I Told You, Eli Oxley

Chapter Eight

"So, are you like a virgin, or what?" Kara asked me during our first study session. Depending on how you look at it, it was either a fortunate thing or a "Son of a!" thing that we were in the library. Of course, that doesn't always stop some people. . . .

"I . . . well . . . well, yeah, I guess." My God! Who asks something like that when you've practically just met? And how are you supposed to answer?

"You guess? Shouldn't you know?"

"Yes."

"'Yes' you should know, or 'Yes' you are a virgin?"

"Both . . . I guess," I said.

"I'm guessing you don't know for sure because you've had oral, but you haven't done the full deed. Am I right?"

Who was she? "Is this how all our study sessions are going to go?" I said.

"Questions first, then we work up to something more," Kara said. "What do you think?"

Okay, this deserves a time-out to discuss a couple of things. First, yes I know I've already posed this question, but who does this? I've heard a lot about people experimenting with their sexuality when they get to college, so maybe that's what Kara, who is a freshman, is doing? Or maybe she's just, you know, easy. Loose. Second, if she's exploring herself as a sexual being, am I a part of that experimentation? Or am I just another ink stain in her black book? Do I want to be? Third, do I want to be? Really want to? I mean, I want to - I've wanted to for a very long time - but am I ready? Fourth, what about Al? I've been in love with her for the past four years, but, except for a couple of times, haven't ever really thought about her in that way. Could we even ever be that way? We did kiss, and she wasn't repulsed. So should I save myself for her? Or should I get some practice in for her? These are the questions that I would have taken my time to contemplate if I were actually given a time-out. But life doesn't work that way. So I had to settle for the spark notes version. And even then, I had to scan through that like I would right before a Lit. exam.

"How about we worry about your grades first, then we can get to the other stuff." Good answer, Eli. Deflection, not rejection.

On the way out of the library, I noticed yet another bulletin board full of frat flyers, which set my gag reflex off. But, like with the other flyer board, I also spotted another binary code-filled flyer. I was running late for my next class, so I ripped it off and took it with me.

I had my head down, trying to figure the new puzzle out while unsuccessfully sharing the sidewalk with other students (I'm not great at multitasking). This one was a bit more difficult than the last, which made me anxious, so I folded it and stuffed it in my pocket. I, of course solved the puzzle later (because I'm a freaking genius), but I'll show it to you here to give you time to think about it before I get to the answer (hint: you may have to do some unscrambling once you get the letters):

011C1001 01101110 0I110100 01101111 01T0000 01110100 01101S00 01100101 0100000 01110011 01101000 01100001 01100100 01101111 01110111 01110011 01101001 01101110 011O0100 01101111 01N0000 01110100 01H01000 01100101 0100H00 01110011 01101000 01100001 01100100 01101111 01110111 01110011 01101001 01101110 01110100 01101111 010M000 01110100 011T1000 01100101 01E0000 01110011 011010A0 01100001 01100100 01101111 01110111 01110011 01101001 01101110 01110100 01101111 0100000 01110100 0110E000 01100101 010O000 01110011 01101000 01100001 011001D0 01101111 01110111 01110011 01101001 01101110 01110100 01101111 0100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 0100000 01110011 01101000 01100001 01100100 01101111 01110111O01110011 01110111 01110011 01101001 01101110 01110100 01101111 0100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 0100000 01110011 01101000 01100001 01100100 01101110 01110111 W110011 0S110111