Catherine decided only then what had happened with David was nothing.  Nathan had told her so, too.  He said she knew nothing about love, what it meant, or could mean.  And that, for it, the physical and the mental must come together.  Being passed out, unaware of what passed between her and David, like what passed between so many couples, was nothing but false obligation, empty and meaningless. She didn’t remember it happening the first time, her first time, only the crying after.  It was why she thought David had stayed around so long.  She’d tried to explain then, attempted to push him off, but she assumed now they were probably both too drunk.  Both of them felt guilty at what had been lost, or taken away, though neither was too sure who to blame.  Because David had begun calling her his girlfriend, Catherine assumed what passed between them had been normal.  She’d assumed it was just another strangely unpleasant part of college life, so she never questioned it until later. 

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