So I went back to class this past Wednesday. It was a cold day. I had to breathlessly walk uphill to the B--------- Building, then up four flights of stairs to my class room. I squeezed between the long tables into an empty seat next to a shy looking boy with blue-gray eyes. I knew as soon as I looked at him that if there was to be any conversation between my new seat-mate and I, I would have to initiate it. So I did: "Boy, wasn't that walk up four flights a killer?" A small smile escaped from him followed by a few words of agreement. I judge him probably a math or accounting major, maybe engineering. Eye contact. "What's your name, by the way?" "Uh, Luke... what's yours?" He'll came out of himself soon enough with a determined extrovert sitting next to him. I almost never go through a class period without whispering comments about what's going on or what the teacher said to whichever poor soul is fated to be seated beside me.

I scour the room. Hmm. One, two, three, four... seven boys. The rest are girls, eighteen in all if I include myself, and a few of them very potentially competition for any interests that I might develope among the scant male population in the classroom.

The professor is an older woman, seasoned, relaxed, but doesn't put up with a lot of crap. I already really like her after only the first fifteen minutes. Syllabus is handed out. Looks like Friday I have to give a five minute speech about.... myself? Is she joking? No, she's not. Cool. That shouldn't be hard at all. Definitly no need to rehearse for that one, as I could talk about myself impromptu any day. Looks like it shouldn't be too hard a class, but very interesting. My shoulders relax a little, and a silent "Thank you God for an easy A for my GPA" escapes my lips. Now let's get back to looking at those boys.