She and I were looking away. Look, I don’t know about her but I am
sweating hard and my heart is pounding like crazy. Sweat is building up on my back;
luckily I decided to wear a black shirt today. If I was wearing a grey shirt, I’d
look like a sweaty old man with his young girlfriend.
In side glances I was trying to look at her as I try to cool down my
face. At my third side glance, I caught her side glance as well leaving us both
flustered. My face was even becoming hotter by the moment but my palms were
becoming cold and sweaty so I placed them on my cheeks cooling them down. After
a deep breath I managed to compose myself and sit properly.
After a few minutes she returned the gesture and sat properly as well
hastily drinking her ice tea.
“It’s a few minutes before class let’s finish our meal” she said as she
grab her fork with her shaky hands
“You’re hands are shaking” I said as my lips quiver and tremble with my
legs
“This sisig is just really good” as most of the sisig and rice fell off
her spoon
We manage to finish our meal in time and did not speak for the mean
time. Outside the cafeteria we saw a girl with a group of friends with balloons
and a banner saying ‘I’m sorry’
“It’s the first day and a lot of people seemed to mess up” she quipped
Glancing into each other’s eyes for a second, suddenly we twitched away
and walked in a stiff pattern.
Grabbing the door to our next class, Jaime stopped me and said “Hey
about earlier, lets-“
“Let’s not do that again yes” I answered immediately
Before she could answer Marisol walked to us and greeted us with a big
smile and high pitch voice
“Heeyyy how was lunch?”
Flustered, none of us answered.
Marisol was to follow a question but Mark apparently read the room and
said “Come on, let’s get in early so we can all seat together”
Upon entering the room we saw Leon waving at us and showing us the saved
seats. He did a complete 180 from earlier this morning.
Even Marisol and Mark were flustered to his personality change. When
asked about it he laughed. “I’m not a morning person really but I make up for
it in the afternoon and evenings”
“Interesting, that explains a lot to be honest” Mark said.
We waited for a while. Now it’s policy of the university to have a free
cut if ever the professor has not arrived for 10 minutes in of his lecture
period, 20 for laboratory classes. Let me tell you we have not been more focus
in a clock for a long time. The dread of waiting the clock to move the next
minute is the most focused I’ve seen a group of students for a while. No one
was speaking. The whirring of the fans surrounds the room and a pin dropping
could be heard across the room.
“Tick”
“Tock”
“Tick”
“Tock”
And it was free cut.
We still have two classes yet but we have an hour of free time as of
now.
“We could hang out in a park” Marisol suggested and we all agreed except
Leon who was looking for someone. Marisol was about to tease him but I stopped
her by joking that he should run as he may lost it forever.
“Just meet us in history class” Mark said
“Sure… who are you again”
“That’s rude”
Then he ran away.
“He runs funny.” Jaime said
“Yeah, like he was about to fall any second now”
We got to the park and much to our surprise it the girl with the banner
and balloons were at the park finalizing touches on the banner and laying roses
on the park. Apparently, she was apologizing for something but we have no clue.
“That’s sweet” Jaime said
“Meh not one with grand gestures” Marisol said
It must be my imagination but the moment Marisol said that I think I saw
Mark repeat the same words at his mouth and wrote it in his palm as if he’s
making a mental note.
“They never learn” a girl behind our bench taking a picture said.
“I think it’s cute, you know romance stuff” Jaime said
“Once you grow up, things change kid”
“Kid? I’m 18”
“Yeah I know, you’re in our watchlist along with you” she said while
pouting her lips at me
“What for?” I asked
“Don’t think too much, enjoy your first week”
“Yes, that’s comforting”
She left and went a bit closer to take pictures
A guy behind her apologized for her actions and introduced himself as
Ben and the girl Joyce.
“It’s the newsletter, we’re looking for new recruits. But yeah don’t
think about it, act as if we’re not here”
Then he left.
“That’s exciting you guys are being scouted”
“Not interested” I said
“Same here” Jaime said
“We should go back, it’s a few minutes in and the class is in the 4th
floor”
Arriving at the class we we’re still a few minutes early but the
professor was much earlier than us.
She didn’t bother with introductions as she believes that those kinds of
things should happen naturally. It was a class of self and society and we first
discussed on how people fall in love.
“Love may be a
topic too cheesy for you especially to the cynics but as a human society we
progress and have yet to crumble because of the presence of love. It has
different types namely Eros (passionate love), Pragma (enduring love) ,Ludus
(playful love) ,Agape (universal love), Philia (deep friendship), Philautia
(self-love), Storge (familial love) ,Mania (obsessive love) so don’t think
about focusing on one aspect of it.”
One student in class asked about romantic love
“Do you believe in the 8 second eye contact?”
Jaime and I suddenly got chills and sat correctly.
“Some studies actually back that up but I don’t believe that to be
honest. Sometimes you don’t need 8 seconds as I’ve seen people fell in love
with a glance or sometimes they need to see each other eye to eye even more than
eight seconds it could take years before you realize love and I doubt you could
hold eye contact that long”
“Are you okay?” Marisol asked as Jaime and I twitch in our seats,
visibly uncomfortable
“We’re fine” we said in unison
“What’s the problem heh” I asked Jaime arrogantly
“Nothing much, you? hehe” she answered
“Cool”
The professor went on
“But don’t rely on eye contacts solely. If you want love it’s work. It’s
more then eye contacts. It’s the late night calls and drunk chats. It’s the
shoulder to cry on along with celebrations of happy moments. It’s understanding
that you are different people aiming for a same goal. Eye contacts are
indication but what you do beyond the eye contacts says a lot about how that
love will work”
I drank water out of nervousness.
Jaime did the same.
Slowly as I grab the edge of my seat, I tried to look at Jaime only to
see her looking at well. Surprised, we looked down in cold sweat.
“Interesting” Mark whispered
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