Miles Away

Chapter 1

in·fat·u·a·tion

in?faCH??w?SH(?)n/

noun: infatuation; plural noun: infatuations

1. an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something.

September 27, 2013

Université de Paris

Philippe sat on his seat impatiently waiting for other students to finish writing their essays. As a very bright teenager, he has grown too competitive on just about anything. He wanted to be the best at everything. He often finds this very challenging but he always comes through. He developed the natural ability of making the universe go along with his plans. If that's even possible, but for him he it just is. Philippe is considered to be a young man at the age of 19. He left his family at Basel, Switzerland as an exchange student in France and is currently living with a random French family. He loved how everything was going according to his plans for his future. He never doubted himself. He easily dismissed any kind of distraction whether it was a stupid tv show, a hobby he knows he won't be keeping worthwhile, people who annoy him and make him lose his temper, girls who liked him or girls he fancied and lastly his belief on religion. His parents left the church and so did he. He doesn't condemn people who believe in God or any god in particular, but he finds religion as a form of slavery.

"Fait?" Professor Augustin Auclair stood up from his desk and threw a gum in his mouth. Students stopped writing and sighed in chorus for they weren't done with their essay but Professor Augustin never extends his time given for students to write. He believes that the point of an essay must not be existent on the last paragraphs for they often become way off from the first paragraphs, he wants a direct and brief answer from these children. No need for big vocabularies. Just write you understand and be certain of your answers when I ask a question. He always says. Philippe never had a problem answering Auclair however; he always had problems understanding what Auclair wanted him to understand.

"I want to see the hands of those people who wrote about their infatuations..." Auclair counted the hands of 23 students and nodded.

"Now, I want to see the hands of those people who wrote ON INFATUATION." Auclair need not to count for there will always be that one student, Philippe.

"I see. I first want to hear about someone's infatuation. Who would like to share?" Auclair sits back on his desk and tucked his sleeves up his elbow; a girl from the front row raises her hand when she sees that no one wanted to share about their infatuation in class.

"Go on darling." Auclair waved his hand open like a dancing wave casting a spell on his students to pay attention to the girl who was about to read what she has written. And as a fictional narrator of what's been happening at this moment, I say that this girl has written something so dreadful it will send me to sleep but I mustn't. She basically has written about her infatuation for Channing Tatum. Complete and utter non-sense, she even had to mention how she greets him good morning in her phone's lock screen. Of course other girls in the class found it very fascinating but I tell you, if I were a student in this class I would doze off.

"Très bien écrit Amelia, I have been through that stage when I was a teenager. I was very crazy about Julie Andrews yes, Maria from Sound of Music. I even wrote multiple letters but I never sent them." Auclair was the type of professor who tries to add a bit of his biography in class, the one who always tells his side of the story and students liked that from him, it is a proof that he pays attention to what his students were telling him by relating to them.

"I knew most of you would be writing about your infatuations when I wrote down that word on the board and witnessed the blushing of your faces." Auclair spoke and the class let out faint giggles.

"But I want to know what you think of INFATUATION." The class looked at their papers then turned their heads to Philippe. He has no choice for he was obviously the one who is next to read his essay so he hesitantly stood up. He did want to be the best and the one who makes sense but he was too sleep-deprived to even like the feeling of having to speak in front of the class.

"Do I still have to read my essay?" Philippe asks and Auclair raises a brow.

"I did want you to read your essay but it seems like you were thinking of doing something else?" Auclair replied crossing his arms.

"I'll just tell you the point of my essay." He says and Auclair nods in satisfaction.

"For me, and basically what Infatuation really means is that it is falling in love with or becoming extremely interested in someone or something for a short time. If you have an infatuation with a particular singer, you probably listen to her on repeat all day long, at least this week." Philippe recites without looking at his paper and Auclair raises his index finger for a question.

"Have you ever been infatuated my child?" Auclair asks and Philippe simpered.

"Of course Professor, I'm human. I often have my own infatuations." Philippe answers confidently.

"Then what is infatuation for you Philippe? Tell me something I have not read in a dictionary." Auclair stood up straight and shoved his hands in his pocket. Philippe looked at his essay to see if he has written something based on his experience but then he lets go of his paper and stared at the words written on the board.

"If something infatuates you, it may cause you to become foolish. We say you have an infatuation when you express a crazy, extreme love of something--a person, a style, a band, anything. Infatuations usually don't last. Like incredibly intense crushes or the stomach flu, infatuations come on strong and then get forgotten." Philippe answers without realizing that he hasn't really thought about what he said; it just came into his mind and clearly, Auclair was satisfied.

"Exactement. You may now sit down Philippe." Auclair grabs a chalk on his desk and started writing the word FORGET on the other side of the board.

"Infatuation makes us DELUSIONAL. It does make us feel so good about everything, about waking up, about the people we meet every day, about the song that's currently playing, about the food we're about to eat, everything! It is a very lovely feeling and it gets addicting. I believe that infatuation may lead into falling in love whether that's for a living or non living thing IF it is taken care of and given enough attention. But more often, because we believe that when we feel an extreme feeling towards something or someone- it is JUST AN INFATUATION-"

Auclair pauses and underlines the word 'FORGET' thrice.

"-we tend to FORGET." He finishes his sentence and Philippe tilts his head.

"But that is what INFATUATION means." Philippe spoke abruptly.

"'Tis not,my child. Infatuation is an intense feeling towards someone or something. It being forgotten is an effect of neglect. It, being fully developed into probably a more intense feeling like falling in love is an effect of acceptance and care." Auclair explains then wipes off the dust from his hand with a handkerchief.

"But I'm not encouraging you to develop intense feelings for a celebrity because as you must know, most of these celebrities are dumb and think they can only date fellow famous people. If you're planning to be a famous celebrity someday then go on. But that's not a healthy life goal." And the class bursts into yes' and giggling. While there goes Philippe, sighing and leaning his back on his chair as Auclair winks and points at him.