Homunculus-
	Every day on the bus.  It's a simple procedure.
I get on the bus.  I sit down.  Five minutes later, she
gets on the bus.  Occasionally she smiles at me as she 
passes me.  I always smile at her, whether she's looking 
at me or not...The fact that she occasionally smiles back 
is funny.  It's not a smile so much as a small grin, a 
bit of affection and a little way of saying "It's good to 
see you."  I see her flirt with other guys, I see her 
kiss her boyfriend in the parking lot.  But she never 
really does anything to them like she does to me.
	Of course, I'm tempted to speak to her.  I always 
am.  Always have been.  She's been in a couple of my 
classes in the past, but we've never really been 
introduced.  I'm not much to look at.  I don't dress like 
other guys.  I wear a belt and a decent shirt, but never 
a dress shirt.  I just want to do my time on this earth 
and get out of here.  But then I see that sly smirk, and 
those eyes, and for a split second, everything changes.  
Then I go back to being the cowardly little man that I 
am.  But it's nice to know that someone thinks me worthy 
of a smile.  Sometimes I wonder about her.  Most often, 
though, I don't.
	Doesn't it strike you as odd that the beautiful 
girls frequently wind up with the lame guys like myself? 
 It's because the football players and the athletes have 
an overblown sense of self-worth and are constantly 
praised by all and flirted with by many girls.  They 
don't value their relationships as much.  But guys like 
me?  A beautiful girl comes along about once a decade, 
and if you don't hold on tight, you'll lose her.  The 
athletes don't care about one girl, they've got swarms of 
groupies.  The lame guys have to treat them with the 
respect and worth they deserve.
	But I never speak, because she's like a dream, 
which is like a bubble.  Touch one, and it vanishes from 
sight.  Maybe I'm a coward.  Maybe I just don't want to 
see my spleen up close when her boyfriend punches my face 
down my throat.  But a smile never hurt anyone.

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