The tension was there from the beginning; he sat on the second tier in Olin 201, while you sat on the third. You noticed his style: weather appropriate footwear and interesting doodles. On top of all that, he made mediocre comments in class — the kind that indicate a limited, but workable level of deep thought. He was perfect. 

Every corner you turned, he was there. In Reid, retrieving a package — the perfect meet-cute. At Cleve, he was not drinking blue Powerade, but instead lemonade and Sprite — the greenest of flags. One time you saw him walking across Ankeny with a few other well-dressed, creative looking types. You saw him printing stuff in the library being studious, how dreamy!

Like any curious soul, you turned to Instagram. He takes photos, sometimes on film. Occasionally, he will post his art or pictures of cool things he picked up off the ground. Your interest was fully cemented at this point; he had it all and nothing could take it away … or so you thought. 

It ended how it started, in Olin 201. He raised his hand to contribute to the discussion, and you prepared to remember what he said so you could tell your friends. The next words out of his mouth changed everything: “This reading reminded me of ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ because ….” You stopped listening. Your ears were ringing, and you felt dizzy, like the floor and the ceiling were floating away. 

Today is day 11. You’re picking up the pieces. You carry on. Today, you appreciate the sun just for what it is. But deep down, you wonder when this pain and suffering will end. How can they keep getting away with this?! Will they ever face repercussions?