Ineffable Plan

I woke up the next morning at seven. Once I was done getting dressed, I grabbed a new spiral notebook and my pouch of pencils and pens and threw them into my tote bag. It was nine-forty-five so I quickly threw on my chucks, grabbed my keys and ID, and headed out of the suite.

After grabbing some breakfast to-go from the café, I headed to the lecture hall. I got there about fifteen minutes before class started and took a seat in the back row with the wall on my left, making sure to place my bag in the seat to the right of me. By the time I was finished eating my chocolate chip muffin and drinking my coffee the lecture hall had gotten pretty full.

At ten-thirty on the dot, the professor called the class to attention and the lecture began. About five minutes into the class, I felt something brush against my leg. I quickly looked down to see my bag on the floor beside my feet. Whipping my head up and to the right, I noticed a guy now sitting in the once unoccupied seat. He looked at me briefly with a small smile on his face before turning his attention to the professor. I went back to scribbling in my notebook, frowning slightly to myself at the disruption.

When class was over I gathered my things and slipped my bag onto my shoulders. I was out of the class and in front of the lecture building when I heard someone say my name. I turned around and saw no one I knew so I kept going. A second later, I heard someone say my name again. I turned around once more and saw the boy who was sitting next to me running towards me.

“Hey,” he said softly.

“Um…Hi.”

“How are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks. You?”

“I’m great,” he answered.

There was a few moments silence.

“Do I know you? How do you know my name?” I asked timidly

“Roll call. I sat next to you in creative writing. Sorry about moving your stuff off the chair. I didn’t realize you’d be so offended.”

“I wasn’t,” I answered unconvincingly.

He laughed softly. “Well you looked offended. Your eyebrows were furrowed and your nose was crinkled for about fifteen minutes after.”

“Maybe you should pay less attention to my facial expressions and more attention to the lecture.”

“I could say the same for you,” he said looking at the notebook I held in my hands.

“I was taking notes.”

“I’m sure you were.”

I was focusing on keeping the blood from pressing too heatedly against my cheeks. “I better get going. I’ve got another class across campus in a bit.”

“Studio art?” He inquired.

I nodded again.

“Me too. I’ll walk with you. You’re a freshman right?”

At that I laughed and looked up at him. “Is it stamped on my forehead or something?”

“No. It’s just kind of obvious. Come on, Justine. We should get going before we’re late.”

He linked our arms and pulled me forward.

We walked in silence with our arms still link. One we got to the studio he pulled me to one of the work stations all the way in the back corner of the room. Before I could protest (not that I would have) he pushed me to the seat in the corner and took the seat near the aisle. I stood in shock for a second and quickly regained my senses. Placing my bag in the desk, I pulled my sketchpad and a pencil out and sat down on the stool.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” He asked as he did the same.

“Yes. I would…if you give me a second to breathe.”

After a few more seconds I had my things set up on my desk the way I wanted and I turned to look at him.

“Are you going to say something now?” He whined.

“You never told me your name.”

“I did. You just don’t remember,” he corrected. “It’s Aaron.”