.Genderless.Episode.21.

“Afterglow.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“Seriously?” I reply.

Rowan nods.

“Comparing how highly you spoke of him a few weeks ago to how poorly you speak of him now, it’s pretty obvious that you really got caught up in his penchant for being intelligent and mysterious, but upon waiting for him to actually open up you drowned in those properties and now see them as they are, a superiority complex and disinterest.”

I sigh.

“That is quite the observation.”

She smirks.

“I’ve been in your shoes on more than one occasion. Hence the label ‘Failure’ when it comes down to relationships.”

She stops a moment and takes a bite of her lunch.

“Besides, aren’t you seeing that Slitch chick on a more serious level now?”

Meanwhile picking at my own lunch; I nod.

“Then why are you still hung up on Charlatan?”

I viciously stab at my sandwich with a spork.

“I’m not.”

She stops and stares at me.

“Something tells me you are.”

I give up on my mutilated food and push it away.

“I’m not. Really. I’m just still a little curious.”

Rowan lets out a small sigh.

“Truthfully, I’m thinking you should concentrate on Slitch right now. Charlatan had his chance, but you chose her. And bad things are only going to happen if you continue to pursue something with him while contrastingly having already given your promise to someone else.”

I found myself nodding.

“You really speak truth my friend.”

She laughs, albeit a bit dryly.

“Well thank you, but everything I say only has as much weight as you allow it to have.”

I didn’t respond to that.

And in the silence she stretches.

“And off topic; why aren’t you talking about this with Jamie? She’s your best friend. I’m just the creep who pesters you during lunch.”

Jamie…

“She hasn’t really talked to me much since I started hanging out at the Shallows. She sort of stopped completely once I got with Slitch…”

Rowan nods a little, but says nothing.