Oh the People You’ll Meet: The Unofficial

College brings a whole lot of new experiences, new lessons and new people. But it seems that no matter what school you go to, there are same characters on every campus:

By Donnette

The Unofficial

Have you noticed that guy who trails three feet away from the girl who has a steady boyfriend? Or that girl who silently stalks the team player? Yup, they are The Unofficial.

The Unofficial is the guy or girl who is not the main entrée of the relationship. He or she is the appetizer before the main entrée… or maybe just the wilted salad. They are the one that someone turns to in order to curb their hunger before the main relationship meal.

The unofficial is whispered about by his/her friends and acquaintances. He/she is not appreciated for intelligence or personality; they are more often likened to slabs of meat waiting to be used.

The Unofficial is usually a promiscuous guy or girl who seeks attention from the opposite sex. There are no limits to their seduction tactics. The target is always someone in a relationship and the ultimate goal is to steal the title. Unfortunately, all they get is a little physical attention and a whole lotta false hope.

The Unofficial has a reputation for being “unofficial” to a lot of people. The Unofficial is so named because he/she is a serial side piece. Unofficial-ism may even last for years! He/she has never been in a real relationship and make themselves and others believe they are free spirits. They claim to be able to jump from person to person (even if that person is in a relationship) performing “acts of love” without fear of repercussion, guilt or shame.

He/she is a not a bad person – just someone with inferior morals, low self esteem or a longing to be loved by the one they admire. Who always happens to be in love with someone else. The unofficial would do anything to become the main squeeze. But the main squeeze they will never be. Instead, they will stand by as their target moves into other relationships, watching from a not-so-safe distance.

In many cases, The Unofficial is also transitional, though not to be confused with the rebound. The rebound is someone who has a chance of being the official girl or guy. That is not that case for The Unofficial. If the target male or female is suddenly single, The Unofficial warms the bench until the star player arrives. The Unofficial/ will never actually become an official. They just do not have the qualities.