Teaching Mr. Graham

Chapter Fifty-Six

    Tatiana opened her eyes, waking from a dream where she'd fallen asleep next to Aubrey. When she rolled onto her other side, though, Aubrey wasn't there. She wasn't even in his bed; she was back in her dorm room, greeted with a view of her best friend's backside. With a sigh, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Had she really lost her virginity the other night, or had that been some perfect, crazy dream?

    The sound of rustling sheets sounded from the other side of the room. "What time is it?" Kenya croaked out.

    "Probably time for us to start getting ready for class," Tatiana responded, checking for messages on her phone. There was one from Aubrey, apologizing for OB's surprise appearance. According to his message, he would have preferred to hold her all night. He promised to make it up to her and said he'd see her in class. She broke out into a smile and hugged the phone to her chest.

    Kenya arched an eyebrow at her. "Are you okay?"

    "I don't even know," Tatiana said breathily.

    "You know I'm going to need deets, right?"

    "What we really need is to get ready for class, so we aren't late," Tatiana said, throwing aside the covers and jumping out of bed.

    Kenya stroked her chin. "Well I was going to ask you if the D is good, but with the way you're bouncing around like you're still on it, I think that question is pretty much answered."

    Tatiana burst out laughing.

    They picked out their choice of outfits for the day and laid their outfits out on their beds, before undressing and putting on robes. On their way to the communal Girls' shower, Kenya proclaimed, "Come hell or high water, I'm going to get the details from you, girl."

    "Details? About what?"

    Both girls stopped in their tracks and turned around to face a girl with dark braids pinned up into a bun.

    Aisha grinned at both of them. "You know...I couldn't help but notice that both of you got in really late last night. Definitely past curfew. So...where were you? Or do I even want to know?"

    Kenya checked her ears to see if earrings were in them and took a step towards Aisha.

    Aisha took a step back and held up an index finger. "Ah, ah, ah, we've already been through this, before, remember? The basketball game?"

    "And at that basketball game, I had a loving boyfriend there who kept me from stomping your ass into the ground," Kenya said, mimicking Aisha's tone. "Fortunately for me, my ball and chain is chilling in his own dorm room right about now and isn't here to keep me in check."

    "Why would you want to stomp me into the ground for asking a simple question?" Aisha asked, her voice filled with mock-innocence

    "Because you're always sticking your damned nose where it doesn't belong," Kenya said through clenched teeth.

    Tatiana touched Kenya's arm, but turned her eyes to Aisha. "Instead of focusing on me and where I'm coming and going, focus on what you have with Christian." She started to turn back around.

    Aisha blew out a puff of air between her lips. "As if I give a damn about Christian."

    Tatiana took a deep breath.

    "I don't want Christian," Aisha said, moving closer to Kenya and Tatiana. "You know exactly who I do want...the same man you keep throwing yourself at."

    "Excuse me?" Tatiana whirled back around.

    "I can take this skinny bitch by myself, so best believe we can both take her, no matter how horrible your fighting skills are," Kenya said under her breath.

    "We aren't about to fight her, Ken," Tatiana said back.

    "Why the hell not?" Kenya demanded. "You can see that the bitch doesn't know how to sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up. Are we really going to let her keep coming at us with this petty shit? She needs to be dealt with."

    Aisha folded her arms across her chest. "I told you that I had my eyes on you. You thought I was just talking out my ass when I said that?" She pushed past them and entered the bathroom.

    Kenya turned and reached out to grab her hair.

    Tatiana grabbed Kenya's arm and brought it down. "Stop it. You're going to get in trouble."

    "Me?!" Kenya shrieked. "That bitch just shoved me. Kicking her ass would be self-defense."

    Knowing that Aisha was in the bathroom, Tatiana didn't really feel like showering anymore...but she also couldn't face the day without feeling fresh and clean. So despite wanting to run the other way, she proceeded into the bathroom with Kenya at her heels.

    Thankfully, they were able to shower without any further drama unfolding. There were a few more stares from Aisha, but that went without saying.

    When they were on their way back to their dorm room, Kenya confessed, "Damn...we had so much fun with Eric and Drizzy that I forgot that bitch even existed."

    "Same," Tatiana muttered.

    For that day, she chose a simple outfit. She wanted to do the glamorous look again, but after the encounter with Aisha, she simply didn't have the energy to put a glamorous outfit together. She went with jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers, and grabbed her backpack. Then she sat on the edge of her bed and typed out a reply to Aubrey, while patiently waiting for Kenya to put her "face" on for the day.

    Kenya walked her to class. The day was sunny and the sky was speckled with sparse white clouds. "If anything happens in class today..."

    "You'll be the first person to know," Tatiana promised just as her cell phone buzzed in her jeans pocket. Since the only other person who'd be texting her was standing beside her, she figured that the person texting her was Aubrey. She raised her eyes and peered into the classroom.

    Aubrey was seated at his desk, speaking with a student. His phone was nowhere in sight.

    Frowning, she checked the text message.

Incoming text message:

This message is to confirm your withdrawal from A. Graham's Creative Writing course. Please check your student handbook for possible consequences resulting from the withdrawal of this class.

    Tatiana's complexion paled.

    "Tati? What is it?" Kenya's voice sounded far away. Distant.

    Aubrey turned his head and glanced towards them. He smiled, but even he seemed extra far away from her. Just out of reach.

    Kenya pried the phone out of her hands and checked the text message. "Oh, shit."

    "My parents," Tatiana murmured dazedly. "This has to be my parents."

    "Oh, shit," Kenya repeated, this time with emphasis.

    Tatiana felt herself falling. Then she saw nothing but black.