The Professor

Chapter Thirty-Five

I'm surprised at how fast the weekend flew by. Once I left Dean's apartment, I drove back to campus and went to the dorm. Jessica was sound asleep when I got in and when I woke the next morning around nine, she was gone. She didn't leave a note to tell me where she was, and I didn't expect her to, but nothing important seemed to be missing so I suspected she was somewhere still in town.

Dean hasn't texted me since I left his apartment and I was a little disappointed when I woke up Monday morning to no text at all. I had the weekend to think of what happened, and this was the conclusion I came to: this is for the best. Sure, I was sad when I left his apartment early in the morning Saturday, I even cried a little bit on the drive back to campus, but once I had time to really sift through things, I saw that what I did was extremely foolish and i'm lucky I didn't get caught. Dean--I mean, Professor Underwood--is the most attractive man i've ever seen. There's not a part of his body that I still can't feel or see in my mind, but all this was was a stupid, foolish infatuation. A part of me still can't believe I was that reckless. I contemplated switching to a different section of the class, but after looking at the academic calendar and seeing the add/drop change date passed a few weeks ago, I forced myself to suck it up.

When I get out of the shower, Jessica takes my place, leaving me alone in the room. I quickly change into the clothes I decided to wear today and keep my hair in a towel. I sit on the bed to relax a little bit and check my social media apps when I see I have a mixed text. My heart starts to pound in my chest until I make out Collin's name. I hate that i'm a little disappointed it wasn't him but it's okay. It's for the best, remember?

Collin: Hey. We're trying the party thing again this weekend. You in?

Me: Hey. Sounds fun but I think i'm going to pass this weekend. I was thinking of taking a little break from the party scene and catching up on some reading. Thanks for the invite.

Collin texts back almost immediately.

Collin: Do you mind if I join? I'd like a break from the party scene myself.

A small smile starts to curve on my lips.

Me: Sure! Wanna go back to the secret place you showed me or will that be too dark?

Collin: It will probably be too dark. I know just the place.

Me: Another secret place?

Collin: Another secret place. Talk about the details in Brit Lit?

Me: Sure. See you soon.

Collin: See you soon.

It's for the best.

When it's time to go to Brit Lit, I anxiously walk into the room. I can see Professor Underwood standing at the computer desk against the wall and I don't look at him as I walk to my normal seat. Collin beat me to the class today and looks up at me with a smile when he sees me.

"Hey," he says cheerfully.

"Hey," I say just as cheerful, loud enough for Professor Underwood to hear how perky it sounds.

"So, Friday?" Collin asks.

I push my brown hair behind my shoulder and smile a genuine smile at him.

"Friday," I state with a smile. "Tell me about this secret place?" I continue to talk louder than usual.

"Right, so, I can't tell you exactly where it is and what it looks like, that will take away from the point of it being a secret, but I can tell you this: it will be worth your while," he says with a wink.

I chuckle flirtatiously and smile.

"I can't wait to see it," I say. I'm actually really looking forward to hanging out with him on Friday. It will be good to know that he is in the past and I can now spend my time being a normal college student with other normal college students; the way it should have been from the start.

"I can't wait for you to see it too," Collin says with a smile.

Professor Underwood gets the classes attention to start class and I have to force myself to look at him. His eyes ignore me the whole time he's talking and for the whole fifty minutes. If this is how it's going to be for the whole semester, then fine, i'll battle through it. 

His eyes don't look over to my side of the room the whole class period and I do my best to not stare at him the whole time either. Sometimes I look down at my notebook to write notes or draw pictures, anything that will keep me from looking at him. 

I feel no remorse or sadness or hurt looking at him, but I feel those emotions coming from him. He doesn't look bothered or upset, he looks well put together in his khaki pants and navy collared pull over, but I know how he's feeling from his body language. He's doing everything in his power to not look at me or have his body near my side of the room. Just that alone tells me everything I need to know. He's hurting.

When his lecture ends, I gather my things back into my bag and stand to walk with Collin. 

"I'm going to coffee shop in the student union to work on some homework; want to join?" Collin asks.

"Yeah. I could a latte right now, actually."

"Claire, can I talk to you for a minute?" I hear Professor Underwood say from the podium. My body freezes and my legs stop working. 

Collin turns to look behind him at Professor Underwood and then to me.

"I'll meet you there in a few minutes," I say to Collin with a smile.

He smiles at me before walking out of the room.

I turn my around to Dean and sigh exasperatedly. I don't have time to hear him beg for me to come back. I relay that message as he looks at me and then digs in his leather messenger bag.

"Dean, I don't have time for this. Collin is waiting on me. It's over, I meant what I said--,"

"Professor Underwood," he corrects, handing me a sheet of paper he pulled from his bag. I take it from his hands and read it, scrunching my eyebrows together since I don't understand what i'm looking at. It's my class schedule printed out with a different section of Brit Lit on it. The class is still at the same time, just with a different teacher.

"What is this?" I ask, looking back up to him.

There's a smug smile on his face.

"Your new class schedule," he says as proud as his smile.

"I see that. Why is my Brit Lit section changed?"

"Well, due to some unfortunate circumstances," he slides the strap to his bag onto his shoulder. "I had this class waived to be dropped and replaced with the other."

"How did you manage to do that without explaining those unfortunate circumstances?" I ask with the same level of pettiness as him. 

"I explained to them that you came to me during my office hours and requested a different section because my classwork was too difficult for you to manage between your other classes."

I scoff at him.

"You're pathetic."

"I've been called worse. Have a great day."

Professor Underwood smirks at me as he walks by me to the door, leaving me alone and staring at the schedule just handed to me.

How am I going to explain this to Collin?