The rumors surrounding Kris slowly died down as he spoke less, and interest waned. I still observed him from my seat. For some reason, I’ve taken to sitting next to him in the seminar. Everyone was chattering about the senior dance, the last fall party of college life, and a girl walked up to where we were sitting.

            Kris didn’t look up and I followed suit. I had an inkling of her motions as I kept an eye on her shadow. The girl planted her palms on the table with a muffled thud. I glanced at Kris but he was still writing determinedly in his notebook. The teacher wasn’t even lecturing; I wondered what he was writing.

            “Hey, Kris?” her voice was syrupy sweet. The last syllable went up slightly. There was a pause in his wrist as he stopped writing. My neighbor looked up. His mouth was set in a slight frown. “I was wondering if you had a date for the senior fall bash?”

            He stared at her, with disgust maybe? He didn’t answer. Then Kris sighed, picked up his pen and continued to write. “I don’t go to school affairs.”

            “Oh,” and although she sounded deflated, I knew she was wondering why someone like him would be so cut off.

            I was tempted to ask him why, but then again, I wasn’t planning on going anyway so I might as well not. So I kept to myself until I heard him speak. I ignored it at first. Maybe he was talking to himself. “Do you never answer people when they’re talking to you?” Oh, now he was irritated. I looked up to find him staring right at me.

            My mouth fell open. “You were talking to me?”

            For a second, his mouth twitched in amusement. “Who else would I be talking to? You’re the only one here.”

            “Oh. Sorry, I missed your question.”

           Now he seemed to smile. His lips curled and I was taken aback. Kris could be very attractive when he smiled. “I asked if you were going to the dance.”

            I glanced down at my paper. I had been doodling again. I drew an eye, Kris’ eye now that I looked at it, and had started on his nose. I quickly covered my paper with my arm. “I don’t go to school affairs,” I quoted him.

            His eyebrows furrowed and for a heartbeat, I was scared I had offended him. Then he laughed. The sound was shocking. It echoed across the symposium and everyone turned to ogle at us. How in the world had I made Kris laugh? His eyes lit up and he coughed slightly. “Well, you certainly paid attention when I was talking to that girl. Why not?”

            By this time, I grew bolder. If I could make him laugh, then surely I could give him cheek? “Why do you not go to school affairs?”

            His face became guarded again. “It’s just not my thing.”

            “Not mine either,” I replied airily as I turned back to my paper. I concentrated on his nose and Kris leaned over. Once more I rushed to cover it.

            “Who is that?”

            “Nobody,” I answered quickly.

            He moved my arm. My bodily functions have abandoned me. I had no control over my own limbs. “It’s me,” he said simply. There was nothing egotistical about it. No arrogance, no assumption, no crowing. He acknowledged the subject and didn’t comment.

            “Yeah, I guess. Unconsciously. It wasn’t like I was staring at your face or anything.”

            He ran a finger along the arch of his upper lid. “Amazing. You’ve gotten even the slight hint of an eyelid here. How do you do this? I don’t think you’ve ever looked at me face to face.”

            By now, I was embarrassed. How had I seen that little indentation? The professor has yet to come in and Kris turned fully towards me. I stared at his eyes, but avoided looking into them. That would burn. I glanced at my paper and trying to change the topic, reached for my eraser. “Oops, your nose is coming out a little hookish.”

            I feverishly tried to fix it but now my hands were shaking. Everything was botched and I sighed, tapping away the eraser shreds. The professor walked in and I started taking notes. I could feel his gaze burning through the flimsy silk fabric of my shirt. My curtain of hair didn’t help hide me. He was scrutinizing me and I felt stupid. How had I been caught? Now he must think I was some sort of a freak, observing him from afar.

            The teacher droned on. He had moved on to talk about China. Kris was apt with attention, answering and debating. Of course. He was Chinese. But his knowledge of history was astounding. He stumped the professor multiple times. Once more I could hear our classmates gossiping. Kris had talked to me. And now he was showing off knowledge no college student should know. Who was he?

            At the end of the lecture, I packed slowly. This time, unlike the weeks before, Kris did not rush off. Instead he waited. He stood by his end of the table and waited until I stood up. “What class do you have next?”

            “I have two hours before art.”

            He looked pleased. “That’s quite a coincidence. I’m done for the day. Do you want to go out and eat with me? Show me around?”

            I felt frozen to my place. People were still staring. I nodded. “I don’t see why not.”

            Kris stepped aside to allow me to walk before him. It was weird walking past him. He was so tall, my head barely brushed his chin, only hitting where his shoulders would be, maybe a bit lower. The buzzing increased but it didn’t seem to bother him. I held my head higher. Then it wouldn’t bother me either.

            I turned to him once we were out on the lawn. “I hope you can handle your spice.”