When You Look Into The Mirror It Looks Back At You And Sometimes You Are As Good Looking As You Thought You Were

I stood in front of the blackboard my mind completely empty. There was no way I could integrate the root of two-x minus x squared. My brain scrapped together the final pieces of my IQ to figure one lucky guess.

"Two hundred and thirty one!"

I knew my answer was not too far off but at least it was not completely outside of the box. The lecture hall fell silent and the old lecturer with a very grey beard stood forward to the board. He began writing the solution until it reduced down to half the inverse sine of x minus 1 plus half of x minus one by the root of two-x minus x squared plus a constant. That was it the final answer and solution that totally humbled me. I took the wrong course. Mathematics was definitely not my forte but I did enjoy the rush of getting a completely outside-of-the-box answer to humiliate myself. My classmates at least seemed to enjoy that piece of comedy. Belle rushed over once the lecture ended to greet me, her presence as always leaving me with my jaw stuck to a random piece of gum that was chewed by someone that attended the Unnamed University twelve years ago. She was a very pretty woman that I had the chance of getting to know since my first day in the Science and Mathematics course. It was quiet the awkward story, I dropped my six-thousand page 'Physics Is Love, Physics Is Life' entrance essay and she just happened to be there to pick it up and return it immediately to me. I recall her saying something like:

"I knew I recognised that strange-smell-kind-of-like-strawberries-but-less-sweet from somewhere. It was you! The only person in this whole World that has a-strange-smell-kind-of-like-strawberries-but-less-sweet!" It was love at first sight. And I don't mean to be that kind of person that preaches how they found love at first sight on their first day at THE prestigious Unnamed University. But I am that kind of person so forgive me people who haven't had that exact experience.

We had a casual talk about how the beginning of the universe was in fact a myth and that through constant deflation and inflation of the visible universe it had reset multiple times over, never actually beginning or ending. Just recycling. Like this conversation. We had it everyday. Our conversation somehow forced us into the cafeteria, oh how I like a new setting for our little dates together. Of course she did not know how much love was contained within me for her, it would be a little antilogical as a man of science to declare such things. After all it had only been two years since we had first met. Only the sight of her eyes glaring back into the abyss in my own guided me into a seat at the wrong table at the wrong possible time. It was him. My self-declared-mortal-enemy.

"So it's you again punk-with-a-strange-smell-kind-of-like-strawberries-but-less-sweet. I hate these little run ins with your existence. It ends today." He stood atop his table and crushing the worst looking sandwich in the galaxy he declared, "TODAY I DECLARE YOU AS MY ETERNAL MORTAL ENEMY!" A random crowd of enthusiasts for this newly voted number one most handsome man appeared out of nowhere and cheered him on. I looked back to Belle who had already made her way to the door of the cafeteria embarrassed. I shook my fist menacingly to the man and ran out the door as fast as I could. After all, what could a science-loving-nerd such as myself do against such a magnificent specimen of human flesh?

"You really need to give up that whole ego-better-than-him-forever trope. It's getting in the way of things that really matter. Like that assignment on Black Holes and their effect on space-time-bubble-dimensions that is due soon." She had made quiet the point. There wasn't much time left to prove myself as a perfect student in my studies. I resisted joining the Unnamed University Space And Science Company so that I could focus on my studying rather than the passion that burned for the subject. Something had told me deep down that what really mattered was how hard I worked rather than how much I enjoyed and pursued a dream.

That night was the annual meteorite shower that would be easily missed if one spent the time looking at the ground or taking photos of a certain attractive person that had run for the title of worlds number one most handsome man. Luckily I did not follow in the footsteps of my father who owned about 37 cameras and 89 lenses or I would have missed such a spectacle. If I could convince Belle to follow along with me to the rooftop conservatory I would be able to confess my love in the most logical way possible. There would be no distractions whatsoever to prevent this fool-proof plan.

How I was so obviously wrong...

"So I'm trying to squeeze 15 flyers into this strange-smelling-apartment-kind-of-like-strawberries-but-less-sweet and here appears a young and off-to-a-really-great-start guy with-a-strange-smell-kind-of-like-strawberries-but-less-sweet. What a coincidence. I'm Mak. Nice to meet ya." There stood a young boy that looked coincidentally my age at the front of my door. Something about him seemed just so intellectual, the angle that he held the papers to the incline that he formed for maximum slippage under my door.

"Nice to meet you indeed flyer-man-Mak. Consider me curious on how you came up with that flyer-slipping-technique!" His face lit up as though I had just made a very correct decision to start a conversation with him. The hours began to fly and mix into a jumble of conversation and laughter about how there was no technique just a mix of randomness and persistence. I discovered this peculiar flyer man Mak visited the apartments near the Unnamed University on a monthly basis to prepare for the Unnamed University Prize Competition. What an interesting idea I thought to myself. Without second thought I invited him to come and witness the meteorite shower which had already begun without me noticing. As we reached the conservatory atop the Unnamed University building, Belle stood alone as if she were waiting for countless hours for a companion. She was indeed standing there for hours and was furious with me. Mak was also still there.

"This is the last time I let you stand me up for something math related."

"And this is Mak." I gestured to Mak who waved shyly.

"Hello, I'm Mak."

"I don't care who Mak is. Sorry Mak. I just wanted to see the asteroid shower with you."

"It's alright I don't mind." Why was Mak still here? I shooed him off the building.

"Well like you said I need to study more to pass my assignments. Sometimes I don't have time for this stuff." I was one-hundred percent right. Belle even had said it herself before. I needed to study and my gut told me that despite this feeling like a massive mistake with many consequences to ensue in the next three years that I was justified. I had not pursued my passions. I spent logical time making logical decisions that would lead me to success in my time at the Unnamed University. If anything the only time spent on a passion was with Belle.

"The only time you spend being passionate about something is when you spend time with me! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" She said it. Maybe that was the problem with why things weren't seeming to work out for me. I couldn't score the highest nor could I be the most handsome because I did not spend all day every day being logical. This was the problem. There was only one logical decision.

"I don't think we should see each other anymore. I need to focus on my studies." We parted ways, she walked back through the door and outside of the building while I awkwardly walked to the other end of the outside conservatory and waited until she was gone to walk back through the door and out of the building. A cute black cat on a leash purred and rubbed itself against my leg. The owner, an old man who was dressed as a wizard well before any event that required dressing up as a wizard came into my view. Instead of imparting wisdom or judging my choice he took my wallet and continued on his journey.

I walked home feeling relieved that now I could truly begin my life at the Unnamed University. I had a reachable goal, a mortal enemy, a new flyer man Mak friend and all fifteen pairs of pants. There was nothing in the next three years that would halt my growth as a student and adult. Every choice I made was for the betterment of myself, something I knew that in at least all of my previous lives if there were any, that I had neglected. The world would see how essential I am just like how I had come to see the REAL me. No matter the cost.