An Abundance of Thoughts about an Abundance of Katherines: Chapter Ten

[Frank Leigh Grace]

WHAT?!?  Everything Nikola Tesla does is absolutely interesting.  Hassan is insane.

And now we can see just how clearly that Colin is a fictional character, because he prefers girls without makeup.  IT’S A LIE.  Believe me, nobody would like my face better without at least foundation and concealer.  NOBODY.

Oh, the matter-of-fact way she talked about how she’s going to “go stare dreamily into the eyes of my boyfriend” is one of the things that reminds me of Lauren.  It couldn’t remind me of me; I have no boyfriend to stare dreamily into the eyes of.  Also I can’t figure out how to get rid of that hanging preposition.  Alas.  And her confidence and I-couldn’t-care-less attitude about breaking rules, that’s another Lauren thing.

And you know why they want to stay in Gutshot, Colin? I can tell you.  Some want to stay because it’s their home.  A lot want to stay because they love the people here.  Some want to stay because they can’t think of a different place they’d want to go.  Some want to stay because they’re afraid of the unknown.  Some want to stay because in Gutshot they’ve got a good life going and feel secure in their job and family.  There might be some other reasons, too, but those are probably most of the top ones.

“…wondered only how something that isn’t there can hurt you.”  Well, isn’t that usually what hurts?  Hunger is when food isn’t there.  Thirst is when water isn’t there.  Weariness is when rest isn’t there.  Grief is when a loved one isn’t there. 

Doesn’t the shower thing also have to do with the cold air outside and the warm air inside yielding higher pressure outside, pushing the shower curtain in?

Uh oh.  Another Katherine.  And “quite attractive.”

Yeahhhh singing along to country songs in the car is the BEST.

And now Colin’s gonna call.  Wonderful.  Utterly wonderful.  “The great and terrible awe,” at her voice.  What is it about their voices?  What makes them so freaking wonderful?  And come on Colin, couldn’t you have just said, hi, Katherine, I’m doing okayish, how are you doing?

“All moms loved him.”  Well, yeah.  He’s a good boy.  Not like Lyfold.

Really?  “You are probably the only person I’ve ever known who wants to be a Siamese twin.”  She doesn’t know anybody else who’s a bit codependent?  I feel like I know plenty of people who are like that.  I mean, nobody would LITERALLY want to be joined at the hip, though I could make a joke about one couple I know, but I feel like I know plenty of clingy people.  I don’t think I’m too clingy.  I mean, I definitely could be if I let myself, but I think I’m okay with controlling it.  I hope.  I worried about it with Justin and ended up overcompensating, ended up aloof.

“Singleton.  The word is Singleton.”  That’s so sad.

“Just some time away would be good for you, I think.”  Definitely.  She’s right about that.  They could end up friends, but it’ll take some time.  Colin’s too obsessed right now.

I wonder if that’s why David doesn’t seem to want to be friends right now.  Maybe he’s worried I’m not over him enough to be friends with him.  But I AM able to be friends with him.  I’ve been okay with not-dating-him for a while, now.  I want to be friends.  Can’t we be friends?  Text every so often, like once a week or so?  Maybe even skype on occasion?  On a weekend that I come up to our college, couldn’t we hang out for an hour or so?  Am I really asking that much?

“You can never love people as much as you can miss them.”  Missing them is part of loving them.  There is no grief without love.  I think what he really means to say is that you never really grasp the extent to which you love someone until you have to miss them.

Boy-sobbing is really not as unattractive as Colin fears.  Frankly, most girls love a good sensitive boy who will cry.  I just saw a medal ceremony where the gold medalist recently lost a loved one.  He just stood there, sobbing throughout his country’s anthem.  It was beautiful.

Oh, Colin.  Don’t give up.

Good Lindsey.  Fix him right up. “I want it for a couple of days.”

“It’s just a cool-ass way to tell stories.”  Damn right it is.