Felicity Fevers

I.

I knew her first, through a series of lightly pressed capital letters.

It was the third day. I had assigned a short paragraph describing the weirdest incident that happened to them, the first day. The paper was merely for name memorization, I'm terrible with names as is. Sam turned in one late, and so did the one behind her. I didn't noticed until Samantha sat back down, and then she quietly mumbled that she was turning in one in as well. I took the paper and asked if it was late too, she nodded. And I scrawled the word in red ink at the top.

That night, bored, with no material started this early in the semester, I skimmed through the volume of college-rule papers. I came across the last one. It was about a page long, more than I wanted, and written in all caps. I remembered the how quiet the student was, and automatically assumed she was the type to vent through other outlets. Annoyed, I read the page and found very subtle humor in it. I think I even chuckled out loud for a moment. My eyes went straight to the name after finishing and it all capitals I read REBECCA ________.

The next day I had actually planned that we go over the four different types of tissue.. she came in a little earlier than the bell. And I watched her walk towards me with all her books, trying to get a better view of her face.

_____________________________________________________________________


II.

She walked with a sort of slightness in her step, to which I have grown to admire.. Still, blood rushes every time I hear the delicate patterings of her feet along the the building's tile floor.

Once I saw her face I was straight away intrigued. She was bi-racial. The hints were all there...the Asian descent around the rims of her eyes and the rest of the mixture of her face was left to her Irish last name. Her hair hung from her face like curtains that would spread like strands of silk with every neck movement. The tips swished back and forth in a pleasing manner as she walked. It was all long and dark. Previously dyed light brown but had let the roots grow to darken the shade. Her bangs that brushed across her eyebrows, and below lay the coin-sized pools of warm chocolate. A modest nose. And a small precious mouth. In essence, she had the features of a doe-like creature. With her reasonably tall stature, she had long limbs as well. If one word could describe... Enchanting, that would be it.

She came up to me, as I was sitting on top of a desk in front of the half empty class.

    "Um, well, I didn't get our Physiology book during orientation, so I went to the school store to ask for one, but they said that they are all out..."
    "Oh! I see... Well that's quite a problem," I said with my brow knitted.

I stop to think, and she watches my face intently. Then I raise my eyebrows as an idea occurs.

    "Now I remember, another girl in the 2nd period class is probably dropping, you can take her book when she does,"
    "Great." She replies.

The slender thing then slips into her assigned seat as the room begins to accumulate with bodies. She crosses her legs as the bell rings, Front row, Table 1.

For the entire rest of the period, she follows me with her eyes.

_____________________________________________________________________


III.

It was the seventh day of class. She had caught a mild cold over the weekend, I could tell. Her voice was a bit hoarser and harder to hear, she coughed several times during the video I showed to the class, even with the batch of cough drops on the desk.

I was sitting on top of a desk near the door waving goodbye to the others, when she came up last. She pulled out a brand-spanking new Intro to the Human Body book from her satchel and pointed to it.

    "Ah ha! You got a new book, huh?"
    "Yeah.." Her tone was slightly sorrowful.
    "Alright! This will be good, I can rack up points for your book cover an--Oh! Have you written in your book number yet?"
    "No.." Again, sorrowful, yet she said it this time with a smile.
    "Hm--Aw shoot! You might be late for class.. Do you want to write it in real quick right now?" I watched her carefully now, expecting every detail in her next expression.
    "..Okay." She said very softly as she tilted her head to the side, like a gentle perplexed dog, and smiled sweetly.

I was completely smitten by her then. The mannerisms she did were just so odd yet terribly enjoyable to watch. I went and brought over the book number sheet, while she looked for it at the front of the manual. I placed the sheet down on the desk for her, held the book open, and read out loud the digits for her to jot down. In this process, I think I brushed some of my finger tips passed her hand or maybe even along her forearm. I could feel the blood rushing to all the tips of my body, so I decided to end it quickly without her seeing.

    "So where are you going next?" I said after making a dash for a hall pass slip.
    "English."
    "And I'm sorry, what's your name again?" I lied.
    "Rebecca _________, with two f's, like the painter."
    "Right, right," I laughed.

She finally took the finished hall pass and slowly walked over to the door way. I let her leave with a "Have a nice afternoon," , she told me the same and smiled at me for a few long seconds. Then out she went, pattering away.

Last period went by in haze.

_____________________________________________________________________


IV.

It was the tenth day. She had reverted back to her seemingly shy self. I called on her a decent amount of times and made several references of her name to get her attention back on the lecture. I loved it, putting her on the spot like that. At times it would seem like she would be doing other work during my class, in fact I recall seeing her doodle all along the side margins of the handouts I would pass out.

I made them do a lab investigating the four tissue types. As the rest of her lab group got the right slides, she set up the microscope. She started having a coughing fit. I came over and leaned over the desk opposite to her and asked if she was sick, which I admit now, was a obvious question. But I couldn't think of anything else that could be a reasonable conversation starter. She sighed and answered a somber 'Yes'. Just when I was about to give her some advice the other one in her group, the one that talks too much, interrupted. She went on and on about the many medical conditions she suffers from.

As the redhead talked, I stole a quick glance at the one across from me. Her expression looked a mixture of amused and slightly bothered, when looking at her ranting peer. She noticed my gaze and locked onto it, but I turned my head away quickly and moved onto another group. I passed her seat closely. My hanging hand inches away from her shoulders.

The bell rang and I was at the back of the room sorting out disorganized slides. She floated over with the handful of connective and nervous tissue cells. I was surprised to notice her sit right next to me putting away her groups' slides. My neck felt a little warm from her close presence.

