Charming as a Verb

by Ben Philippe

“Man, small talk is not your forte, huh?” “I don’t believe in it as a lifestyle choice, no.”

From now on, we get to shape ourselves. Isn’t that the point of college?”

Just be yourself.” “People love saying that.” I sigh. “That’s like screaming at someone having a panic attack not to panic. What if I don’t know what that means?”

At some point, she saw an opportunity, an opening, and jumped headfirst into it. She made her reality. And that’s what I’m going to do.

She’s also passionate, awkward, and unpredictable, and it all amounts to something wonderful. So it’s not surprising that when she steps forward and kisses me, everything else blurs into the background.

She throws her head back and laughs, and it’s the best sound in the world.