I reach to run my thumb along her bottom

I reach to run my thumb along her bottom lip. She stops drawing and stares at me, my thumb brushing over her mouth, fingers resting on her jaw. I lick my dry lips, tempted

To lean forward and kiss her. But we hear the shuffle of feet at the classroom door and we both back away, casting our eyes downward to hide our desire. Principal Higgins would nev

er approve interactions in his classroom. As Prof. Higgins put it "Grand unification is purely theoretical". But my rival & were both attracted To Susie Quark. It was only a matter

-husband's was a nasty bit of business but it greased the palm well. Math was my strong suit. My mind was a steel trap. Susia Quark had the pesky chalk all over her thighs.

As Susia's seamstress, I was not at all sure I could make all those alterations to her thighs. "Look, there's nothing wrong with them," I argued, edging my way to the door.

When Susia looked down to see through her own eyes that there was nothing wrong with her unaltered thighs. I broke our bond, ran out the door, & jumped the 3 stories to the grotto.

Where Mary, Mother of Jesus, appeared to me. She spoke not a word, but her serene smile gave me new hope. I knew then. I understood. I turned back. "Susia!! SUSIA!! I'm sorry!"

Susia didn't break her stride. I was confused, but began to see: what passed as a heartfelt apology to a nerd like me can sound like a grudging excuse to a philistine like her.

A set back, a little one. But eager to make her speak to me again, eager to earn her trust one more time, i decided to let my action speak for my intentions