"I wish you’d say what you really felt." And Tina walked off with that statement, down the hall.

Bette could only watch her go, suddenly left to her empty office. She closed the door and leaned back against it to get her thoughts in order. And just as she was walking over to her desk, she noticed a little folded up piece of paper on Tina’s seat – addressed to Professor Porter. Bette carefully unfolded it, somewhat nervous of its contents – and with good reason.

*****

Professor Porter,

When I think about you, I get so excited I can hardly sit still. I know what you’re thinking and that you just want to throw this out, but you won’t, and I love that about you. You’re so considerate, even when someone doesn’t deserve it, and excuse my saying it, but I don’t think that Helena deserves it. She treats you poorly and embarrasses you in front of me, and it hurts me to see it because I just love to make you smile. You know, sometimes I read ahead in our text just so that when you ask me a question, I can raise my hand first and give you an impressive answer. And when you smile, you turn my whole day around. I can go back to my dorm and fantasize about new and more interesting ways of making you smile, and nothing gets better than the feeling I get when you really smile at me.

I know this letter doesn’t come across as an Art History major’s writing, but it’s because of you. You make me weak and crazy and foolish, but I love the feelings you give me. Even just writing this, I’m so nervous and confused about what to write. I feel so much for you that it’s really shameful, seeing as I know so little about you. So what I can focus on is your physical beauty, and that’s not in short supply. I’ve never seen a professor look the way you do, or model, for that matter! I’m seriously stunned that anyone can get any work done in your class, and when others make comments about you (nothing too terrible, I promise), I get angry with them, because I hate when other people objectify you. And when I heard that you were a lesbian, I just about died with happiness. That was when I knew I’d have to do something about this. I knew that there was some hope, and so I’m sorry if I’m incredibly annoying, but you have to understand this feeling. I would never follow you or anything like that, but I wanted to leave you this so that you would always know that I shiver when you look at me. And especially when you look at me in that way you’re not supposed to. You hate it, and I love it. Please never stop doing that. You can picture me naked, or even call me if you want. Do you want my number? I’ve thought about being with you and your wife, and I would do that. She can say anything she wants to me if I can just kiss you fully, even just once. I want you to be able to kiss me with all the passion that I see in you, and I’ll give you just the same in me. And if we don’t feel anything after that, I promise I won’t bother you again. I just have this feeling that our chemistry would be amazing, and that you’d see it then, too.