It had been months since Sarah left High School. She was one of the more popular girls at her alma mater. Actively involved in athletics, art, school functions and social life made her very busy, and well known in the small teenage community. Yet Sarah, like many others before her, decided not to go to the local college, but to go away to the university. Needless to say, she was not prepared for the many differences she would face.
Her first year was tumultuous. She did well enough in classes, but it was the social shock that Sarah did not prepare herself for. She was one of the more attractive girls in her small city, things were much more simple. There was little competition. Now, she was just another freshman in a school that was a city in itself. It was difficult to fit in. She didn't dress like the other girls. She didn't drive the right car. Sarah went from feeling like Aphrodite atop Mount Olympus to feeling ordinary. Fortunately, that was about to change.
Sarah looked forward to the hot summer and her summer classes. She enjoyed the outdoors and decided to take a summer class in archaeology. She was excited to get her science requirement done, and also all of the fieldwork.
Summer came, and she sat in class with only about two dozen others. Remarkably, many of them were older. One guy was at least 10 years older than her. Sarah remembered thinking he was the teacher. He was a teacher, just not what she expected.
A week into the class, Sarah found herself enjoying the class, but falling a little bit behind. Sarah did not have to work that afternoon so after class she went to the library to bury herself in "Identifying Geologic Artifacts".
"Wow, do the people who write these books have any personality?" Sarah said under her breath in the quiet library alcove.
"Unfortunately most of us are as boring as turtle race" came a quiet, low and calming voice. "Hard to translate?"
Sarah turned to find the "old man" of the class sitting at the table behind her. He was not a cute guy by any stretch of the imagination, but he was fit. He had a rough edge to his look. She smiled, but realized she was a bit embarrassed. "I am not a science geek".
"Oh, so all scientists are nerds huh?!"
As embarrassment builds, "I didn't mean that. I just meant that.... Er. Uh......"
"I don't think that recovery right now is a viable option for you." He said with a laugh. "My name is Greg."
"Hi, I am embarrassed." Sarah said with a smile.
"Would you like a hand with your reading?"
"Sure"
So, the two exchanged pleasantries and finished the impromptu tutorial. Sarah filled Greg in on her past, as short as that was. She was proud and that shined every time she talked about home. Greg on the other hand, was well indoctrinated in the university. He had his masters in geo-physics and was working on his Ph.D. He was taking the class this year because next year, it would be his turn to teach it. Remarkably, he wasn't all slide-rules and bar graphs. Sarah was surprised to find he was a musician, a guitarist and singer to be exact. He was also very involved in intra-mural sports at the university. That summer, he was playing soccer and ultimate Frisbee. Soon afternoon turned into evening and both saw a setting sun. Greg invited Sarah to the student center for dinner and continued conversation. But Sarah, reserved in her social graces, did not accept. Its not that she didn't like Greg, but the age thing was a bit much. So the two parted for the day, only to meet in class two days later.
Sarah found it hard to focus. She studied over the weekend and exercised. She ate well and slept, yet there was uneasiness about today's class. An unsettled heat crept through the room causing unwarranted sweat to bead on her brow. As her breath quickened, she found her thoughts wandering:
I gazed into his eyes as he taught me, only me. I didn't care