I never really noticed her before. She was just the quiet girl who sat in the back of the room. Almost invisible. Man, I was blind and stupid… I remember the first time I fully took her in. It was during a class discussion. When it was her turn to speak, it was like I had finally woken up.

Everything about that girl flooded my senses at once. Her oceanic eyes. The delicate scent of peppermint on her ruby-red lips. A soft jaw line. The way her nutmeg-colored hair fell past her shoulders in feathery waves. I took it like a blow to the stomach. Winded, I couldn’t do anything else but stare. She was absolutely stunning.

Mesmerized by her Mona Lisa smiles and razor-sharp quips, I lost contact with the outside world.

It was only us and the mutual appreciation for all things aesthetic.

She had a soft voice like silver bells, but it was passionate. Like an artisan weaving a masterpiece, she arranged raw ideals and opinions into something powerful.

BAM!

My elbow slipped off the table’s edge and I banged my wrist. Loudly.

Smoooooooooth. I know.

Sheepishly, I apologized and let her continue speaking. My face was warm and my chest was tight. A quizzical look flashed across her face before she restated her line of reasoning. Maybe she noticed that I was gawking at her. I am pathetic. Absolutely, positively pathetic. I didn’t have the right to settle my lowly gaze on her...

That cheeky girl.

That lovable girl.

That serene goddess.