That scared me for a moment. I thought that Lauren just gone off and left like the last one.....phew....Ummmmm

I deal with this a lot. One, two, seven friends from my high school alone got married since graduation? And here I am single or finding guys who I am really better off not even knowing. It is that or guys who I know will just be a stumbling block down the road who try to pursue me. I even lost one friend because he would not take no for an answer and I firmly told him to back off. Relationships are a pain. Though some can be quite special if it is the one. Just keep your chin up and graduate. You will be more happy in the end considering your strengths and attitude. Yes I struggle with the same thing and the guy I crushed on for years still doesn't want me. So I'm shrugging it off and doing things to benefit myself.

As for Lauren's sake, be a friend, be supportive. I know that it can be hard but there is Terumi right? I am sure that hanging with her can help you relieve your frustrations even if it is just slightly. Art is a passion too; a medium for your thoughts and feelings. (Duh you know this.)

Annnnnyways, in short, keep strong, keep working, and you will get your chance again. If Tom saw something in you, I am sure that someone else will see something in you too....the time just hasn't come yet.

@Allamorph:

If only I could fill out a prescription of/on(?) you to take when my brain goes haywire <:3

Well, you know I'm basically the flip-gender of you. I've dealt with jealousy, and I haven't really dealt with being romantically pursued much, so I can sympathize. If I'd had a room mate who came in complaining about woman following him around, I'd probably spend some time moping about it.

I kind of feel sorry for Lauren, though, since this is clearly not something she even wants to deal with. The guys hanging around her need a good Gibbs-slap and told to cool their hormones down a few degrees and give her some space.

@Ducky:

Man, these were some comments.

It was more the venting issue, it's just...yeah. Had to get it out. But I agree with the two of ya.

Having been, at different times, both jealous of my (ex)roommate and the recipient of unwanted romantic attentions, I can very much sympathize with both problems. The jealousy, though, is the worst of the two just because it takes more than a "Go away," to get rid of it.

I don't think you should beat yourself up about feeling the way you do, yet it's also something you want to keep a reign on. And though I agree with parts of what Allamorph said, I also think it was too harsh. This post doesn't strike me as a, "ME ME ME ME MEEEEE," post. What you're doing here is what your roommate does in your room -- venting to friends. Getting rid of the crap. Processing on paper text. I'm glad you feel free to do that, and I hope it helped. I don't think this is the sign of an inferiority complex so much as a natural insecurity -- one that seems to hit people of the feminine persuasion particularly hard (based on my own experiences, anyhow). I think the only thing you can do is be honest with yourself, and be aware: both of your own feelings and of the way they influence your behavior. It seems like you're doing both.

So, I guess I'm saying... I wish you the best? Keep on truckin'? There's something I'm wishing for you that I can't express properly.

Maybe next time.

I think Alla's comment was longer than your post... scratch that, I know his comment was way longer.

But yeah, anyway. Jealousy; it happens. It's okay, everyone feels it. But you know what? Being in a relationship at this age is overrated. You said so yourself; you're busy. And that's cool, you're working towards something you want.

And also, I can imagine that maybe some of these guys that go after these girls aren't exactly the nicest folk...

But umm, yeah. Nice vent. :V

Who the frick said you needed to say anything at all? ^ ^

In the first place, and as I'm sure you're at least intellectually aware, just because someone asks a question doesn't mean they want an answer. Often it gets stated just because it needs to be said out loud, and since there are a great deal of people who are afraid of sounding insane by talking to themselves, it's easier and more reassuring to be able to just spout off in front of trusted company.

The natural urge for us as listeners, especially if the totally-not-insane person is our friend, is to be equipped with some kind of a fix-it response, whether it be bolstering reassurance or helpful advice or whatever. And so there's a conflict when you have absolutely nothing and you think you should have something.

But you don't have to say something. In fact you don't actually have to say anything. Not important, anyway. In fact, the hated "uh-huh" is usually all that's necessary. And if someone's just spouting off, just getting some crap out of their system, and they might not even be ready for a solution. If they're just getting rid of stuff, then simply thinking about a solution would mean thinking about the problem again and all of a sudden the crap is back.

But there's another angle to this situation that I don't think has struck you yet.

Reading this post, I see a common thought-thread. It's a completely understandable feeling, but that doesn't necessarily mean it should be encouraged.

This conflict isn't about her. E.g.:

• "She doesn't bother me in that regard." – Or, she doesn't unconsciously rub her social life in your face. Which, admittedly, is . . . nice.
• her case, he has a girlfriend, my case, well, my life is screwed up as it is – Poorly-masked bitterness gogogo.
• her three to my...one – Oh, the NUMBERS game! That's not superficial at all. Proves she's got it better than you, I guess? (Side note: I have also only had one significant other, wasn't even looking for one at the time, didn't put any effort into it, and guess where it ended up? Obviously in my case 'love' wasn't a factor.)

And then the really telling and common points:

• "And all I can say is "uh-huh"."
• "...I don't understand."
• "I don't know what it's like...."
• "How am I supposed to respond...?"
• "What ... am I supposed to say?"
• "I've got nothing;"
• "I can't relate"

This is about you. "Maybe" you're feeling jealous? No. You are feeling jealous, and probably a bit of rancor over an inferiority complex about, of all things, not having someone's hand to hold. Understandable? Of course. But completely petty. Here your roommie is coming in to do a little innocent venting to someone she's sure won't run her mouth about stuff later, and all you can think about is how you can't relate, or how you wish you had her problem?

Actually, you should tell her you wish you had her problem. See what she says. See if it lightens the mood.

Plus . . . I mean, you know I'm gonna bring up the patience angle, right? Indi and Beth and all that jazz? Good. Let's not and say I did.

But honey, this situation literally happens to me all the time, and I mean specifically about relationship crap. And guess what? We're in the same frikkin' boat. And yeah, it sorta sucks. And those thoughts occur to me just as much as they do to you. But we still have a choice on how to shape our perspective: do we dwell on our miserable lonely existences (and I'm only halfway being sardonic, there), or do we suck it up and accept it as temporary and in the meantime try to be a good friend to this person who quite clearly isn't intending to drag us through all that depressing crap?

And if it really gets to the point that it's grating just that little too much, and your friend could use a touch of perspective on the subject, then tell them the truth, but make light of it. They don't need us to go off on them for something they didn't intend. It's not their fault our love lives suck. Don't give them more crap to have to deal with. If you remark on how you'd love to have multiple men after you and laugh about it, though, she'll laugh at first, too, but it'll get her thinking. Trust me.

And intellectually you do know this already. I know this. But I think you need to hear it from someone else who isn't going to beat you over the head with a frying pan any more than necessary. And it sure as hell ain't wrong to feel that way. You can't help what you feel.

Just make sure you keep your head screwed on straight in the meantime.

@Katana:

Edit #4983457½ >.>;;

I didn't mean to sound oversympathizing but rather just understanding of your situation ^_^; Poor choice of wording/expressing on my part, sorry! :3

@Mimmi:

Bah, I hate gouging for sympathy. I JUST WRITE THESE THINGS TO VENT. D8

I bet you have secret admirers. I will not be dissuaded on this. Even so, GO sympathy GO! D: