Fingernail-Scab Sucker

No, the title of this post is not a jab at insulting someone. {Although that nickname would be quite fun to give..}

Rather it is an accurate description of a fellow classmate. My international theory of Asia {yes there is such a thing} class is held at exactly 12:05 pm every other day. Seeing as there is an extra five minutes before class usually starts, I rarely have a reason to be late to lecture.

However, things happened. Whether it was devotional that went over, or I just dragged my feet a little more than usual last Tuesday, I was late for class.

As I tried my hardest to sneak in unnoticed, I quickly scanned the room for empty chairs. Up three rows from where the door was, there was an empty spot just one seat from the aisle.

I whispered my apologizes as I squeezed into my seat with my backpack and all. In a quiet frenzy, I pulled out my binder and writing tool, ready to take notes. I was intently followed lecture when, suddenly, I was  distracted by a slow sucking sound.

As I surveyed the room for signs of snacks or beverages, I realized it was coming from my neighbor in the aisle seat.

I gave a quick side way glance. Shocked by what I thought I had seen, I slowly twisted my neck in order to disprove what I thought he was doing.
Oh, it was worse. Much worse.

My neighbor had taken up the habit of pulling off chewing his fingernails. He  was not your average fingernail chewer. No, the normal fingernail biter slyly nibbles at their fingertips, quickly thrusting their hands in their pockets after the deed is done in hopes that no one has seen it.

This classmate was using one hand to assist the other hand in being chewed off. After slurping and chomping at his index finger, he proceeded to chew off two fingers, simultaneously! Hand jolting and pulling was involved, and the entire time I was completely fixated by how gross this entire act was becoming.

I looked away before my gag reflex got the best of me, deciding that I would only have to endure this once.

Yesterday, I rushed to class. Being only a minute or so late, someone had taken my usual spot in class.
As if by fate, the only seat available was next to my favorite fingernail chewer. Left with no choice, I sank into the seat, praying that he had no fingernails left to chew.

I peeked at his fingers and I was right. His fingernails were practically non-existent, completely jagged and chewed at. As I returned my gaze to the lecture, I noticed a lot of scabs and scratches on his arm. It was as if he had a fright of chicken pox in the form of scabs. Scab pox to be exact.

They were small and everywhere. Unable to come up with a conclusion as to how someone could contact scab pox, I returned to my work.

Only to be disrupted by a licking noise.

Because my neighbor had chewed off his own fingernails, he was unable to pick at the scabs.
So he resorted to the only thing he knew how to use best. His sucking and chewing.

Yes, that's correct. My neighbor was sucking at his forearm, picking off his own scabs.

I took a deep breath, hoping it would last until class was over,  in order to keep my lunch down because the the air around our seats now smelled faintly of spit...and scab sucking.

I decided then and there that I would never sit next to this monster ever again. Even if the seat next to him was the last one I would rather sit on my professor's lap before I had to watch him chew off another part of his body.

Hope you didn't lose your appetite, because I no longer eat before that class just in case I have to even sit near the fingernail-scab sucker.