Her Vision

Chapter 3

I opened my eyes to sunlight as bright as the lights that followed most people, then yawned and stretched, feeling stiff from falling asleep in the clothes from the day before. I grabbed my phone to check the time thinking I woke up before my alarm went off. 

"Dammit! I'm going to be late for my psychology class!" I jumped out of bed and snatched a black t-shirt from my wooden beat-up dresser. I ran into my small bathroom that was just enough to fit a toilet and shower. The faucet ran as I swiftly cleaned the leftover makeup stains off of my eyes, brushed my teeth, changed my shirt, and ran out the front door to my car. 

Thankfully, Fletcher Community college was only 15 minutes away from my downtown apartment. I parked my gray Chevy Impala in the huge parking lot next to the college, then ran to class. The unfortunate part about being late was having to walk about two miles to get to class since Fletcher was bigger than your usual community college. 

The school contained 6 halls separated into four buildings with a large courtyard and a fancy water fountain located at the front of the school. I was out of breath by the time I stepped foot into the brown brick building labeled Science Hall. 

My face dripped with sweat, which didn't help my 'woke up late, two-day-old jeans' look. I wiped my forehead on the back of my arm and tried to pull together my fast-paced breathing before I walked into the class. 

Once I pulled myself together, I entered the glass door and walked into a room with about 50 chairs placed along long tables. I sat in my regular spot upfront while everyone else chose the back seats of the class. Most people thought I was the teacher's pet, or too smart to socialize with the students in the back of the class; but in reality, I could not focus with all the lights and shadows reflecting off each person. Sometimes I would wear sunglasses inside populated buildings to try to lessen the intensity, but wearing them caused too many unwanted stares and attention. I pulled out my notebook and pen right as the professor walked in. He dressed like your typical college professor, thick glasses, salt and pepper hair with a beard to match, and a button-down shirt. Thankfully, he made my days a little better by being one of the most laid back professors I had. 

"We will take off where we left off last week about the brain and the way it develops," he announced with a professional Cajun accent. He rustled inside his desk drawer to find the remote for the slide show. He clicked on the projector and the projector's glow blended in with his ghost white light that followed him. 

While reading and discussing the first bullet on the powerpoint, I jumped as the classroom door slammed, making me lose concentration. The most handsome boy I've ever laid my eyes on stood in front of the door. His wavy, blonde hair sat perfectly over his blue eyes, his jawline cut to perfection like Michelangelo would have sculpted it himself. I could not stop staring, the radiance of his light reeled me in. I have seen hundreds, probably thousands of people in my lifetime, and no one has had a light like his. His light shone differently, instead of following him like a shadow, it radiated off his pale skin. I have never seen a light so bright. 

"My name is Gabriel. I am a transfer student," He spoke with a deep rustic voice. My stomach flipped at the sound of his voice. 

"That's wonderful, but this is not high school Mr. Gabriel. Please take a seat, and we will discuss this after my lesson. Try to be here on time next time, hm?" The professor scowled, very annoyed with the sudden interruption. 

Gabriel nodded and took a seat right next to me. I felt myself go weak. There was no way I could concentrate with him sitting right next to me and his light shining in my eyes. I bit my lip trying to hide my shaky hand and silently prayed he wouldn't sense how nervous I felt around him. 

My mind wandered all through the class. Where did Gabriel come from? Why did he pick the chair next to me? Why is his light so blinding? Why is his light radiating off his skin and not following him? Would it be weird if I tried to touch the light? Did he smile at me or was that just my imagination? I couldn't help but watch his every move, he was so stunning. 

He fumbled his inkpen back and forth from each hand but somehow, despite his struggle, he wrote in this perfect fancy script. He scribbled down; what appeared to be notes, off the slide, but didn't seem to be paying attention to the lecture, so I wasn't sure how he comprehended all the notes. I wanted to ask him if he needed help keeping up, but I didn't want to give off the wrong impression. I had no interest in getting close to anyone especially in fear of them finding out about my visions. 

"Class dismissed," the professor declared, shutting off the PowerPoint. 

I looked down at the blank page in my notebook which did not have a single word from the PowerPoint. I glanced at Gabriel's notebook and noticed he had pages full of flawless cursive writing. When he saw me glancing at his notebook, he shut it quickly and put the notebook in a brown, leather beat up knapsack. 

‘Maybe I'll ask him in the next class for his notes. There's no way he was trying to hide the notebook from me, it had to be a coincidence that he closed it so quickly,’ I thought as he set paperwork down on the professor's desk. I exited the room, secretly hoping he would exit with me.