Unspoken Love

The Rain

Sylvia swiftly formed a group with the student to her right and, being astute, noticed the situation. She brought it to Sir Steven's attention, saying, 'Sir, I believe Eva is left without a partner. We have eight groups formed already.' With that, she passed the paper to Eva.

Eva studied the paper, confirming that eight pairs had been established, leaving her as the solitary student. A subtle, almost imperceptible smile graced her lips. She looked over at Sir Steven, who met her gaze, their eyes locking for a fleeting moment. In that brief connection, an unspoken understanding seemed to pass between them.

Eva posed her question with a soft, thoughtful tone, 'Sir, should I add my name at the end of the list?'

Sir Steven, in an equally gentle voice, responded, 'Yes, just write your name at the end of the list.' 

With a brief glance exchanged, Sir Steven averted his gaze from Eva and refocused on the class. He provided further instructions, keeping the momentum going, 'Before the break, I'd like each group to write down the titles of the texts you've chosen. Decide among yourselves which text will be the subject of your presentation and which will be the focus of your assignment. Remember that the presentation should be a collaborative effort, involving both group members not one. You may begin working on this now and submit your choices on paper before the break. We'll delve into the remaining details in the second half of the lecture.'

Turning his attention towards Eva, Sir Steven raised his voice slightly to address her directly, sounding professional rather than gentle. 'Eva, have you decided on a text?' he inquired, his eyes focused on her.

Eva nodded, responding with a touch of uncertainty, 'Yes, Sir. I'm thinking of selecting 'Middlemarch.'' She slid the paper, on which she had penned her name, across the desk in front of Sir Steven. 'But I'm not sure if anyone else has chosen it.'

Sir Steven observed her carefully and noted to himself, 'She is even shyer than I had initially thought.'

He paused before providing instructions, 'Your task, Eva, is to inquire among all the groups during the break and confirm whether anyone else has selected 'Middlemarch' as well.' With a reassuring smile, he took the paper from her to examine it closely. Sir Steven's desire to help Eva overcome her shyness and become more self-assured was a growing and earnest one. He aimed to guide her toward breaking out of her protective shell and facing the world with confidence.

The break started after fifteen minutes and Eva started to worry about how to approach everyone and ask about their texts. She knew what Peter and Nora were working on. As Sir Steven left for the teacher's common room, Eva decided to start with Sylvia as she was sitting next to her. 

'Sylvia, do you know if anyone is working on 'Middlemarch'?' Eva asked.

'I don't think anyone has mentioned anything about it but we are not working on this novel.' Sylvia replied. Talking to her, Eva always felt as if Sylvia was looking down on her.

Thanking Sylvia, Eva stood from her seat and went to Peter and Nora. 

'Nora, I needed a favor from you.' Eva said.

Nora replied enthusiastically, 'Yeah sure what is it, Eva?'

'Can you ask the class for me if anyone is working on 'Middlemarch' and 'The Secret History' please?' Eva said politely. 

Nora looked at Eva for a second, guessing the dilemma, and said, 'Yeah, no problem. wait here.' 

She went towards the teacher's chair and said loudly while knocking at the table, 'Hey is any one of the group working on 'Middlemarch' or 'The Secret History'?'