Beyond The Lecture Hall

Chapter 8

(hey guys i'm so sorry for not updating sooner but i had a lot going on in the last weeks, i'm going to be more active now! <3)

It's the next morning, and I have Ms. Olsen's class again today. I get dressed and put on my makeup. Since it's still early, I decide to go to the coffee shop and buy two cinnamon lattes—one for me and one for Ms. Olsen. I walk to campus, feeling really nervous because of what happened yesterday. When I arrive at the lecture hall, it's already open. I place the coffees on Ms. Olsen's desk along with a note that says, "Thank you for yesterday," with a heart. I quickly leave the hall, knowing she'll arrive soon. She's always early. I text Harper to see when she's coming. She says she'll be there in 5 minutes, so I wait for her outside. "Heyy girl," Harper greets me as she walks up to me. "Hey, Harps," I say in return. "Guess what? Ryan asked me out!" she excitedly tells me. "Wait... Ryan from your biology class?" I ask. "Yes, he's so hot," she replies, clearly thrilled. "Well, I don't know about that..., but I'm happy for you!" I say as we make our way to the lecture hall. We enter the hall, and Ms. Olsen and the other students are already there. I can feel Ms. Olsen's eyes on me, but I avoid looking at her for now. Harper and I find seats and take out our notebooks. I want to sneak a peek at Ms. Olsen, but she's already staring at me. I quickly turn away, blushing. Shit... The lecture starts, and I've never been more nervous. I glance at Ms. Olsen again, and she's still looking at me. Then, she smiles and takes a sip of her latte. She looks fucking hot today. As she speaks, I can't help but imagine her and me.... It seems like she notices that I'm not fully paying attention, and she asks, "Ms. Aiden, could you explain why he wrote that?" Caught off guard, I look at her and stammer, "Uhhh..." She smirks and says, "That's what I thought..." Fuck, I shouldn't enjoy this as much as I do. Harper gives me a side eye and quietly laughs. "Shut up," I whisper to her, feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement. The lecture ends in just 5 minutes, and Ms. Olsen announces, "Alright, guys, we have a trip coming up. We're going to visit a museum in Florida related to what we're learning. It's an educational trip, and you don't have to go if you don't want to. More information is on the paper on my desk. If you're interested, take one and sign up using the code provided." Harper looks at me and says, "We have to go, dude!" I respond, "Hell yeah!" As we walk to Ms. Olsen's desk, I lock eyes with her, and she does the same with a slight smirk. Harper and I grab information papers and leave the lecture hall.
"Did you see how she was looking at you?" Harper asks. "She drives me crazy, Harps," I say.

Harper and I head to the cafeteria to grab some food. "Do you want to come to my place and hang out?" I ask Harper. "I have a class with Professor Larson now. Don't you have class with Professor Evans?" she replies. "Nah, dude, he's still not there. I wonder what he's doing," I say. "You're lucky," she comments. "I guess. I'm going to go home and sign up for this trip," I say. "Do that. I'm actually excited. It's been months since I've been to Florida," she says. "Same" I agree. Since Harper's lecture is starting soon, I decide to walk her there before heading home. On my way back, I decide to stop by a bookshop since I need a new book to read. I end up buying "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. I've always loved his books.

Now that I'm home, I sit down and sign up for the trip. The hotel we'll be staying at looks really nice. We'll be there for four days. It's a bit expensive, but luckily, I have some money saved up. I didn't want to ask my mom though, whose calls and messages I've been ignoring.
Feeling a bit bored, I decide to look up Ms. Olsen's Instagram. I come across an account with a profile picture that looks like her. Her first name is Elizabeth... That's such a beautiful name. Sadly, her account is private, and I hesitate to send a follow request.

.. I can't stop thinking about her. Maybe I should give her a call, but what would I even say? She only gave me her number for emergencies.
Since I'm not sure what else to do, I grab my sketchbook and start drawing. I end up drawing Ms. Olsen, and it only intensifies how much I miss her.