Crush Quest

Chapter 3

We stepped out of the main campus into the bright sunlight and the boiling weather of early September, heading towards the gym building where Aaron is to be found. Not everyone seems to be bothered by the hot steam, especially smokers, sitting on the wooden benches near the entryway of the cafeteria.
As we set foot into the hall, Esther perceives someone heading towards where we stood, which I hardly noticed thanks to my astigmatism. It was Aaron. I could see him through the glassed door separating the sections of the building, as he approached closely. The length of his damp hair falls smoothly on his sharply padded shoulders, emphasizing his long neck. He just finished his morning exercice.

" Finally! There you are!" Yells Esther.

" I miss you both so much!" Avows Aaron with his arms wide open ready to hug us both tightly.

'' I have called you all morning. Haven't you checked your phone?" I asked agitated.

" I kept it charging in my dorm room. Sorry." He answered with a sarcastic tone.

" What is it with both of you and chargers!" I added as I pointed at the exit door "i'm starving. Let's go get something to eat before classes begin."

We head towards the cafeteria, which was still full. I lost my appetite immediately, once again. We decided to go to class instead, which starts in less than five minutes.
I am not going to lie, I miss the entire class ritual. That's what makes me an academic and triggers my desire to pursue an academic career in the long run. Do I want to become a professor? Not sure about it, but obtaining a Phd is a sure option. I have always been fascinated by the teaching methods of some of my professors, especially the chef of my department. Academically, he is my idol, and definitely plays a part in me wanting to become a doctor of economics like him.
My class accounts nineteen students in total, given the third year. With a simple calculation, the decrease In the number of students towards the years of my promotion has been exponential. I remember the class counting a full sixty four students in the first year. University's got talent nominations are not playing games I'd suppose.
Jokes aside, I have the best class ever. Each and everyone of them is a genuine bout de coeur; vivacious, brilliant, sagacious and helpful people. Especially Theodore, the unconventional nerd, such a lovely person.
I take the front seat with Esther on my left side and Aaron right behind me. Econometrics is a subject I have been wishing to discover for the past two years. Every past senior student complains about its difficulty. And what speaks challenge more than difficult? I am all in.
I set my concentration to the maximum. No distraction allowed: phone is placed in my bag with the sound off, ignoring the annoying Aaron for the next three hours, water bottle on desk with a straw inside which facilitates the drinking process while writing down notes. Most importantly, no bathroom breaks. I am determined to not miss a single word told by the professor. And so I did for the first hour and a half before my mid-day break at 10:30 AM.

" Let's go before it gets crowded near the bar." Said Esther.

" Just few more modifications." I replied.

Esther and I walk to the nearest bathroom and perform my second favorite ritual: touch ups. We both take out our makeup pouches and perfumes, applied some gloss and blush before heading to the cafeteria.
Esther gets her classic combo as described by Aaron; Coffee with milk accompanied with a warmed up chocolat croissant à la française. As for me, I order a chicken mayo sandwich, my stress buddy throughout my entire college breakdowns. The ingredients were basic, yet the emotional impact was huge.

How to make a successful Chicken Mayo Sandwich:
1) Two slices of brown bread toast.
2) Tomato slices.
3) Two slices of American cheese.
4) Chicken mayo mix (obviously).
5) Shredded lettuce.
6) One thousand island sauce
7) All of the above hot-pressed for five minutes.
Bonne appétit!

We both settle on the bar chairs, browsing the area with our eyes, looking for Aaron, while devouring our delicious heart-mending treats. There were less people during this time. I assumed because of timetable differences, which means different breaks for every major. Peace reigned over the place. It was silent with a soft piano instrumental playing through the speakers. The silence ends rather abruptly as a wave of freshmen arrives on spot.
Is it my astigmatism or does that person approaching looks like the guy I have seen earlier? It is in moments like this one where I begin to question few life decisions I make such as not wearing glasses outside study rooms despite Esther insisting on it. My vision turns clear and the answer is affirmative: it's him!
Esther pays attention to my attempt at grasping sight of something.

" What is it?"

"This guy is extremely good looking." I admit to Esther. "When I give you sign, turn back and look at the one wearing a white t-shirt."

Instructions and Esther never go together. She turns right away in impatience and sees him. It would not be an obvious gesture to only an astigmatic like I am. I am positive he noticed her, and me, and all the mess.

"Oh Esther, I forgot on how telling you things as they lively happen is always a bad idea."

"Don't worry, he was staring at his phone anyways." She replied, " but girl he's the bomb."

I wasn't sure if I acted as if not caring was really an act or a reality of my state. Perhaps I did not care after all. But what's with the sudden attraction? I barely find a person attractive even after long hours of discussions about all sorts of common hobbies. The physical is the least I could think about when doing a selection. I became sure of the fact that this is all beyond physical. There is some energy emitted fro this person that made me turn heads, which I got to figure out.
I look back at where he stood, following Esther's instructions as he moved to a different place. There he is, sipping his coffee and staring down at his phone when suddenly he looks up; that marks our first eye contact, which lasted long minutes.
Jubilation was obvious through my facial expression, but masked it all once I got back to my conscious state. Him, holding his cup of coffee, and myself with a chicken sandwich, probably with a mouthful dripping from the edges. The connection was strong, it felt real. Actually, it was real.