By the Light of My Monitor Screen
or
Love Nineties Style: The Great Internet Romance
The first time I noticed Sarah, it was across our English class. She was looking off into the distance, twirling her blond hair on her finger.
I just sat there, mesmirized. First she twisted her hair clockwise. Then she unwound it and begn to twirl it counter-clockwise. Slowly, delicately, her finger ran through her hair, twriling her golden hair slightly.
I was lost. Gone. Nothing could save me.
"Mr. Sinclair," came a voice outside me reverie.
I didn't respond.
"Mr Sinclair," it came again, a little more insistent.
My dream world shattered. I looked around shocked.
Dr. Davenport was staring at me.
"Yes?" I hesitated.
"Well, would you like to answer the question?" he asked.
I looked lost.
"Mr. Sinclair," Dr. Davenport began, "is there something else in this classroom that fascinates you more than The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner?
Yes there was, but I couldn't tell him that.
"Er, no sir," I stuttered out. "I just didn't understand the question."
I thought it was a pretty good save. Dr. Davenport didn't. He just rolled his eyes and went on to someone else, muttering something about tenure under his breath.
The next two days passed slowly. I had to be in English class, if only to see Sarah. Nothing else mattered. That hair twirling on her long, delicate finger haunted me. I had to find out who she was.
I listened carefully to the roll call the next time.
"Mr. Devonshire," Dr.Davenport called.
A young man with red hair raised his hand.
"Miss Greenleaf," he called.
Sarah's hand shot up.
I smiled as I subtly wrote her name down in my notebook.
Not that I knew what I intended to do with it, mind you. It was just a name on a piece of paper. Hell, she didn't even know who I was!
I chastised myself for being a stupid fool. I vowed to myself from now on I would pay attention to the lecture and nothing more. I needed an "A" in this class and there was no way I was going to get it staring at some cute girl across the room.
Geez, is that all it took to attract me was someone who could twirl her hair? I was one sick puppy.
Well, that vow lasted until the next class meeting.
She twirled her hair again during our discussion of A Midsummer's Night Dream. I was entranced. My mind wandered, just watching her finger twirl first to the left, then to the right.
I caught myself staring. I forused my attention back up front. I was totally lost. They could have been discussing Mondy's episode of Melrose Place for all Iknew. I glanced at my book to try and catch up.
No use. I had no clue where we were.
I cursed myself. It had happened again.
I sighed. I had to get over this! Geez, you're becoming a psychopath here, I mentally chided.
That's when I felt something. My eyes darted around the room.
They settled on her. She was looking at me! Her eyes were focused directly on me!
I made the mistake of looking into them. Two emeralds stared back. I glanced at her, unblinking. She stared back. It was a contest to see who would blink first.
Her eyes darted away quickly and her attention returned up front. Some voice deep inside me said this had to be some kind of sign! There
wasn't anything else it could be.
My heart fluttered a bit more quickly.
I glanced back at my notes, or lack of them. I was becoming a giddy schoolgirl here. This was totally undignified.
I sighed.
She was probably looking at someone else. She was probably totally uninterested in me. Or worse yet, she had a boyfriend. Why
would a goddess like her be single, I asked myself.
Oh well, I probably thought. You don't have the courage to talk to her anyway. So, it's probably just as well she has a boyfirend.
That was that, I decided.
Or so I thought.
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Copyright 1994 by Michael T. Hickerson. All Rights Reserved.