He is sitting on a sofa chair

she is walking by
then walking back

He is trying to study for a test
but not succeeding because she is in the corner of his eye
even when she's not

she is sitting next to him,
on a chair parallel to his
slipping off her backpack and
her shoes,

as if she were at home and they were
old friends, familiar and comfortable
close enough that they shared spaces,
as some people do

intimate, as though they had done this before
as if they emptied their pockets
on the same table
all the time

He wonders if he should say how unusual it feels,
at least for him, but
her wink unnerves him

and he doesn't say a word
even when she puts her sock feet
on his lap