Sensation (h.s)

Chapter Four

✺ K A T E ' S ✺ P O V ✺

Monday seems to come around much too quickly. I eat my breakfast in my dorm and take my time walking to my first class. Professor Styles is there and doesn't seem to be in as playful of a mood as he was on Friday. He barely speaks throughout the class and assigns us some journal assignment which no one seems to protest about. A majority of the students are half asleep anyways thanks to the Monday morning struggle of being away at an early hour.

I sip my coffee throughout the class and sit with my leg tucked up against my chest in my desk. I type mindlessly on my laptop to plan out the topic of the essay Professor Styles claimed he was assigning us next week while listening to music in my headphones. I feel at peace for once in my head knowing him and I aren't at war and that my admission to the school is safe for now.

Mr serenity disappears seconds later when a new email pops up on my laptop screen.

-
From: h.styles@uchicago.edu
To: Kate Stevenson

Kate-

Meet me in my lecture hall after your final class of the day. I have an errand to run and won't be too late after you arrive. You may begin with organizing the files on my desk alphabetically that I will set out for you later.

Thanks.

Professor Styles
-

The email is short and to the point. I have a feeling our teasing and flirting won't be quite what it was on Friday. Either way, I'm thankful to be serving my punishment this way rather than expulsion.

Without choosing to respond, I exit out of the tab and glance up at him sitting at his desk. Our eyes meet and we exchange small smiles before both returning to our work.

I end up eating lunch with Lena again at some little bakery down the street from campus. I get a small sandwich and an iced latte to keep me awake knowing I'll have to stay at school much later than usual.

By the time I do make it to Professor Styles room after my final class, he sticks to his word and isn't there. I go ahead and disregard our previous fight and sit in his chair behind his desk anyways. If he sticks to his word he'll politely ask me to move if he has a problem with it. If being the key word, though.

I start off the work he assigned me and jump right into organizing the files on his desk. He left a sticky note addressed to me indicating of where to place them once I'm finished and it takes all of my strength to not snoop around his other drawers.

When he finally does enter the room, it's thirty minutes after I've arrived. He looks flustered when he walks in carrying his laptop and a cup of coffee. He's wearing the same coat that I saw him in at the cafe-- looking as attractive as ever.

"Good afternoon." He greets formally, setting his things down on the desk across from his that I'm sitting in.

"Hi." I mumble back shyly. I can't detect his mood and it slightly worries me.

"How were your classes today?" He asks politely, slightly catching me off guard. He sits at the student desk across from me and opens his laptop to begin his own work.

"They were fine. And yours?" I ask back, finding it funny how we went from Wednesday's fight, to Friday's flirting, to Monday's small talk.

"I hate college students. Don't even ask me that." He jokes back, glancing up from his computer to indicate his teasing. I crack a smile along with him and shake my head, not bothering to respond.

Minutes pass of us silently working on our own things. I end up slipping my sandals off at some point and sitting in his large leather chair with my legs tucked up against my chest while I sort through the files and place them nicely back in the drawer.