An Unlikely Connection: Part 3

Chapter 4: Devils Advocate

"Alrighty class. Time for a group activity," my professor said. He pointed at random people on the right side of the class to get into a group. "You two," he said to Misty and Shannon. "Turn around to them." Misty looked at Shannon before glancing over her shoulder to see Yosefin. They slowly turned towards each other to face us.

"Hello again," Misty said, giving Yosefin and me an awkward wave. Shannon waved once and smiled. "It's been a while since we spoke."

"We did?" Yosefin said.

"Well... we didn't speak. I asked if I could smell his cologne."

"Oh... You still wanna smell him?" Misty looked scared. She nervously laughed and shook her head, no. "I'm just playing." She leaned her face into my arm with the top of her nose pressing into it. "She wants a whiff," she said so quietly that I almost couldn't hear it.

The professor instructed us to create a 3D model of one of the people in our groups. I chose Shannon as our model. She wanted to pick Yosefin. Misty agreed and gave us reasons why. She said Yosefin was the only person in our group who had tattoos, short hair, and a nose ring.

"Why not pick him," Yosefin said, pointing her thumb at me. "He's generic," she said with a snicker. "He'll be easy to create."

"Yeah?" I said.

"Yeah!"

"But, I'm not that good-looking compared to you." She partly put her fingers over her mouth to cover her smile. I moved them away so I could see it. It ran away and hid in her mouth.

"I'm not all that," she said, looking down between us.

"Are you insane?" Shannon said. "You are beautiful."

"I second that," Misty said with a raised hand. "I'll say this if he hasn't said it. You're smoking hot!"

Yosefin didn't have what I felt was a positive reaction. I thought she would smile or say something to acknowledge their compliments. She shrugged them off as if their words didn't mean a thing. I didn't see a genuine smile for the rest of the time we spent making a quick 3D render of her. During the second class day of the week, I saw the same thing plus an uncomfortable amount of silence. Shannon and Misty were actively speaking, whether it was to us or mumbling their thoughts as they worked. By the end of the period, we made a rough model of Yosefin.

"Good job team," Misty said. "We did pretty good making her."

"I hope we get a good grade on it," Shannon said. "What do you think we'll get, Joshua?"

"An A," I said and leaned in my chair. I looked at Yosefin when my knee accidentally touched her when I spread my legs apart. She was nibbling on her index fingernail without putting her teeth on it. "Hey," I said and touched her shoulder.

"Hmm?" Yosefin said somewhat flinching.

"Your mind seems occupied." She shrugged and took her finger out of her mouth.

"Busy day," she said after sighing quickly. "I'm ready to go home now."

"Tired?" Misty said. Yosefin nodded but looked at me before she did it. I took it as a sign of an underlying hidden message. When everyone started to leave, she kept me seated with her hand on my lap. After the last student walked out, she said, "I need to rant. Can you come over after work?"

"I can," I said.

I worked my shift, had my usual snack with Yosefin, and drove to her house. We went straight to her room.

"I got a serious question," Yosefin said. She stripped naked without warning or any foreplay and lay on the bed with her hands interlaced over her crotch. "Don't get naked," she said the second I went for the buckle of my belt.