After a short, fervent debate, I leaped at the chance and stretched my left arm over her personal bubble to place back some blood sample slides. Solely for the goal of overlapping our spheres of space. So, as I mumbled 'Connective tissue..' out loud, she modestly yet hesitantly, craned her arm back into her lap and watched my arm throw the rest of the blood samples into a jar.

My sleeves brushed against her forearm. I felt it.
She left soon after. And the warmth at my neck spread across the hollow of my chest. At one point during the rest of the day, I took my tie off.

_____________________________________________________________________


V.

I came home later that day, still feverish from the encounter. The fever turned into a powerful headache. It hit me with such force and abruptness that I had to lie down on our dark leather couch upon entering my front door. I left it open, and stared outside at the passing cars. My wrist placed carefully on my forehead, sleep overtook me.

    "Daddy.."

I rose out of unconsciousness to the chuckling sound of my four year old daughter's voice. She just got home from preschool along with her mother.

    "Hey you.." I sat up, picked her up, and held her in my arms.
    "Why were you sleeping?" She looked up at me.
    "I wasn't feeling too good," I smiled to her. Her mother close the door, and looked at me.
    "How are you feeling now?" She set the keys down and took Anna from me.
    "Better." I lied.
    "Good, because Anna and I were thinking of ordering out Korean tonight. What do you think?"
    "Sounds great."

It was late, I had put Anna to bed hours before. And was currently listening to my wife brush her teeth. She finished and quietly crawled into bed with me, her back facing me and turned off our nightstand. I still had my arm propping my head from the pillow. I looked at her dark hair for a moment and smelled it. I slowly nuzzled my way down to her neck and was about to cup her right breast until she pushed me away. A deep grimace formed on my face. But see couldn't see it in the dark.

    "Why?" I gasped rather loudly to her.
    "Isaac, please. I'm so tired." She touched my knuckles.
    "I-I've been waiting.." I was shocked to hear myself stutter.
    "I know! I know.. And I really do appreciate it but.." She paused and tried to search for my face in the blackness.
    "You know how much of a handful Anna has been lately.."

I knew she was genuinely apologetic. However, I didn't let either of us say another word. I immediately got out of bed and let her sleep alone in our room. I clicked the door shut and went downstairs into the soft yellow lamp lit kitchen, sat on one of our stools and looked at a ceramic bowl of fake green grapes for ten minutes.

_____________________________________________________________________


VI.

My eyes rolled over to my light brown leather messenger bag. I grabbed it and rummaged through some quizzes I still haven't graded. I immediately went and found hers. I took out my red pen and went directly to the essay first. I wanted to see her writing. Her letters, really.

IN TERMS OF THE HUMAN BODY, THE ENDOCRINE AND NERVOUS SYSTEMS PLAY MAJOR ROLES IN THE RECEPTION AND TRANSMISSION OF SIGNALS..

I took it gingerly in my hands and smelled the paragraph and its ink. Then spread it out flat on our island counter and felt silly for a few more minutes.
For the closure.

After an intense storm cloud of embarrassment overwhelmed my head, I stuffed the papers into the bag and looked to the refrigerator for comfort and support. My stomach called out for an answer. And my cooler, being the divine blessing from GE that it is, had conviently placed a 6 pack of tall Heinekens at my eye level. I gave my conscience 2 seconds consideration, but then took the green bottles anyway and went out into the backyard. I planted my ass on our swing bench and downed 3 bottles in 5 minutes. An awful headache was coming, but I ended up finishing the rest of the bottles, some leftover chardonnay we had from the Fourth of July, and 4 cans of Bud Lite. Completely smashed at this point, I found myself falling over our leather couch again and passing out.

Opening my eyes I found myself on our pine wood floor. I groaned softly and propped my arm up to see the time. It was 4:15 in the morning. I sat up with my back against the leather of our couch. And stared at the tragedy that was my pants.

    "Oh my god.." I breathed out loud.

I had just had a wet dream.
The last time I had a "wet dream" was when I was 13 and was passionately in love with Farrah Fawcett. Embarrassed and shamed, I hastily ran towards the downstairs bathroom and locked the door. Finally a sense of security came to my mind. I sat on the toilet and stared at the black tiles of the bathroom and rubbed my feet against them.

Disgusted, I was still a little aroused from the dream. I didn't remember much of it, but it still had a dense fog of influence over my mind and body. I knew who was in it though. Without a doubt. Long dark hair, soft darkness under the eyes. Though I don't think I dreamed of her exposed or having intercourse. In fact just fantasizing about her fingertips trailing the coutures of my chest was full of richness enough. I dreamed of her closeness, her touch.

I continued to sit there like an idiot dreaming and getting inside my open collar shirt to rub my shoulder. In a daze, I peeled off cotton to get into the shower. Behind the curtains with the water almost burning, I fantasied how I would, in an alternate universe, confront her. Would I ask her to come in after school, pin her against a desk and then take her as my own? No.. That'd be rape.. Anyway, I'd probably sob through the whole thing if she wasn't willing. Scheme after scheme, my thought would always turn back to her doing the littlest things...Like pulling back hair behind her ear, accidentally touching hands, hugging me, softly calling out my name, or... Kissing me with her precious, delicate mouth. I could just..

And then a sudden burning, fiery fever. Never have I felt so uncomfortable and so full of bliss simultaneously. So sweet and innocent, I dreamed of her embracing me with her lips. Right on the cheek, long and hard. I put a hand over my mouth and moaned deeply into my fingers. My whole body pressed against the wet, dark, title corner. I climaxed long and fervently. With heavy breathes I finished the shower rather quickly and threw on one of the newly laundry-washed, button up oxford shirts and black slacks in the washroom. I found a dark-green, paisley-patterned, tie in the office, went back to the living room and sat on our leather couch. I sighed, my fever completely gone, and I was clean. I felt content finally, and fell asleep on the couch once again.