The year after yesterday’s post I was seeing a different guy (we’ll call Billy). There were two parts to this horrible holiday.

It was our first Christmas together, and it was pretty rocky. I had gone home to North Battleford to visit my family. Because I went to school full-time and worked full-time, I didn’t have time to get a badly-needed haircut before the holidays. I thought it would be a good idea to go to my high school hair dresser while I was home. I think she was pissed off for having to work that day, for whatever reason, I don’t know…I hadn’t seen her in 5 years. I brought in a picture of a really nice Cameron Diaz style haircut that I thought would look good on me. She said it would be no problem, but she ended up chopping off way more than necessary….like above the ears short. My family still calls me GI Jane.

So I went back to Regina on Christmas Day, and Billy was supposed to meet me at my house. I had to grab something from my car, which was parked accross the street when he showed up. I saw him walking to my house, so I yelled his name and began walking swiftly to catch up with him. He didn’t recognize and began walking faster. I yelled his name again and he ran to my house and began furiously knocking on my door thinking some crazy person is running after him.

When he realized it was me, he laughed and told me I looked like a little boy. He treated me differently from that point on.

On that night, I began asking him what his plans were for New Years Eve because I wanted to spend it with him. He kept avoiding the question, or telling me he didn’t know what was going on. I could tell he did know and just wouldn’t tell me. I kept pushing it all week, to no avail. Somehow I had found out that he was going to be at the same party I went to the year before; and if I know anything about men, it’s that if they clearly show they don’t want you around, you should show up anyway.

My friend Krista, her now-husband and I went to the party together. I found him after an hour or so, when it was close to midnight. Krista was a chronic bailer, and as soon as she saw me with Billy, her and her boyfriend left. So I was there with no friends and was latching on to a guy who clearly didn’t want me near him. He actually tried to ditch me by going to the bathroom and leaving the other side of it. I cornered him and forced him to have it out with me…giving him the ultimatum of either spending the rest of the night with me or never seeing me again. He chose to never see me again. Right at the stroke of midnight.

Devastated, bawling, listening to everyone else merrily ring in the new year, I made a dramatic exit, storming off. That was horrible. But the night wasn’t done ruining me.

In Regina, everyone drives everywhere, so there are very few cabs. They were all out on that day, but they refused to take single passengers. Another reminder of how alone I was. So, even though I tried to leave at midnight, I was the very last person to leave, at 3am. I even saw Billy and his friends leave before me.

That was the year I decided me and NYE didn’t mix well.

This year, I am spending it at Charlene and Joe’s watching movies. I’m bringing the veggie platter.