I do want to date, and I will, but I don’t really know where to start. Do you have any suggestions? So far the five guys I’ve gone on dates with were friends of my friends. I already know meeting guys at bars is a bad idea, and I don’t even like going to bars to begin with. So? Any suggestions, your holy dating, twenty-girlfriend highness?

I know plenty of people in good relationships too, but I know a lot of people in really bad relationships as well. I don’t want to waste my time on a crappy one.

Hope you’re okay. I saw a German shepherd today and thought of you.

-Ruby

P.S. Yes, I’ll live my life for both of us. Lay on the guilt trip. :)

P.P.S. Trust me, there was no line of guys trying to ask me out ever. There’s only a small fraction of guys who like girls like me. Most of my male friends who I thought liked me had been too shy to ask me out, and I wasn’t brave enough to go after the one I did like. Funny how that works.

From: [email protected]

Date: December 19, 2008 1:11 p.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: RE: Hi

Ruby,

Internet blackout again.

Is your brother in a relationship? How did he keep it a secret while he was enlisted?

The image of your mom beating on your brother cracked me up. She really is something else, isn’t she?

There’s nothing wrong with being conservative. You have your reasons. Wear whatever you want whenever you want.

Here’s another list for you:

I can trust some of my friends. (You included.)

It isn’t a big deal to wipe the seat down before you use it.

Everyone lies, even me. (And I’ve forgiven you for your lie. I thought we were pretending it didn’t happen?)

She was my first love. My first everything if you get what I mean. I’m not going to front, back then it felt like the world had ended, you know? Every few years, she messages me asking how I’m doing. She married one of my high school friends and has a couple of kids now. I’m happy for them.

I think you’re giving that guy too much credit. He had to have known how you would handle him bringing someone over to your mom’s house. Either way, you did nothing wrong. He was older than you, he should’ve known better and done right by you. It’s BS. A nice guy wouldn’t have done that. Just saying.

Definitely don’t meet guys at any bars or clubs. Don’t date friends of your friends either if you can help it. That always gets awkward. What about at kickboxing class? Or a cosplay thing? Let me think about it more. Every idea I have of where I’d met someone wouldn’t work for you.

Every relationship turns into a bad one unless you find somebody to stay married to you for the rest of your life.

This puppy showed up in my tent a couple of days ago. We’ve been taking turns feeding it. We’re not… allowed… to have any pets, but some other units have found dogs, kept them and got their paperwork together. He’s a cute thing. One of the guys here has a camera. I’ll try and get a picture and send it to you.

-A

P.S. What’s “girls like you” supposed to mean?

P.P.S. I feel zero remorse for guilt tripping you.

P.P.S. You never told me about your sister’s skating competitions. Did she make it to the finals?

From: [email protected]

Date: December 20, 2008 2:17 p.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: Thank you

Ruby,

I just got your next box. I thought you were only sending books? :] Little liar. I’m going to make a pizza tonight and go through what you sent. The guy in the bunk above mine was already trying to look through them and choose one. I told him he could wait until I read them first. Can’t trust anybody here.

The candy, socks, and mac and cheese packets are great too.

I appreciate it.

-Aaron

From: [email protected]

Date: December 21, 2008 2:55 a.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: You’re welcome

Aaron,

Liar, liar, pants on fire. That’s me. I’m glad your box made it! Do the socks fit? I’m not sure how tall you are. I tried looking you up on Myspace to get an idea, but I couldn’t find you.

^^^ I just realized that makes me sound like a stalker, but my intentions were good. I wasn’t going to try and friend you or anything.

I know you didn’t mean anything by the comments about my mom or sister. :) My brother is in a relationship. He met his boyfriend about three years ago, and they’ve been together for the last two. He’s great. He’s so hot and funny and friendly, my sister and I are both a little in love with him. Actually, I think everyone in the family is in love with him. It annoys my brother to no end. The marine thing… he just didn’t tell anyone he’s gay. I think it was really hard for him to pretend to be something he knew he wasn’t since he had for so long, but… he did it. He’d always wanted to go into the service even if it meant having to lie. (There we go with liars again.) He worried about how accepting people would be toward him if they knew.