Rachel: When the two of us met, it was not love at first sight. Let me tell you. I did not even look his direction. We sat next to each other in our American History class for four weeks before I even paid attention to him. Doctor Renfroe’s class was always an adventure. The man knew his history lessons without any notes. He could give you six pages of notes in an hour if he wanted to. And his exam questions were killer. It was after the first test that he spoke to me.

            “How did you do?”

            I looked up at him. It took me a moment, because his eyes were so intense. “I did okay. I did well on the essays but not on the identifies.”

            “I did good on those but not the essays.” He looked at his paper again. “Would you like to get together before the next test and study?”

            “Sure.” I smiled at him and gathered up my materials. That was how it started.

           

Jack: I didn’t even tell her my name. What an idiot I was that day. I had been trying to think of some way to talk to her for the past four weeks. The test results just gave me a good excuse. Then I go and forget to tell her my name. I knew hers was Rachel. But I failed to get a last name. I think I beat myself up over that for the rest of the day.

            “So did you talk to her?” My roommate asked as I threw my stuff down on the desk. I guess he could tell that I was upset.

            “Yeah. I asked her to study for the next test.”

            “That’s it?” He looked up from his computer. I didn’t even have to look to know he was looking up porn.

            “Oh and I forgot to introduce myself.”

            “Smooth move, Gates. How have you ever managed to get laid?”

            “I know. I know.” I threw myself on the bed and started studying for my chemistry exam that afternoon. But my mind stayed on her. Rachel with the soft eyes that reminded me of doe eyes, that cute little upturned nose, and her perfect complexion.  I thought of her and my stupidity.

 

Rachel: The next class he approached me again. This time I got a really good look at him. He was cute. Tall, well built, and seemed to be all muscle with hair that could be a dark blond color after he had been in the sun, and those intense brown eyes, he was cute.

            “Hi.”

            “Hi.” I smiled and looked at him over my glasses. I put down the Dean Koontz book I was reading.

            “How are you doing?”

            “I’m fine. You?”

            “Good.” He waited a moment, “I forgot to tell you my name. I am Jack Gates.”

            “I’m Rachel Garrin.”

            “Nice to meet you, Rachel.” We shook hands.

            “You too, Jack.” I took my book and started reading again.

            “Is that a good book?”

            “Yes.” I was trying to finish it. There were only ten pages left.

            “Is he anything like Stephen King?”

            “He is not as intense, but he is very creative.” I said without looking up. He was starting to annoy me.

“So he is sci-fi?”

            “In some of his books. In others he is not.” I still had not looked up at him.

            “Would you like me to be quiet?”

            “I am almost finished. It will drive me crazy during class if I don’t finish it before he starts lecturing.” I appreciated his at least asking.

            “Okay, sorry.”

 

Jack: Rachel and her books. It is amazing that she can get so into a book that I can not even pry her away from it. Well that is not true. The offer of sex can pull her away from just about anything. But that is yet to come. At this point, if she is reading a book for fun and she does not put it away, you let her be until she was done reading it.

            After class, I decided to try again. “Was it any good?”

            “The lecture?” She looked at me with disbelief and took off her glasses.

            “The book. Shadow Fires?”

            “Yes. It was very good.” She replied back. “Would you like to borrow it?”

            “Sure.” She handed it to me as we rose from our desks. We walked out of the class and headed down the main stairway. “Do you have another class?”

            “Not until after lunch.”

            “Would you like to grab an early lunch?”

            She smiled, not as radiant of one as before. “I would like to but, I agreed to meet my friend at 12. I was heading to the library to look over my psych notes.”

            “Oh. Well than I guess I will see you around sometime.” I felt like a fool. She was not interested in me. I figured she would not even let me study with her for the next test.