“Answers I began two hundred hours of continuous reading in the twelve hours that remained before examinations. Melvin Bloom my roommate flipped the pages of his textbook in a sweet continuous trance. Reviewing the term's work was his pleasure. He went to sleep early. While he slept I bent into the night reading eating Benzedrine smoking cigarettes. Shrieking dwarfs charged across my notes. Crabs asked me questions. Melvin flipped a page blinked flipped another. He effected the same flipping and blinking with no textbook during examinations. For every question answers marched down his optical nerve neck arm and out onto his paper where they stopped in impeccable parade. I'd look at my paper oily scratched by ratlike misery and I'd think of Melvin Bloom. I would think Oh God what is going to happen to me.”

“He flipped himself onto his side and kissed me. "You're so hot," I said, my hand still on his leg. "I'm starting to think you have an amputee fetish," he answered, still kissing me. I laughed."I have an Augustus Waters fetish," I explained.”

“A human!” He grasps my hand with both of his and dances me in a circle. Then he stops and pulls out his notebook and a pen, flips it open to a blank page, and poises his pen over the page. “Do you have dreams when you sleep at night? What do you dream about? What did you eat for breakfast? How often do you eat in a day? Omnivore, herbivore, or carnivore? Let me look at your teeth.”He steps close as if he would open my mouth for me and inspect it as if I were a horse for sale. I take a step back and bump into the stall door behind me.”

“You love me?" he asked suddenly and, at his question, my stomach flipped then twisted."Yes.""Then fuckin' kiss me good morning, Ace," he demanded softly but firmly.”

“Well, hell yeah! I’m gonna kick your ass, too!”I narrowed my eyes at him. “Not this time you’re not. I have a new superpower.”He laughed. “And what’s that? Harsh language?”I leaned over to kiss his neck once, and then ran my tongue up to his ear, kissing his earlobe. He froze in place. “Distraction,” I breathed into his ear. He grabbed my arms and flipped me onto my back. “You’re going to miss another class.”

“He turns another page, and I read:I'M NOT ETHAN. . .. . .AND I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP. . .. . .UNTIL I CAN PROVE TO YOU. . .. . .THAT YOU ARE THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS. He flips to the next page.SO KEEP SENDING ME AWAY. . .. . .BUT I'LL JUST KEEP COMING BACK TO YOU.AGAIN. . .He flips to the next page.. . .AND AGAIN. . .And the next:. . .AND AGAIN.Goose bumps rise to the surface of my skin. I shiver, hugging myself tightly.AND IF YOU CAN EVER FIND IT IN YOUR ❤ TO FORGIVE ME. . .. . .I WILL DO EVERYTHING IT TAKES TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU. . .He closes the notebook and tosses it beside him. It lands on the roof with a dull thwack. Then, lifting his index finger, he draws an X across his chest.Cross my heart.”