The Day I Met the Boy Who Never Noticed

It was August 10th, 2009 and I had just walked into my very first college class. Sociology 1550. I had a flower in my hair and cupped my leather Coach laptop case close to my body as I shuffled to an open seat. I was far enough back so that the teacher wouldn't feel inclined to call on me, but close enough to the front that I could actually see the board. I set myself up, and began to anxiously type the bombardment of notes that my professor was hurling at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could feel the idleness of the boy next to me, who simply sat unmoved by our professor. I turned my head only slightly to check if I was right. His arms were poised across his chest and I saw the curves of his strong muscles as well as the intensity in his face. He wasn't writing anything down but he was taking in everything that was being said.

"Can I help you?" he asked me, eyes locked on the board. 

"Oh, no," I stammered, looking away. I felt a little flushed. 

"You don't really have to take notes like that, he's just going to put them up online later," the boy said.

I looked around. I seemed to be the only one in a fever of typing out my notes. College clearly hadn't let me into its club yet. 

"Thanks," I said. "At that rate, my fingers would have gone dead."

He chuckled a little, never turning his head for a second. "Anytime."

There was silence now. No more incessant keyboard tapping. Only the teacher's babbling.

"I'm Jay," he stated. 

"Mila," I replied, recalling that I'd never had a conversation before that involved zero eye contact. 

"You're new, I take it?"

"What gave me away?" I laughed at myself. He'd sat up a little at this point. I just wanted to see his eyes.

"It gets easier. After this week, you'll be a natural."

"You're just full of advice for me. Lucky I sat next to you."

"There's no such thing as luck," he replied bluntly.

I didn't say anything. I wasn't really sure what I could say. The class ended and I set my laptop into its case.

"Until next class," the boy offered, and I glanced up to see only the back of him walking away.