He did the reading.

He was breathing heavily out of his nose. Partly because of allergies, and partly, I'm sure, due to excitement - like a small pug puppy. The first thing he said to me was "I did the reading!" "Very cool." I replied. I didn't mean it.

It was the first day of my third semester as a graduate student, and I was not impressed. While I didn't do the reading -in fact, I hadn't yet even thought about buying the $84 book and therefore was technically unprepared for the first class - "Tommy" was not impressing me with his chair-nervously-scooting-up-hands-folded-but-still-fidgety demeanor. I'm not exactly sure what's wrong with Tommy, but I do know that he's Canadian. Not that that explains everything, but it helps.

I first met him when we did a presentation together last semester. The thing about Tommy is that he is very, very sweet. And by that I mean he likes to get me things. It's still unclear how, but he is somehow able to procure - at a moment's notice - a seemingly endless stream of carted TVs and DVD players for the classroom, as well as control things like lighting and temperature. "Is it hot in here or is it just me?" He literally asked me as we sat waiting for the professor to arrive. "I'm temperate." I responded. "Because I can lower the temperature in here" he said with big sweeping hand motions. "I'm okay." I responded again. "Thanks though." He can also acquire cups of coffee (or tea), paper, pens, flipcharts, books and printouts of any syllabus or class description I make the slightest mention of.

I imagine a small dark room tucked under the leaky part of the emergency staircase as Tommy's home. Inside, a tangle of wires leads to half a dozen computer monitors, all set up to watch for permutations in lighting, acoustics and temperature. Tommy sits fidgeting in a black plether armchair, petting his 4 gerbils, reading, highlighting and tabbing his book for next week's class so that once again he can squirrel his seat up next to mine, and, breathing heavily, exclaim in a sing-songy voice"I did the reaaaadddding!"

It's going to be a long semester.