The opposite character

Chapter 3: Betty the ugly

JJ and I ended up walking to class together. On the way we spoke of professor Callahan and his crazy antics. He had announced last class that he had a brand new project for us. Last semester he had given us famous actors/actress that had played famous roles and we were to do a case study on how these actors/actresses were similar to the characters they often played. I had gotten Marilyn Monroe and I suspected that was because professor Callahan was trying to embarrass me, while everyone else called me plain Jane , professor Callahan preferred to refer to me as ugly Betty.
I liked being plain than ugly and that was because I was in fact not ugly . The only similarities between ugly Betty and I were my thick rimmed glasses and I wore them because I was practically blind and I had sensitive irises that didn't let me wear contacts for long periods.
As we neared the building JJ mentioned that professor Callahan had said that the new project was a follow up on the last one. I immediately knew I wouldn't like it considering my case study was Marilyn Monroe. I was hoping Callahan didn't ask me to do a play with a bedroom scene or something like that because I swear that man was out to get me. On many occasions he said I was a great actress when I wasn't being too innocent to embrace potential. He was wrong, I wasn't innocent not in the least bit but I was slightly prude and Callahan had been working on pulling me out of that shell. He was always reminding me that Hollywood loved sex scenes. It was in a lot of movies these days and cartoons which personally sounded disturbing to me. Basically professor Callahan was out to turn me into a whore and he didn't hide it.
   The lecture hall was filling up when JJ and I arrived I quickly gulped down the rest of my second hot chocolate that JJ had given me on the house and munched the remnants of Christen's veggie sandwich she had left behind- a real foodie never ever discriminates- and took a seat beside him in a corner of the room. I was running out of places to hide from professor Callahan. Not a minute later the Grey haired man marched into the lecture hall, not a book in hand or a marker. Professor Callahan was once an Hollywood hotshot for a few years before he took on a lecturing job teaching the course he had studied in the same university. He hardly ever came to class prepared, he always said art was spontaneous. So usually he walked into class empty handed, probably a little empty headed, opened his mouth and said the first thing that came to mind.
    "Where's ugly Betty?", professor Callahan did not know my real name. Wondering how my usually invisible self had caught a professors attention and kept it since fresh man year, I rolled my eyes and raised my hand.
    He grinned flashing his stained tobacco teeth.
   "You're not gonna like this Betty the ugly".
     After that, he paid me no more specific attention and turned to address everyone else.
     "Okay class, I hoped you liked your grading on the last project", he said. I sure as hell didn't with all my work I got a sixty eight percent and excuse me if you didn't notice I'm kind of a nerd. Not like a math or science nerd , gosh no, more like a story nerd. I loved reading, writing and interpreting stories alas why I'm here in the first place.
       "If you didn't", professor Callahan continued, "then here's something that could give your GPA a nice boost, project 2".
      I opened my notepad with a groan and JJ chuckled beside me.
   "This project is far more practical", professor Callahan began, bedroom scene here I come, I thought.
"In this sequel", he paused and chuckled loudly at his little joke, "since you all are so caught up in yourselves that sometimes you struggle to express a character in a play above yours, this new project you are all to examine yourselves closely and then write a paper of exactly who an opposite you will be".
           I scrunched my nose.
"I want you to get creative with opposite you", he went on "name him/her, envision him/her, give him/her a back story, in a ten page write up.
         There was a loud groan following his last statement and professor Callahan cackled.
   "That's only the first part" he said clearly enjoying himself , "the second part is the practical side, in the second part you will become the character in your write up. Now you can choose a time or period of time and place to become this opposite character and while you are this character, you will do a short report on people's reaction to the opposite character. Also you can only be opposite character to people that do not know you previously" he blew a breathe, "understood".
The entire lecture hall just stared in pin drop  silence professor Callahan had officially lost it. "Interesting experiment huh?", he chuckled and then all at once the hall burst with protests and questions. Mr Callahan waved his hands to shut us up. "Acting is all about pretending, it's about being who u are not to a perfection. Sometimes you are might act characters that are similar to the real you, other times they maybe completely different. Like if Marilyn Monroe were to be beauty in beauty and the beast", he paused "open your eyes and see the value of this lesson then you will thank me".
          I really doubted that.
"The first part of your project must be submitted in three days, if I am satisfied with the opposite character you have created I would give the go ahead to begin phase two, however if I'm not you would have to redo it, keep in mind that your grades are in your hands extra points will be given for every minute detail that is mentioned about your character , good luck".
  He wiped the lenses of his glasses and adjusted them on his nose.
     "Now for today's lesson..."
I'd already tuned out.

hihihi😊
So I have a truckload of questions:
Any Marilyn Monroe Fan?
Any theater art student?
Do u believe professor Callahan's views on acting?, I don't BTW
Did I use professor Callahan too much rather than a pronoun?

Also if you see any where in the story where I wrote "you" as "u" ignore it or kindly point it out it's just text fingers.And I just noticed that my introduction is after my first chapter I'm working on that.