I start upright. Professor Mullins isn't exactly strict, but I love the guy far too much to insult him by missing a class.
I hurry to the room and take my usual seat. Back to the window, eyes on Mullins. I give him my usual respectful nod when he comes in, then open my notebook and start writing. Today's date, the time, the lesson plan, all the relevant information.
We're reviewing some of our old material, so my notes don't have to be as comprehensive as usual. Maybe that's why my mind started to wander.
She really was attractive, that girl. Sure, she was made of newspaper, but that didn't hamper her looks in any regard. And a damn fine body, really. I did get the chance to see all of it. And that kiss, my God. I felt so...connected to her. Like something passed from me to her.
I have to see her again.
It was right before the seminar break that I realized that I had stopped taking notes and was drawing in the corner of the page. I doodle sometimes, of course, to keep my hands occupied, but I rarely attempt to sketch a girl I've only ever seen once. Thank God I have the window behind me. It would have been embarrassing if anyone else saw this.
Though, looking at it, I guess I'm not half-bad at drawing. Maybe I should work on that. Might be a fun thing to do in my spare time.
Seminar ends at five, as usual. Fortunately, I have good notes on every topic we reviewed today, so the fact that I was distracted for more or less the entire class period is wholly unimportant. I consider hitting the library and doing some more research on my dissertation. In the end, I decide against it. I have plenty of time, and I'm really not at all focused enough for that tonight.
Saying good night to Professor Mullins and my fellow students, I start walking back home. The usual evening crowd is out, though I find myself scanning the faces as I pass by. Looking for her.
Of course, I fail. I get home at roughly 5:30 and unpack my bags. Remembering the newspaper, I stop. Could she be related? I find it and read over it again. Nothing has changed. Just as simple as before. But no longer boring. It could be the link to her.
Eventually, I tear myself away from the paper in order to make dinner. Stouffer's, as usual. Everything is a routine. I like that. But I also like her, and she's a complete disruption of my routine. Strange.
After eating. I go over my research for a bit. I really need to tie myself down to a topic. I've been pretty bad about that--Professor Mullins asked me at one point if I planned to write a paper on the Victorian era that would take just as long to read as it did to live. I'll find my topic, though. I know I will.
I wrap up my work for the night and spend half an hour attempting sketches. I'm not great, by any means, but I think I might be able to develop some skill here. Certainly a relaxing way to spend my free time.
At 2:00am, I fall asleep, hugging the Newspaper of Horror to my chest.