The Professor

Chapter Three

I cling the picture to my chest tightly and spin around, looking at Collin. My breathing hitches and my skin starts to prickle with embarrassment. He's looking at me with an amused smile and I sit the picture back on the nightstand abruptly.

"I'm so sorry, I was just..."

"Snooping around?" He asks lightly.

Embarrassed. 

I start to stutter and apologize frantically. "No, no. I was just looking for an empty room and I walked in on people twice and then I found your room and I was alone and just looking at your stuff and-,"

Collin starts to laugh. "Jesus Christ, relax. I'm not mad." He says, still chuckling. 

My cheeks feel hot and so do I. I'm embarrassed he caught me snooping around and now i'm even more embarrassed I was just a stammering mess in front of him. He walks by me to his dresser and bends down to pick up a pair of shorts on the ground. Tossing the shorts into his hamper, he turns back to me and says, "Do you want a drink or anything?"

I shake my head. "I don't drink. Well, i've never really drank before. Actually, I had a sip of champagne once and I liked it but that's all i've had so I don't know if I will like anything else, but judging by the smell of it, probably not."

Collin looks at me with wide eyes. He's smiling and trying to contain his laughter as best as he can. I can tell by the way his lip is quivering. He finally breaks and bends over laughing, making me feel even more embarrassed with myself. I shift nervously on my feet before turning to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going?" He asks, stopping me.

I spin around slowly to look at him but I don't say anything. I don't know what to say. I don't want to tell him i'm leaving because he is making me flustered and i'm embarrassed.

"I'm sorry for laughing, you're just really cute." He says.

Cute?

It gives me butterflies in my stomach hearing him call me cute. It also makes my cheeks grow hotter than they already are. There's no doubt i'm blushing right now. This night can not get anymore embarrassing.

"Come back in here." He says, waving his hand in a 'come back' motion.

I instantly listen and walk back to where I was standing in the room. He's so attractive. It's making me nervous how cute he is.

Collin walks around his room and starts to pick up stuff from the floor. "It's Claire, right?" He asks. I nod my head. "Freshman?"

I nod my head once more.

Collin stops walking and looks at me with a slight smile. "All that jabbering a few seconds ago and now you're mute?"

I open my mouth to say something but words don't come out. 

"I'm sorry. I'm just not used to this." I finally say.

"Used to what?" 

"This." I point back forth between us and he snickers.

"You're not used to talking to people? Is that what you're saying?"

I roll my eyes at him. "I'm not used to parties and drinking and... frat guys."

His eyebrows shoot up and he looks down at the t-shirt wadded in his hands. "Frat guys." He says it the same way I did and then looks up at me. "You make it sound like we're evil people."

I blow out a breath of air and rub my temples. "I didn't mean it like that. I don't know what i'm saying, i'm so out of my element right now." I tell him. He probably thinks i'm so weird right now. I've heard stories about frat guys. I know what they do and what they're like, especially when it comes to girls.

"What is your element then, Claire?" He asks, seeming genuinely interested.

I look up at him. He's looking at me intently like he's really listening. He's about to think i'm an even bigger loser.

"Reading. Writing. Stuff like that." I say lowly and look down at my feet. I don't want to see the look on his face when he tries to hold in his laughter again. 

"Wow, what a-,"

"There you are!"

Collin is cut off by the sound of a female voice. We turn to the door and see Jessica walking in. 

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" She says, walking up to me. She looks to Collin and then back to me, a smug smile spreading across her lips. "Sorry to break up the little chit chat, but we have to go," She looks at me with a wink. "I'll be waiting in the car."

When she leaves, I look back at Collin. He's smiling and I smile back. I don't want to go now, but I also don't want to make Jessica wait.

"It was nice to meet you." I tell him.

"It was nice to meet you too, Claire." He says, still smiling.

I turn to walk out of the room and out the front door. Jessica and Chelsea are waiting on me in the car and I climb in the back seat, biting my lip to keep from smiling.

"Ready to go?" Jessica asks, looking back at me with a smug look.

"Yeah, I am." I answer, Chelsea starts to drive off.

For some reason, I think i'm really going to like college.