Unforgettable!

I Sticks and stones

Fort

As I'm walking downthe hallway of the Medical Science Building, I see him for the first time. A boy – must be a freshman – striding along sunlit windows, away from the herd of other students, hands in his pockets, looking straight ahead. The sunlight behind the guy's head makes his hair glow like an angel. There's something in the way he moves, something wild and dangerous – like a wild animal, ready to pounce on its prey. And there's this strange feeling in the atmosphere like he controls every particle in the air around him. Even ten meters away from the guy, I can feel the static field raising my hair.

I can't tear my eyes away from him. I stumble over nothing and completely forget where I'm headed. To my horror, the freshman looks up, and our eyes meet. I freeze like a deer in headlights. One corner of his mouth quirks up, giving him a shy yet sinister look, before he disappears into a classroom.

That lopsided little smile goes straight to my heart, making it beat faster and sending chills across my skin. Like a dog shaking off water after a swim, I try to shake off the static and the unfamiliar feeling twisting in my stomach.

Maybe it's something I ate. Maybe I imagined it. Is it possible that my mind is playing tricks on me? I can't say for sure, but I'm certain I want to follow this guy, get close to him, find out more about him. That's not like me at all. I'm not someone who makes new friends easily, or at all. I'm not the most outgoing person. Sometimes I wonder how I've managed not to alienate the few friends I have. I simply never have time for them. And now, suddenly, I want to know absolutely everything about a stranger I've seen for less than a minute. What is wrong with me? Must be the pressure from being the head of the UniFair organization team. Or maybe it's that salmon I had for lunch.

"There you are!" Ann, my partner from the UniFair committee, pulls me out of the dangerous labyrinth of my thoughts. "Come on, you don't want to be late."

For the first time in my life, even if just for a second, I catch myself thinking that being late isn't that bad because some part of me still wants to follow the guy with the evil grin.

*

A couple of days later, and I'm trying to enjoy my lunch at the Med Science campus food hall. But it's too hot, too crowded, and noisy, the food is alright but nothing special. And to be honest, I hate it, all of it. JK and Nam have dragged me here promising great food and a meet-up with Ann and Rick. However, Ann and Rick are nowhere to be seen, JK is engrossed in conversation with girls at another table, and Nam is blatantly flirting with a guy in a white coat while waiting in line for our drinks. I would much prefer to drive to our usual café – quiet, peaceful, with perfect AC and amazing desserts. I contemplate ditching my friends and heading to the library when a scream pierces the heavy masses of other noises:

"Don't touch me!"

Something crashes to the floor with a resounding bang.

And the annoying clatter of the food hall lulls into a tense murmur as curious students turn their attention toward the food counter. And no, it can't be true. My heart skips a beat when I spot him at the center of it all – The Boy, my grinning boy. He's not smiling this time, though. He appears tense and somewhat annoyed. With the speed and grace of a wildcat, he navigates through the crowd and practically sprints out of the canteen. Moments later, the place resumes its normal volume, as if nothing had happened.

But I can't simply let it go - my curiosity simply won't leave me be and will drive me crazy. I ask some students if they saw the incident or recognized the boy, but they all shake their heads and shrug. In the food line, a bored-looking janitor mops up the mess of broken dishes and fried rice. At the counter, a woman with pink hair seems utterly unfazed by the commotion.