My Dilemma

So, I've moved from a private girl's school to a public college, and the first thing I've noticed is the boys.

Not in the whole "Oh my god, they actually exist!" kind of way, though I guess there was a bit of that. No, the first thing I noticed was how stereotypical they are. Now, I've had a few boyfriends and we've had all the conversations about gender, for example, about how we are not stereotypical; I don't squeal over shoes, and they aren't sex obsessed.
Or so I thought.

There's a boy at school who thinks he's a bit of a stud. Let's call him Mark. He's got it all: Italian heritage, money, talent. The one thing he lacks is tact- for example: making crude double entendres to everything I say, turning everything into a sex joke, hitting on me non-stop, the works. It was painful. Then, he asked me out for a drink. Through some massive cloud of judgment- I can only blame the coffee- I accepted.

It was only later I realized it was a date.

Panicking, I told my friend, who shall be called James, who gave me a brilliant idea. He would pretend to be my boyfriend, for the next three weeks until he leaves for Denmark; this would hopefully chase off my suitor, and also seemed like a pretty good trick for the other guys who were in our friendship huddle.

So, that afternoon, James and I met up with Mark, who didn't seem to understand that we were in a fake relationship. This lead to a lot of crude comments about my sex life, holding my hand, stroking my arm, holding my arm, etc. while James and I told him, to his face and with no pretense, that I was not single.

Finally, when my bus came, James had left and Mark continued to attempt to hold me, did he ask "Tell me what I'm dying to know. Who are you going out with?". I told him I was going out with James, and with a sullen goodbye and quick advise on how to ask out another girl he had a crush on, he was gone. I feel bad for him, but at least I have my arm back.

Now, I am pretending to go out with a friend. Situation resolved.