Chloe walked toward the parking lot, her mind lost in the thoughts of the beautiful stranger she had laid eyes on earlier. Shuffling around the hoards of students she finally arrived at the less traveled part of campus. Chloe parked in the further parking lot because spots were readily available yet she also enjoyed the scenic route this offered. She passed cherry trees, which blossomed in the spring and entered into a shaded path that aligned with the man-made lake. Although it was a small body of water, surrounded by buildings and roads, she enjoyed its beauty nevertheless. Benches were scattered, and at one bank there was a small Victorian house to provide shelter. Geese and ducks played happily.

Sighing softly she neared the car, “Why didn’t you just say hi Chloe? That’s your problem.” It is not as if she was shy, in fact Chloe was a very outgoing person. The truth lay deeper; once she met the beautiful stranger her fantasy would shatter. It was a proven fact, according to Chloe, that no normal guy would ever have an attraction to her. Sure she had lots of admirers but they were, to put it nicely, nerds. She was different than most college students; she did not smoke, drank only occasionally, and had never gone through the rebellion stage. Her lack of experience with the opposite sex also made her more embarrassed rather than nervous when the time came to actually have a boyfriend. Unfortunately as each day passed her insecurities deepened. It was her wariness to believe that a guy could actually see who she really was and still like her that kept men at arms length. It was safer to admire and silently flirt without ever having to be hurt by the inevitable rejection. Chloe sat in her silver Passat and drove off, the events during class still plaguing her mind. She, like always, beat herself up realizing things she should have said or done. “It’s too late now Chloe!” she uttered glumly, “If he is there on Thursday it will be a sign.”

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