the boy apologized, picking up his guitar and heading out.
before he left he motioned me to follow him.
before i left i noticed that he had left the book on the table.
i picked it up.
the title read "zen garden"


PART   TWO

i followed him out of the library, my messenger bag on my shoulder, his book in my hand, out into the rain, my favorite atmosphere. by his eyes and demeanor, i could tell that he was more innocent than myself.
i walked next to him, matching his slow and easy pace.
i looked at him, asking a question with my eyes.
"my name is charles." he said, his voice as soft as when he was singing.
the rain was pouring now, the way i liked it, because i knew that it wouldnt stop soon.
"do you live here too?" i asked.
he nodded. "do you?"
"yes, i stay with my friend. hes never there."
"you like being alone."
"i like being lonely."
my eyes told him that when he was concerned that did not ring true.
he smiled. he was naive but intuitive.
he ran a hand through his long hair and we continued walking.
he took us to a coffee shop on campus where you could get about anything you wanted. i choose a chocolate milk and cookies. he had tea with milk. that was when i knew that he was a vegetarian not a vegan. across the table, i handed him his book. his eyes smiled. "thank you." he said taking it..
"you know," i said "i have one of those little zen gardens in my dorm."
"the ones with the little rocks and sand and the little rake?" he asked.
i nodded.
"so do i."
he laughed lightly his teeth showing.
he twirled his spoon inside his tea cup like a ballerina dancer.
he took my hand, that had been resting on the table unattended, and turned it so that he could see my palm.
with his fingertips, he traced every one of my lines, unaware of the tingles that were involved.
"you have a very long life line," he said "but this shows that in your past you are very unhappy," he paused "but there is a chance for some good in your future, and many changes. also, the reason why you like the rain so much, " he dropped my hand gently and looked into my eyes "is because when you were in your mothers womb, she was closed inside a room, void of any heat or sunlight, because bot made her ill."
slightly impressed i took a sip of my chocolate milk.
i nodded.

we stayed at the cafe, him reading some of the book to me, strumming his guitar, my reading my collection of poems from the last year.
at 10:00 pm, when the cafe closed, we went fr a walk and ended up on the roof of his dorm. everyone, he said, had gone out to party.
i asked him to play my brother's favorite song "living on a prayer."
he did, the cool air the rain had left cooling my senses.
i touched his fingertips to mine as he traced the lines in my hand one last time for that night.

PART   THREE

charles walked me to my dorm in the cooling rain air, a sweet mist settling over the half asleep campus. he walked with his hands in his hoodie pockets, i walked with mine hanging there, one resting on the bag. my shoes squeaked softly as they moved through the wet leaves and the