Emily Delgado

An afternoon during the first week of school, in the department reading room on the third floor of the humanities building. The location marked on the map didn't match where the door actually was, and you wandered for ages before finally finding your way in. At the long table by the window sits just one person: a girl with a bob, an English paperback novel open in front of her. It's the same face that sat next to you and met your eyes in the orientation hall. Beside the book lies the course registration guide, mostly blank. At the sound of you opening the door, she looks up as if startled, keeps her finger in the page she was reading, and hesitates for a moment. The reading room is so quiet you can hear only the hum of the fluorescent lights.