A (Almost) Love Story | Finals Edition

So this morning, I was just sitting at my usual corner in the library studying for a crucial subject that's coming up in the next two days. Just 15 minutes into the first few paragraphs of my study material, my fingers started to dart towards my phone, checking for notifications which inevitably, led to a whole 30-minute session of idle scrolling on Facebook. It wasn't until noon I realised how much time I've wasted rereading the first 3 pages of a 29-page article.

Just when I made up my mind sternly that I had to focus and get it all done, a guy pulled out the empty chair next to me, sat down and began to lay out his notes and laptop. Great, I thought to myself. I was never one to like having people around me when I get into the study mode. To make matters worse, he sat at the edge of his table which was where I've nested comfortably for the past few hours. Couldn't he just sit towards the middle? I moved my position away from him as I began to read page 3 again. 

An hour passed. I was rather pleased with myself that I managed to focus that long without losing my concentration. So I decided to reward my well-deserved efforts with 10 minutes (ha-ha) of social media. At the corner of my left eye, I began to notice him shifting in his seat while grunting to himself. Then, he too began to get distracted on his phone. I put mine away, and so did he. It was almost as if we were both moving in sync. 

3 hours have gone by. By now, we were sitting next to each other, elbows almost touching. I could almost hear him breathe in that atmosphere of silence. I've managed to find an article that I was really interested in reading/studying while he was on his phone again, engrossed in what seemed like an action game. Everytime when he made a wrong move, he made sounds of dissatisfaction and began talking to himself. In that moment, I can swear that we've known each other for a long, long time. I giggled to myself as he continued to murmur under his breath. It almost felt like we've connected on a level that I can't even understand, let alone describe in words. 

30 minutes of silent giggles later, he placed his phone down with the screen upright, displaying a video of a girl who seemed to be studying too. I felt my face straighten almost immediately, erasing evidence of any facial muscle movement. 

Another hour passed. That was the most productive hour I've been all day, I thought to myself as I packed my belongings. As I got up to leave, I saw him, at the corner of my left eye, waving his right hand towards his phone, his lips pursed tightly together as though smooching affectionately.