“Hey Peri,” Peri nearly jumped at the familiar voice.
“Davis, you scared me,” she said holding her chest.
“Are you ok?” he asked staring down at her. She blushed. There was this warmth emanating from him, the same warmth she suspected anyone felt around him. She nodded still embarrassed for letting her thoughts side track her. “That’s good, I was worried. You didn’t call me back the other day, are you still mad at me?” he asked grinning, eyes twinkling. She shook her head. “Can we walk?” she nodded again, not wanting to speak.
He led her out to the courtyard on the pathway that led to the Big Lawn. The Big Lawn was this big open field of grass. No one knew what its purpose was other than barbeques and other social events held at Hollandale.
“Did you get all your classes?” he asked breaking the silence. She nodded again. He took her hand in his as they walked. There was another long silence. The only thing Peri heard was her heart beating out of her chest. Why did he still have this effect on her?
Davis stopped perhaps sensing her uneasiness. “You know I never meant to hurt you right? I mean she was just a, like a sudden lapse in judgment. You know I love you?”
She nodded again. “Davis, it did hurt, at first, but I don’t know if we should get into this again without being sure you are done sampling,” she looked up at him searching his eyes. He looked away. He was annoyed.
“Peri, I wasn’t sampling. April asked me to the movies on platonic terms and I obliged, one thing led to another, but not too much. You make it sound like I screwed her or something.”
“Close enough,” she answered pulling her hand away.
“Is there someone else Peri?” he asked her. Her eyes widened. How could he think someone else wanted her? Even if they did no one would go near her save his temper.
“Of course not, I just think we need to think about this,” she said so calmly she surprised herself.
He stared at her. She knew what he was about to do but she didn’t know how to stop him. He leaned in and kissed her. She didn’t react right away but kissed him back eventually. Her body relaxed in his arms and something happened.
Peri looked around, she was still on campus but everything was frozen still. Davis’s lips were still on hers and she was still in his arms. She pulled herself away from him and looked around. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. Yet, she knew it wasn’t real. Or was it? It was as if time was frozen. She waved her hand in front of Davis and he didn’t move. He was as stiff as a board.

“Persia,” she heard her name but it was faint as a whisper. She turned around looking for the source and saw nothing but a frozen campus.

“Persia,” she heard her name again but this time louder and accompanied by the scent of vanilla beans and honey.

She looked around again and when she turned full circle he was there in front of her; the man from her dream. The first time she saw him, she was only able to see his face because of the golden light around him, this time she could see his full stature, all six - feet five inches of it. He had on a white T- shirt and blue jeans with a pair of white Chuck Taylor’s. Where did he get those? Now she was sure this was a dream because she had never seen all - white Chuck’s before.

“Are you afraid?” he asked, she shook her head.

“Curious, not afraid.”

“Curious about my footwear?” he asked and she nodded still staring at them fascinated by how immaculately white they were. He grinned. “Still think you’re dreaming I see,” he asked nonchalantly. She nodded again. “You are not dreaming. I told you, I am real as long as you think about me,”

“I didn’t think about you though,”

“Ah but you did,” he said coming closer to her but stopping a foot away. The scent of vanilla beans and honey got stronger.

She did think about him, she realized. She had hesitated when Davis asked her if there was someone else and she thought about him, the man in front of her. She felt guilty now for letting him kiss her. But why? Why did she feel like she was cheating?

“I see you remember, odd that you think of me right before kissing someone else,” he grinned again -- wickedly this time.

“Who are you and why do you haunt me?”

“Haunt you? No, I am with you, and no I am not a figment of your imagination, you didn’t make me up to get over the ex,” she winced at his last comment and he laughed. “You are so funny it’s unreal,”

“Wait, I can only see you in my dreams or when I black out and you are calling me unreal?”

Laughing he continued, “See hilarious. I love your accent by the way,” he said as she blushed. “I can’t tell you who I am until you set yourself free,”

“From what? How do I set myself free from something if I have no clue what it is? Furthermore, you have to tell me how you froze everything. Are you an alien, where are you from?”

“No, no, no, I’m not answering anymore questions, you are a very intuitive woman, you can figure some things out on your own, and no I am not Jesus. Jesus is perfect which I am a far cry from. Plus Jesus wouldn’t think about Halle Berry naked and clearly I do about nine times a day,” She blushed again shaking her head at his comment.

“So are you going to zap me back?” she asked as he stepped closer to her, so close she could feel his breath on her forehead. She was quite tall but he still didn’t reach her.

“Patience,” he whispered in her mind leaning down to kiss her. She closed her eyes in anticipation.

Peri heard a moan and pulled away. It was Davis. She had still been kissing him. How long did it last? She felt like she was away for an hour, surely they weren’t kissing that long. How did she black out while kissing him?
“Damn Peri, what are you trying to do to me? You never kissed me like that before,” he said trying to catch his breath.
“I’m sorry; I don’t know what came over me,”

“Wanna’ talk about it? Because I thought you said you didn’t want to have sex yet and that felt like you
wanted to,” she shook her head violently to retort, there was no way she wanted to go all the way yet. And she was sure she didn’t want to with Davis.

“I have to go,” she said turning around on her heels and heading back to the library.

“Call me!” he shouted at her with a big smile on his face.