(image courtesy of Ryan McGuire of http://www.gratisography.com/)
Once the lecture was over, he caught sight of her leaving through the double doors that led out to the hallway. His books jostled as he ran to catch up to her. Out of breath he sputtered out, “Uh, excuse me?”
The young woman stopped and turned slowly, confusion evident in her eyes, “Yes?”
A light smile danced gracefully across his lips before he shifted the pile of books in his arms. It took a moment for him to catch his breath, “Thanks for slowing down. I… I really need to talk to you.”
Becky slid the moderately chewed pen out of her jeans pocket and twirled it slowly between her fingers, “Okay?”
He just stared at her for a split second before a pulled a folded sheet of paper free from the top book. She watched blankly as he mouthed the words silently he read to commit them to memory.
Becky spied her friend, Amanda, coming down the hall and threw a quick wave to her.
She jerked in surprise as he suddenly began speaking in a loudly hushed tone, “I just wanted you to know that you make me feel… a certain way. Now, I don’t know much about love. It wasn’t something that I was brought up with. Sadness and anger? Sure. Fear and doubt? Of course. And weirdly, duty. But love? No, not really.”
He was quiet as he gave that some serious thought, “And this is why I needed to talk to you. You make me feel… odd and I find it uncomfortable. Frankly, it’s off-putting.”
“That’s why I have resolved that I can’t see you anymore and I needed to let you know that it’s not you, it’s me.” The young man held up his left hand like a blinder and quickly turned aside. Then he crab-stepped away from her before disappearing down a side hallway.
“What was that about?” Amanda asked as she sidled up next to her.
Becky shrugged in response, “Got me.”
“Do you know that guy?”
She nibbled absentmindedly on the end of her pen, “Not sure. I think we’re in the same physics class?”
Amanda smirked, “Huh. With those moves, I would’ve figured it for biology.”
Jon Gray Lang.com 