Single post in Sleight of Heart -- [COMPLETED]

Moments later, I leave the room—locking up behind me—and head back to the lobby, hoping I haven’t forgotten anything important. When I reach the lobby, I notice that there are a few less people chatting about. Darryl still occupies some female’s presence. I happen to glance a smile on her face, so at least she appears amused. Turning my gaze aside, I see a few people on the patio outside enjoying smokes. Out of reflex, my nose scrunches. I’ve never liked the smell of those things, but I’m sure that has nothing to do with having been afflicted with asthma and bronchitis when I was little. I have to remember to avoid them as much as possible. I’m not sure if my body would react badly to second-hand smoke, but I have no desire to test it. “Karl!” My head whips toward the entrance. Ms. Marilyn stands there with a wide smile on her face and the unfolded campus map in her hands along with another sheet of paper I assume is her schedule and her cellphone. Not sure why, but this is the first time I actually notice her from head to toe. Braided blonde hair, low-cut top, matching jogging shorts make her ivory legs look long even though I know she’s shorter than me… Huh… She’s actually kinda cute. I force myself to refocus before blood started diverting from my brain. “You ready?” I ask, more for my benefit than hers, as I approach her and intently keep my gaze on her eyes. She nods, reaches into her shirt, and pulls out her school ID card. “I made sure I won’t forget it.” It takes a moment, but I realize that’s what I forgot! The ID cards double as swipe cards for the dorms as well as vending machines. They are the only way to get back inside if no one’s in the lobby. “I think I left mine in the room.” Ms. Marilyn quickly shakes her head. “That’s alright. I promise I won’t abandon you, sir.” She speaks in such in a playful way that her smile is infectious this time. Even though I smile back, I have problems understanding how some people can be so overly friendly to a complete stranger. Not once had I encountered someone like her throughout high school. In fact, high school pretty much taught me that if a person was being nice to you, it meant they wanted something from you. I have to keep my guard up, just in case that other shoe is about to drop. For the next couple hours, we maneuver the campus—which is larger than I originally anticipated. I lose my sense of direction more than once, which makes absolutely no sense, but I choose to blame it on Ms. Marilyn bouncing around like an awe-struck tourist in the big city. She insists on taking pictures in several random spots to send back home to her sister which prolongs our exploration that much longer, but I learn a few interesting things about her as well. The younger sister plans to follow Ms. Marilyn here next fall, if all goes well. Ms. Marilyn actually wants to be an actress, which makes me wonder just how much I’ve been lied to already. However, the most interesting thing is that I still cannot find any possible way she can avoid my detection. Sometimes, she’s so overly energetic that she’s a bit clumsy with her steps. I catch her twice at the onset of stumbles to keep her from kissing the concrete. Each time, she’s thankful but doesn’t immediately pull away. It’s almost as if she wants me to catch her.