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spring semester begins I rounded the corner to the building and saw someone that I knew standing outside the door smoking a cigarette. It was Rebecca who was in my class last semester. We recognized each other instantly. After some quick catching up she told me that a small group of us from last semester were taking this same class. Soon Lucas, who may or may not be her boyfriend, joined us and was quickly followed by our instructor. Suddenly I was back in a world that I had been missing for the past few weeks. Other people loathe school but I bask in higher education. I drink all of it in while I am there and I can honestly see myself becoming a professor someday. This insulated world of learning is so important to me. I don't value my family or friends at work any less, but I truly enjoy this third option of mine. As much as I liked talking with Rebecca and Lucas there was someone even more special to me already sitting inside the classroom. The minute I walked into the room I saw her. J Crew girl was there looking as lovely as ever. Her image hadn't been distorted in my mind these past few weeks. She was just as mesmerizing and I was determined to sit next to her. Rebecca and Lucas took their seats and I sat immediately to the left of J Crew girl. I had to wrestle the chair away from a girl who was using it as a footrest, but I was on a mission so it didn't matter to me if she thought that I was being rude. Yes, there were other open seats, but they weren't next to the girl who caught my eye. This was a matter of possible love that we were addressing here. Her feet could find some place else to rest. I relayed this story to an old college roommate of mine and here is the advice that he sent back to me via email. Advice begins: Good luck with the girl. I think you need to make a point of finding a space near her all the time. Of course, you need to make sure you don't look like you are trying to find a space next to her. Not that you want to look like you are trying to avoid a space next to her. I mean you need to find a space next to her while not appearing to try to find a space and yet trying not to look like you aren't finding a space around her on purpose. Funny how complicated this all can get. Advice ends. With such straightforward steps as that to guide me, I should have this solved in no time at all. She'll be hanging on my arm by the end of the week. Or maybe not. Then again this man has been married for about five years and has two sons, so he must have done something right at some point in his life when it came to women. Past experience has taught me that talking to the girl usually speeds this process along. Since the two of us had in fact spoken last semester, I at least had an opening this time around. I asked her if she had gotten her final paper from last semester. She replied that she had. I asked her if she had had a nice break. She replied that she had some dental work done. Hearing this didn't leave me with much of a reply. Should I have said that you didn't need it to her? Should I have said that she looked good even being in pain. (She had mentioned that she was taking some kind of painkillers, but that they never seem to have the same addictive effect that they do on other people.) I was lost here. The conversation was dying even before it got a chance to start. Must think of something clever to say. Must try harder. Silence is doom. Then the instructor came to my rescue. We were to form into a group for a writing exercise. Rebecca, J Crew girl and I were to be a team. She scooted her chair over close to mine. Once she was next to me I was in heaven, but I kept my breathing under control. I could touch her if I wanted, but I didn't. Up close she looked even better. No distance between her eyes and mine. The girl looks good in grey heather and I was aware of her every move. I could have spent the rest of the afternoon sitting there next to her, but the class ended and we went our separate ways for the day. I am a sad sad man here, but maybe that will change soon.
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