NIC'

ingers rubbing soothing circles on my back as she giggled. I careful

I studied her expression, trying to understand what was going on in her mind. I c

k me for some kind of serial killer? All these wild t

at?" she asked, snappi

a grown adult could forget he

Everyone just wants to scold

ace as I let out a sm

our name?

She mu

e to the bar?" s

alpha resurfaced. I felt my eyes shift in color as

y shoulder which sent a shiver do

g." I g

gry. Girlfri

t out laughing

or that, not right now at leas

I know what a girl really wants." My eyes kept drifting to

g the opportunity to glare into her light

o absorb my words before cont

ion as she spoke, han

who's obsessed, who supports

eone out of

ne who makes

m sure every girl wants that," I rep

look at her without fantasizing a

silent as we

nd feminine. She moved closer, looking vulnerable, and at t

fted down t

ou," I admitted, my wor

ate? Of course, no, I didn't touch her inappropriately or lure her here. I'm just a stra

ck

ssed

s intertwined, savoring the taste of each other, and I gently sucked her tongue leav

hat it gave m

idn't stop, I'd end up tearing her clothes off. Sh

button it, but I managed to pull away, leavi

s la

he softly

morrow, I can leave t

enough; I'm fine

mbed onto the bed, lay on my back, and stared at the ceili

AIL'

to a fresh ray of sunlight falling on my face. As I stretched and yawned, it

my

ond hair, his perfectly toned muscles and abs vi

rtl

ouse. I immediately checked to see if I was still wearing my panties, realizing

u o

at the sound

kled as he g

asked trying to pi

member anythi

don't... well I was in the bar,

ike a teacher nudging a stud

e him sexy. I couldn't help but gaze at h

nking," he said pointing his

t drink this mu

ur

ce laced with a hint

ld me t

s," he said, as he

" I snapped, my voic

id, his expre

stay wher

wly, reaching to

you I get? I saved

your help, I was fi

down." He i

rny you just needed an excu

n assumption. I helped you get home becaus

ill furious and fixed on him.

u cause you seemed to be stranded, if you wanna bring up this

to it before you interrupted,

e, m

tive energy to wash through me, I had a class in a few hours so all I needed was to freshen up, have breakfast, and go for the lec

ting out a sigh. I hated him but those

hened up for class. I parked at my usual spot- under a mango tree which wa

t, waiting for the lecturer to arrive. Meanwhile, everyone else was mill

ntly grew quieter, other students noticing hi

ose ancient books, just by glancing at it, you could tell i

he most iconic poems in American literature. He

em is 'The Raven', an

urmurs from the class- som

o evoke strong emotions in readers. The depth of Poe's poems such as "The

get back to

htly, "is a perfect blend of Gothic atmosp

he second stanza, his v

emember it was in

ng ember wrought its

ons. What mood does this create? Wh

tter view as he stumbled into the classroom, gripping his books as if he had just remembere

alized, that was th

everything I had just seen. He slipped into a chair at the end of

ay, a wave of guilt washed over me as I'

s and any other necessary things I had to do today. I couldn't keep my gaze off him, s

t the time, signaling tha

e, just as much as the cold, bleak December is. Poe wants us to

et closer to us. "For your assignment, I want you all

ass members began to r

pick a different stanza from The Raven. Your job is to do a close reading of that stanza.

for the class to settle, as

the overall theme of the poem- whether it's about loss, des

the words he did, and how they make u

ill account for 30 percent of your overall grade. R

my memory returned, I remembered myself having a conversa

ced with laughter, each chuckle ringing out like a taunt. My curiosity

led. "What kind of person forgets her own

. My fists instinctively knotted, the nails digging deep into

y stomach, and I struggled to p