White clouds of dust flow under the closed door, leaving micro layers of chalk on the floor. Michael was pounding away, cleaning the erasers that he used during his lectures; this was a chore that took a whole day to do. Most of the professor used overhead or handouts, but Michael enjoyed the feeling of dust, dry chalk between his fingers. It made him feel like a teacher, like the ones he had when he was in grade school. Chalk was the ??? that he linked with academia.

Michael recalls those days in grade school vividly. He was always a loner, but he never minded being around his teacher. They never looked at him like was a poor foster kid. In fact they loved having him around. Giving him a little this and that for helping them clean the erasers or wiping down the chalkboards. In fact he would get in trouble so he could do these little punishments that most kids tried to get out of. He didn’t have to go to recess and play with friends that he didn’t have, or play games that he didn’t like to play. He enjoyed his teachers’ company and never minded staying after school because he didn’t want to go home to an empty house that would never be his home.

“You know, we wouldn’t be here if you stopped using CHALK!” Maria complained as she hit two erasers together, causing little puffs of white clouds to dance in the small eraser room.

Looking up, Michael only smirked as he saw his girlfriend’s face full of chalk marks. Dropping the erasers in the bin, Michael rubbed his face with his right hand, covering half of his face with chalk dust. “Maria… you didn’t have to come,” Michael stated as he moved closer to brush away the chalk marks from Maria’s face, but only leaving more streaks.

Lifting her arms up in aspiration and letting them fall helplessly at her side, Maria looked down at her clothes. Why did she always wear black? Her black baby-T was now a shade of mousey grey and her jeans looked like they had never seen a washer. She looked up so see a staring Michael in his too old Metallica t-shirt, which he must have had since high school. The T-shirt should have been thrown out a long time ago, but Michael would never have it. Maria looked up to see Michael’s smirk turn into a stern squint. She never understood how he was always able to read her when she was thinking about his cloths.

“What?” she asked innocently, “Hey, I promised not to sell any more of your clothes. Anyway, I’ve paid off most of my school loan.” And gave him a quick peck and a sweet smile.

“No thanks to my half empty closet,” Michael said jokingly.

“I wasn’t thinking about selling it, just letting it go to T-shirt heaven. I promise to buy you a new one,” She said as she framed his face with her small hands.


Maria chuckled, “You look like the phantom in Phantom of the Opera.”

“Well, you don’t look too hot either-” Michael stated as he started to mark her face and arms with his hands.

Maria screamed, “Stop that! You're making it worse!”

Suddenly, Maria reached behind her and grabbed two erasers and started to hit Michael with them. He grabbed her wrist to stop her assault on his now chalk covered body and clothes. He moved forward to trap her against the chalk bin with his large frame but Maria slipped under his arms and grabbed the erasers that were behind him. He didn’t know what hit him as two erasers pelted the back of his head causing white dust to over flow in the small eraser room. Michael swiftly turned around as Maria grabbed two more and threw them at him. Lounging forward to grab her arm, Michael tripped on the erasers to the floor, catching Maria by the hands and taking her with him; knocking down more erasers and a few chalk bin in the process.

Michael found himself on top as both of them finished rolling around the dusty floor. Both of them were laughing so hard they started to choke on the dusty chalk partials. Finally catching his breath, Michael stared at Maria’s partly open luscious lips. They were smiling at the ends as her tongue swayed in and out between her lips for she was breathing hard. Michael was always mesmerized with her pouty lips. How they always seemed to call out to him and made him ache. Without realizing, he kissed them again and again, increasing in passion and urgency.

Maria let out a gasp as Michael lips moved down her neck and his hands ran under her t-shirt, gently caressing her side. His kisses became more urgent as Maria moaned her appreciation at his tongue that worked its magic.

The opening of the eraser room’s door interrupted their passion making. Looking up at the rude person who was cutting in on their make-out time, they both noticed that it was Professor Gonzalez, head of the Math Department and he didn’t look too happy to see that one of his professors was on the floor making out with his girl friend.

“Professor Guerin, Miss Deluca, I didn’t know that the eraser room was a place for this kind of activity. I would have expected that kind of behavior from our freshman students, but not form you two” Professor Gonzalez said sternly. “I hope I will not be seeing this again,” was the last thing he said as he slammed the door and walked away in a huff.

Both of them were frozen still on the floor when Professor Gonzalez left. Looking at each other, they both broke into a fit of laughter.

“Did you see the look on his face?” asked Maria as she tried to stifle her laughing.

“Yeah, and I don’t think he will forget it any time soon,” Michael said as he got off the floor and Maria.

Maria grabbed Michael’s hand to get up from the cold hard floor. She chuckled and shook her head for she just had experienced déjà vu, remembering a particular incident during her freshman year in high school.

“What? Thinking about Gonzalez?” Michael asked. He was unsuccessfully trying to brush the chalk off his clothes, only to cause more white powder to fill the room.

“NO!” Maria choked, “I just had a déjà vu. Something similar happened to me in high school.”

“Hmmm?”

Back when I was a Freshman in high school, I went to this music competition. While I was there, I saw this guy. And boy, was he hot!" Maria stated as she fanned her hand to cool herself down. "But, he was hot as in ‘on the other side of the train track’ kinda way. You know, poorly bath... weird hair. Well, he pretty much kept to himself, not to say that he didn't have girls falling and following him all over the place during the competition. I think he was a senior." Maria commented as she picked up the easers off the floor. "Anyway, we occasionally passed each other, and said a few Hi and smiles. To think about it, I think I was the only person he said hi to; well he was with this tall, chesty blonde chick and some guy with big ears. Anyway, close to the end of the competition I was walking pass this door that had the word ‘ERASER’ printed across of it. All of the sudden, a pair of strong arms grabbed me by my waist and pulled me in." Maria stopped to see if Michael was listening to her. He was looking at her intently, taking his fingers to scratch the invisible itch on his eyebrow, a little habit that he did when he was thinking.

"Through closer inspection it was an easer room, which at our High school was a major make out place, which by the way, I never set a foot in " she said matter-of-factly. "Finally I got my good look as to whom pulled me in - the place being dark and all - It was that guy! Damn, why can't I remember his name?" Maria asked out-loud. "But the look in his eyes and the way he was looking at me made me melt, then he kissed me!" she exclaimed with a jump. "Oh My God! Such great passion! I think we made too much noise because one of the teachers caught us making out. After that incident, I never saw him again."

Michael was smirking as Maria finished her story. As soon as she was done he took her into his arms and looked into her eyes. It was the same look, that very look, the same one that eraser room guy gave her. It finally hit her like a brick wall.

“You're him!” was the last thing that came out of her mouth as Michael captured her mouth with his own.