to paraphrase an AIM convo.

[them]: I don't do fooling around.
[me]: I thought that was what we had been doing.
[them]: Yeah but I'm not good at it so I would have tried to force you into some sort of emotional tie, which would of pissed my SO off that I was cheating on with you w/o you knowing.
[me]: ok...

"Damn but humans are weird. I don't understand them at all, and I'm (ostensively) one.

I do now better understand why [C] considers freshmen off limits. That seems like a much less stressful/confusing option."