just too relaxed from yoga to make pink frosted cookies. Still, I had to give Brittany her flowers. So there I was, standing in the high rise elevator, on my way to the 21st floor. Adorned in my black yoga pants, pink and grey aerobic sneakers, pink tank, and grey zippy-hoody, I held a modest bouqet. The elevator dooor opened and in walked a guy and girl; i recognized them from my Tuesday/Thursday sociology class.
He looked and me and, directing it towards his friend, but announcing it to the elevator said, "Ohh, she has flowers. Flowers from her boyfriend."
I raised my eyebrows and retorted, "Boyfriend? Come on, this is NYU; They're for a friend." He put his arm around my shoulder, commenting that he would be my boyfriend." I laughed, asking his friend if he was drunk. She nodded that he was tipsy.
Somehow on the brief ride up, we started chatting. I was introduced to Dylan and Sheri. And they invited me, quite enthusiastically, to a party. I told them that maybe I'd stop by.
On the 21stt floor, I raced to Brit's room, excited in part because I wanted to give her the roses. But also because I wanted to see if she would come with me to the party.
Forty-five minutes later, we found ourselves outside the door of the party. Just the trip's 5 floors up had been entertainment enough, with Brit pulling her pants down in the hallway to her ankles to show me the bruises left over from last week's jell-o fest...I listened at the door, looked at us, both in our sweats. "Is this gonna be weird? Not knowing anyone?"
She shrugged.
I turned around, deciding not to enter the party. "But he was so nice."
"Well, at least now you know his name and you can talk to him in class," Brit assured me.
We took a detour to Josh and Evan's room. I always stop by their room, intending to stay for only 15 minutes. Two and a half hours later, it was just me and them, munching on popcorn, wrestling, joking, Josh and I cuddling in our friendly manner. I was about to roll over and die of exhaustion, so I grabbed some candy from their room, consumed it, and said good night.
A pleasant Valentine's Day. I smiled, waiting for the elevators.
Ding. A light blinked, signaling which one would whisk me away to the first floor. The door opened, and in it stood one person.
Dylan.
Serendipity.
"You never stopped by the party," he noted, definitely sober now.
"Actually, I did. But I only got as far as the door."
I mentioned to him that we had class together, because I knew he did not know. He asked me what I was doing now. At 2am? "Just goin to my room." "Wanna hang out?" "Sure, why not." Ding. We walked over to the low rise elevators, to the second floor, and to my room.
And we talked, and talked and talked....till 5AM.
Amazing coincidences, insights and interests....on life, religion, relationships, personal growth, trauma...the hours rolled by, and I was beginning to wonder if what I was feeling was a remnant of yoga or sparked by Dylan.
So we crashed. Quite comfortably.
And a few hours later, I found myself awake. I lay still, pretending to sleep, not wanting to wake my company. But he was awake, shifting, and his hand lightly grazed my bare stomach, just at the point where my tank top doesn't meet my pj pants. He stopped, surprised, I think, by my belly ring. He leaned in, softly kissing my shoulder.
Butterflies.
Two minutes later, I sat up...reached for the glass of water at my bedside...looked at him, looking at me...and planted the biggest kiss known to the romantic genre upon his lips.
Immediately, I rolled over onto my side, facing the wall and quickly became tangled in my dreams.
Happy Valentine's Day, indeed.
I had called my friends from my cell to theirs, during a break between classes. I had bought them all yellow roses, presenting it to them with a pack of Big Red gum and a Lucky for Love scratch-off card, which provided them with a what, when and where.
I had gone to yoga. And i had had an incredible first experience there. Granted, i could not easily manage the handstand, but I'm a whiz when it comes to contorting my body. My suitemate, Brit, Brit's roommate, my suitemate and Anthony had all come with. After the initial "Ohms," and giggles we managed to focus. In fact, I think I found innerpeace. On Valentin'es Day. As a single person. Ironic, I know.
And at 10:30 PM, we were just too relaxed from yoga to make pink frosted cookies. Still, I had to give Brittany her flowers. So there I was, standing in the high rise elevator, on my way to the 21st floor. Adorned in my black yoga pants, pink and grey aerobic sneakers, pink tank, and grey zippy-hoody, I held a modest bouqet. The elevator dooor opened and in walked a guy and girl; i recognized them from my Tuesday/Thursday sociology class.
He looked and me and, directing it towards his friend, but announcing it to the elevator said, "Ohh, she has flowers. Flowers from her boyfriend."
I raised my eyebrows and retorted, "Boyfriend? Come on, this is NYU; They're for a friend." He put his arm around my shoulder, commenting that he would be my boyfriend." I laughed, asking his friend if he was drunk. She nodded that he was tipsy.
Somehow on the brief ride up, we started chatting. I was introduced to Dylan and Sheri. And they invited me, quite enthusiastically, to a party. I told them that maybe I'd stop by.
On the 21stt floor, I raced to Brit's room, excited in part because I wanted to give her the roses. But also because I wanted to see if she would come with me to the party.
Forty-five minutes later, we found ourselves outside the door of the party. Just the trip's 5 floors up had been entertainment enough, with Brit pulling her pants down in the hallway to her ankles to show me the bruises left over from last week's jell-o fest...I listened at the door, looked at us, both in our sweats. "Is this gonna be weird? Not knowing anyone?"
She shrugged.
I turned around, deciding not to enter the party. "But he was so nice."
"Well, at least now you know his name and you can talk to him in class," Brit assured me.
We took a detour to Josh and Evan's room. I always stop by their room, intending to stay for only 15 minutes. Two and a half hours later, it was just me and them, munching on popcorn, wrestling, joking, Josh and I cuddling in our friendly manner. I was about to roll over and die of exhaustion, so I grabbed some candy from their room, consumed it, and said good night.
A pleasant Valentine's Day. I smiled, waiting for the elevators.
Ding. A light blinked, signaling which one would whisk me away to the first floor. The door opened, and in it stood one person.
Dylan.
Serendipity.
"You never stopped by the party," he noted, definitely sober now.
"Actually, I did. But I only got as far as the door."
I mentioned to him that we had class together, because I knew he did not know. He asked me what I was doing now. At 2am? "Just goin to my room." "Wanna hang out?" "Sure, why not." Ding. We walked over to the low rise elevators, to the second floor, and to my room.
And we talked, and talked and talked....till 5AM.
Amazing coincidences, insights and interests....on life, religion, relationships, personal growth, trauma...the hours rolled by, and I was beginning to wonder if what I was feeling was a remnant of yoga or sparked by Dylan.
So we crashed. Quite comfortably.
And a few hours later, I found myself awake. I lay still, pretending to sleep, not wanting to wake my company. But he was awake, shifting, and his hand lightly grazed my bare stomach, just at the point where my tank top doesn't meet my pj pants. He stopped, surprised, I think, by my belly ring. He leaned in, softly kissing my shoulder.
Butterflies.
Two minutes later, I sat up...reached for the glass of water at my bedside...looked at him, looking at me...and planted the biggest kiss known to the romantic genre upon his lips.
Immediately, I rolled over onto my side, facing the wall and quickly became tangled in my dreams.
Happy Valentine's Day, indeed.