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Show All the Variables & Other Love Stories 70 almost two years, and she, Cara, was the reason for his celibacy. He admitted when he was younger he got a little out of control but there was no use feeling ashamed and no way to change it. Further, he felt stupid for not realizing it years ago, he should have acted then but he had been a shallow coward; he wasn't anymore, though plainly he paid for it now. He finished by swearing a passionate storm of love, named her virtues, the usual among women as well as some uniquely hers. He regaled her complete with awkward pauses as he searched his heart for the perfect word-insisting he couldn't settle for one that was close-cliches, platitudes, plenty of bombast, more than one mixed metaphor, and a series of half plagiarized song lyrics, all trying to describe to her the way she made him feel. "It's been killing me wanting to tell you this stuff," Zach said, "All I'm asking is for you to see me seriously. Let me take you out. See me as a guy for a change, not a childhood friend." They spent the morning over cappuccinos in the restaurant. Cara, visibly moved, trembled, told Zach how she'd fallen in love with stage theatre while in high school, had taken a few introductory workshops, and decided to major in theatre. In a summer acting workshop a boy had fallen in love with her. It was the first attention she'd ever received from a boy, unwanted as it was-he creeped her out Followed her around much the way Zach was doing, wouldn't take no for an answer; the two of them, she told Zach, would surely get along like pals The exercise was supposed to work on dramatic delivery, to teach students how to make moments of intense action appear spontaneous to the audience, not so rehearsed. She was Stella and this boy, of course, was Stanley. He had yelled at her, pushed her |