#pre verse.

“     THAT’S IT !!     ”     arms extend , limbs loose . quick-fire fingers begin scratching down almost illegible bouts of cursive .

MINIMAL EFFORT WAS MADE TO IGNORE HER as the clicking of her heels carried across the campus hall . eli had been standing reading a book , back leaned up against the wall across from his next lecture . the afternoon sun shone behind him , creating a halo of warmth against his back . when he heard footsteps his eyes drew up slowly , letting his brown hair fall softly against his lined features .     

“     SHE’S PINNED THE MARKS NEXT TO THE DOOR . they’re anonymous , of course . student numbers to be exact .     ”     he pauses to close the paperback , tucking it beneath his arm .     “     what did you get ??     ”      perhaps an inappropriate inquiry , considering the young man had barely spoken more than a handful of words to her . but he had little doubt that there didn’t exist a mutual understanding between the two of them ; the simple acknowledgement that , for the moment , she and eli sat at the top of the class . in truth , eli knew very little of the girl . what he gathered was that she was younger , shorter , and a freshman -- but what had caught his attention was none of the aforementioned observable fragments , but rather that she was incredibly clever . she had to be at least second to eli in this very elective . had victor enrolled , eli doubted this to be the same .