Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult? Or: I am a social retard. See: Law school is just like high school.

(Oh, by the way, for those of you (um, Mike) who are awaiting the Tort of the Week, it's on hold pending my actually doing my Torts reading for the week. I took the weekend off to think my own thoughts and not think about law. I think I'm the saner for it. I didn't do any of my Contracts reading either, yet I talked TWICE in class today. Now that's ballsy. Although we were talking about employment law, and the questions were mainly things that one could answer from arcane experiences I've been privy to, such as having a job.)

So, as Ms. S knows from my calling her and whining, "I'm a social retard! Why am I such a social retard?" I'm feeling like a bit of a social retard lately. (BTW, in law school they teach us that it's OK to use the same term repeatedly as long as it's technically correct. Do you see what a quick learner I am?)

Much of my social retardedness has focused on the question: How can I become friends with Ms. P? P's one of the few folks in Law School who seems to be congenial (as Jane Austen might say), on the same wavelength (as the hippies might say), etc (as I, at a loss to describe that ineffable kind of "yeah, I like the way this person's pieces fit together" thing, might say). But alas, P and I are not in the same section, so I only see her in one class, and pursuing a friendship requires actual social overtures. At which I am rather awkward. And which feel a lot like trying to ask someone out on a date. Which only makes things worse.

A few weeks ago, I ran into P in the library and said, "We should get lunch sometime, because you're irreverent, and that's scarce around here." So the next week, P caught me on the way out of class, and we made arrangements to have lunch, and then we had lunch, which was fun and good. After the lunch, I called Ms S and whined "How do I make friends with Ms. P??" S suggested that I get her a cupcake that says "Be my friend," but on further reflection we realized that stopped working in grade school and seemed kind of desperate even then. So then S suggested that I ask her out to lunch, and I said "We already went out to lunch," and S said "OK, you retard, she already wants to be your friend" (only maybe without the "retard" part).

So anyway, last week I asked Ms. P for her email address, and over the weekend I emailed her to propose a beer break and mention that there were a bunch of David Cronenberg films playing, but I didn't hear back from her, so I was like "Huh. Maybe she shares my belief that I'm a social retard."

But this morning after class, she asked, "Hey, how did your weekend go?" and I said "Good, did you get my mail? I was trying to entice you out for beer," and she said "No. My computer freaked out a couple of weeks ago and now I can't get email at home," so I said, "Oh my god, it's like you live in another decade," and she said "It is! At first I thought that was bad, but now I'm like, 'Hey, it's good to spend my weekend interacting with people who have my phone number,' which by the way I'd be glad to give you." So we exchanged stories of getting ridiculous demanding work emails at home or on vacation, and then I was like "Email me your phone number, and then we will go get some beers," and she said "Cool," and then she emailed me her phone number and some kind of note like "I can't fucking believe I missed this."

Woo hoo! I have her phone number! I have her phone number!!

God, I'm a social retard.