She was beautiful when she smiled. Daniel couldn’t get her out of his mind the entire night. From homework to television and even his idiot friends calling him and begging him to hangout–nothing could remove the image of her sitting there smiling at him from his head. He sat in his dorm room that next morning, feet propped up on the desk as he stared motionlessly at the ceiling, listening to the whine of the table fan as it oscillated and blew dust around the room. In just an hour or so he would have to start classes for the day. Would he finally be able to pay attention, then? She was intoxicating, that Professor, and the more he thought about her the more she took root deep inside of him. Some would argue that he was obsessed, but he didn’t care. Obsession bred art, and that woman was nothing short of a masterpiece. She was an enigma, the most intriguing woman he’d ever laid eyes on, and he would do just about anything to have her for his own. Was it…Love? Could seeing a woman every day and craving nothing but her attention mean he was in love? Did things like that happen so quickly? If not, then what was it? Why was he so focused, so intent on Claire Lanh? He couldn’t help but wonder if his inability to infiltrate her mind had something to do with his behavior, something more than just his borderline madness over a pretty Professor who made him laugh. Who didn’t place him on a pedestal–who made him feel just like everyone else. It made him wonder if…she was special, too. It was a possibility, right? Surely he couldn’t be the only one. The thought of it made him smile. What if…he wondered, after all this time, the one woman who made him feel like he could breathe was just like him?

    “Incoming voice call,” his phone sang, vibrating off a stack of textbooks and hitting the floor. He didn’t even bother to reach for it, just kept his eyes trained on the blankness of the ceiling. When he was a little boy he sometimes dreamed of a world where everyone was just like him. Where everyone was special but no one was different; no-one was left out. Where no-one called each other names, and when he looked in the mirror he didn’t see…a monster. His eyes flicked from the ceiling to his desk and back, his books, pencils and even laptop vibrating softly against the cherrywood as a near inaudible hum filled the air. Daniel watched his belongings float across his field of vision, calculators and erasers spinning and dancing, almost as if they were gently carried through the air by fingers he couldn’t see. “One new voicemail.” And everything stopped, dropping out of midair without warning. He let his feet hit the floor as everything clattered to the ground, slumping in his seat and rubbing at his temples to abate the skull-splitting migraine that formed. 

    “I’ve really got to stop doing that,” he grunted, reaching for his phone and checking the display. One missed call. From his father. He scoffed, shoving the device in his back pocket as he hopped up and grabbed his bag. “Figures.” Every time he found something that made him the slightest bit happy, the phone calls started. He didn’t know why he tried anymore. It was almost as if he was destined to spend his life in misery.

    “Pythagoras declared that eating meat clouded judgement and a persons ability to reason. While he did not condemn its consumption or totally abstain himself, he declared that…” she trailed off as a single hand flew into the air. Of course it was Lauren Webb. One of her more enthusiastic students, was a first year and desperate to prove herself, by any means necessary. “Yes, Lauren?”

    “He declared that judges should refrain from eating meat before a trial, so that they could deliver fair and astute judgements on innocent or guilty parties,” she recited brightly, despite the smattering of bored looks on the faces of her classmates. Claire couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. 

    “Yes, that is correct. Now, I’m not one for vegetarianism, heaven knows I enjoy the occasional burger just like any other God fearing American, but it does beg the thought that we should all pay attention to what we consume before we undergo important tasks,” she said, stepping behind her desk to erase her lesson for the day. Any minute now her students would be scurrying from the room, anxious to head into town for the weekend. “For example, stop drinking tons of caffeine before you come to my class. I have no sympathy for anyone who crashes from drinking too much Redbull. For that matter, lay off the vodka before test time and you may just pass my class.” She turned to smile at them and, right on cue, a cellphone buzzed loudly and the stampede began. “I’ll see you all next week. At least try to think about what I’ve said,” she called as they fled the room like the building was on fire. Much to her surprise, Amanda lagged behind. She was a perky girl, petite and pretty with strawberry blonde hair and bright eyes. She had that slender but well toned body Claire had always worked for and, at one point in time, starved herself for, but never achieved. And now, at twenty-eight, she’d all but given up on ever having it. “Yes, Ms. Webb?”

    “Your lecture on Pythagoras is honestly the highlight of my week, Professor Lanh. That’s why,” she paused, whipping a neatly filled folder from behind her back, “I finished my report on him early.”

    “Is that so?” she asked, taking the folder and flipping it open. Right there in freshly printed, twelve point, Times New Roman font was a ten page paper on the teachings of the Greek Philosopher and Mathematician himself. “Well, thank you, Amanda. I’ll take a look at this right away,” she said. The girl smiled back at her. 

    “Right. See you next week, Professor,” she chirped before turning and heading for the door, only to stop in her tracks. Claire looked up to see what was keeping her, only to find Daniel leaning against the doorframe, his face unreadable. She looked starstruck, like a deer caught in headlights and, she couldn’t really blame her. As tall and statuesque as ever, he was certainly an imposing sight to see. “See you…Professor,” she said again before hurrying past him. Leaving them alone. Daniel stepped into the room and closed the door behind himself. He didn’t seem like his normal annoying, optimistic self and it immediately made her worry. They stood together in silence until he finally collapsed into a chair on the front row.

    “Daniel?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. He looked up at her then, feigning a smile.

    “At least someone likes your class. I don’t think I could have turned in a paper an entire week early, not even for someone as pretty as you,” he said and she