We were sitting in class the first time I noticed Rebecca. The bright early fall sun was streaming through one of the opened windows in the lecture hall. Professor Wynn was droning on as usual about some ancient Babylonian tablet, and the weather was unseasonably warm. Despite the windows being open, it was stuffy in the hall, and the oppressive atmosphere made you feel as if everyone else was stealing your precious oxyge...

The following two days passed me by in a blur. I was fitted for my rental tuxedo and paid to have it dry-cleaned and pressed. I attended the rest of my classes but barely paid attention to the lecturers. My mind was replaying our encounter in minute, exquisite detail. Rebecca and I didn’t see each other until the Saturday of the party, as we only had Professor Wynn on Mondays and Tuesdays. I thought about her constantly....

We continued to walk through the exquisitely manicured gardens for a while, meandering this way and that while Rebecca showed off her comprehensive knowledge of the plants and bushes that Carter was so carefully cultivating. “I can explain,” I started, knowing full well that I was innocent of any accusations that could be levied against me, but my youth and inexperience were betraying me. My biology was fighting against m...