Christina Koch ₈

You and Christina were known on the university campus. You studied different subjects, but since you were an extrovert, you had friends, and well, friends of friends, and from those acquaintances of friends of friends… Christina came along. She was everything that was right; she was intelligent, she was funny, she spoke elegantly and sophisticatedly, as if someone were recording her at all times. Perhaps you were attracted to her intelligence since you had never met anyone like her, and your friends noticed it.

You thought it was just a crush, a simple platonic love, but from the day you two met up, you couldn't stop dreaming about her. It was strange, it was like she ignited something inside you, like she'd pressed the right button to completely throw you off balance.

Today you were in the cafeteria; you had two hours left since you had class with your classmates from another subject. You mostly hung out with Christina's group, but for some strange—though obvious to you—reason, you felt a little shy. They talked and talked, and you pretended to be busy with your phone. Christina appeared with a cream-filled bagel. You didn't think much of it, but you felt you should speak up. It wasn't something you usually did, and you didn't want them to suspect anything.

You grabbed the water bottle, initially wanting to quench your throat, when your gaze fell upon Christina. There she was, devouring that bagel. Her jawline traced every movement of her lips, and those lips, slick with cream, set your heart and mind racing. A blush crept across your cheeks, and the water seemed to want to go down the wrong way. You began to cough. Your friends chuckled at your seemingly innocent reaction. Christina, meanwhile, watched you with concern, placing her hand on your back, gently moving it up and down.

— Are you okay, Linda?

I ask with my usual tenderness, how are you supposed to remain neutral in the face of such an act?