The classroom was packed and stuffy. But it was not just the heat and air that was stifling. This sexuality module was said to be the toughest module at level 3000, and student after student introduced themselves as 3rd year Sociology majors, making them a year ahead of Justin in sociological knowledge. That plus the fact that he was one of only 6 boys in class made the air rather choking.
The tutor called out the next name from the list.
"Ah, one of the few boys we have. Who is Justin?"
Justin raised his hand and introduced himself. Unlike the rest, he did not say his year of study in his introduction. And unlike most of the rest who were taking this module because they had no other choice, Justin was here to because he really wanted to be. He wanted to do a minor in Gender studies. The tutor looked pleased. At least slightly, for she did not show much expression the whole class.
The moment he finished his introduction, 2 other girls entered the classroom carrying heavy chairs with attached tables and set them down at the only empty space left in the classroom- next to Justin's seat. For the first time since the lesson began, Justin's attention was diverted away from the lesson. And it wasn't because of the disruption.
The girl now sitting next to him had smooth complexion and big eyes. Something about her seemed to capture Justin's attention and he spent more time during the lesson that followed looking at her rather than anyone else. It was a certain familiar kind of beauty.
The tutor called a name that caught Justin's attention. It was a rare name that he had not come across in years. Both the surname and the Chinese name were rare ones. Interesting, Justin thought. And the girl next to him raised her hand and acknowledged in a husky voice, having lost her voice.
So class began, and to his obvious delight they were split into smaller groups to discuss the questions each person had prepared. Justin took a look at the questions the girl had wrote and analysed her handwriting like a cryptologist. And as he lead the group discussion, he commented on how good the questions this girl raised were.
The class dynamics were not good though- for the more people there are in a class, the less everyone contributes. In a room as packed as this one, hardly anyone wanted to speak up. And though Justin kept trying to contribute and keep the pace of the lesson going, he soon gave up, realising that others were not following his lead.
Justin spent the next half of the lesson quietly. He stole glances at the girl next to him, but tried to make it less obvious by looking in other directions as well. After a while, he grew restless and Tweeted about the girl via his handphone. When he saw that she was also using her handphone for Twitter, Justin turned on his application called Layar to see if what she posted could be tracked in the public domain via GPS. And then Justin panicked. If she was also using the application Layar, she would be able to see what he had just posted about her.
She didn't seem to show any signs of awareness as she looked at her phone, so Justin tried to calm himself down. And it soon became clear that Justin was leaning more and more in her direction as class went on, because he had to pull away every time she coughed- which was quite often. So back and forth Justin swung like a pendulum and time passed by quickly.
Lesson soon came to a close, and Justin offered to help the girl carry her heavy chair back to the next
block if she would roll his chair over for him (his was the only one with rollers). She thanked him and they walked to the next block together. He asked her if she was a 3rd year Sociology major and she said yes. He asked if she was using her phone for Twitter or Layar and she said the former, to which he was relieved. And soon they had returned both the chairs.
"You have another class now?" Justin asked, seeing her start down the staircase.
"No, but I have something else on now." She replied.
Justin said goodbye and she continued down the stairs, leaving him standing alone at the top of the flight. Then Justin suddenly called her name aloud and she turned back.
"You don't remember me do you?"
She looked puzzled for a moment, then a little apologetic, and Justin continued.
"You were a prefect in Tao Nan Primary School right?"
Her expression changed to that of confusion and surprise.
"I was your partner."
-:-
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