It was a hot August afternoon, only getting hotter as the time spent waiting for a bus to the Blue Lot dragged on and on. When it finally arrived, a crowd of impatient students crammed themselves onto the bus.
By the time I got on, there were no seats left, but luckily for me, a boy offered me his seat — and I accepted, appreciative of his gesture.
The bus made its brief journey to the parking lot, and the sea of passengers flooded into it. I made my way down the stairs to the Green Lot, where my selfless knight in shining armor had apparently also parked.
I thought we went our separate ways, but moments later, he just so happened to drive past me on his way out of the lot as I was getting into my car. Now, we’re all expecting him to just keep on driving, maybe smile and wave at most, right?
He parked his car, got out and walked over to me where I was sitting in my own car. He motioned for me to roll the window down, which I did. I thanked him again for his kind act on the bus and he responded by complimenting me and asking for my number.
I told him, “No, I’m sorry, I have a boyfriend,” to which he retorted, “You’re not allowed to have friends?”
I then told him that I lived far from campus and worked a lot, meaning that I don’t have much free time.
“That’s okay, what’s your number?” he asked.
At that point, I decided that I have to choose my battles and that this one was not a worthy cause.
I gave in, gave him my number, and before I had made it home, I had received a text from my new “friend.” I blocked him soon after.
Why would you want to pursue a girl who is not into you? If a girl tells you, “No,” chances are that the relationship was a dead-end from the start.
Since then, I’ve adopted a strategy of giving my number to whoever asks for it regardless of whether or not I’m actually interested in them. That way I don’t have to put up a fight and I can decide later on for myself if I care to entertain the conversation. It’s easier than saying no.
Georgia State sophomore Rita Khalil knows exactly what I’m talking about.
“They keep asking you and they guilt-trip you,” Khalil said. “If you wanna get out of the situation, you just have to say, ‘Yes.’”
It seems as though it doesn’t matter what your true intentions are; the least uncomfortable thing to do for everyone involved is to save face for both parties and oblige when someone wants your attention. It shouldn’t have to be this way, though.
I get it: Approaching a girl takes some courage and rejection is never an easy thing to accept. But a “no” should suffice — no more questions asked.
I don’t want to have to make up excuses as to why I don’t want to talk to people; I just want to be able to respond however I feel inclined and carry on with my day. It’s really nothing personal. I’m just not interested. I don’t owe you that explanation, though.
