College Stories. My Girlfriend Is Too Naive--- Free | Essential & Easy

The dining hall is my personal nightmare. Emily treats the “leave a penny, take a penny” tray like a sacred charity. Last Thursday, she put a five-dollar bill in there “to help the penny economy.” I watched a guy in a wrinkled hoodie grab it without blinking. When I told her what happened, she said, “Well, maybe he really needed bus fare.” He was wearing AirPods Max.

But three months into the relationship, I realized that dating Emily is like being the designated adult for a golden retriever who has just discovered that doors exist. Everything is a wonder. Everything is an adventure. And everything is a potential disaster.

I stared at her.

She still leaves her laptop open in the library when she goes to the bathroom. She still Venmos strangers for “concert tickets” before they hand her the tickets. She still believes that the group project will be different this time.

That’s when I realized I had it backwards. I thought I was protecting her. But she was protecting me. She was the one pulling me back from the ledge of cynicism that college so eagerly pushes you toward.