An Unexpected Encounter (Timothy Lawrence FanFic)

The young girl held her books firmly to her chest as she swiftly made her way across the sprawling fields of the campus. Her heart hammered in her chest violently. A mix of excitement and fear flowed freely through her veins, she'd never been somewhere so grand in her life. Julia felt like she didn't belong, that she stuck out like a sore thumb. However, she pushed that feeling down and yanked open the doors of the mathematics building. She felt a rush of cool air hit her skin and a pleasantly surprised "Ahh" escaped her lips.

Stepping into that building had to be one of the strangest experiences of her life. It was so magnificent that it made her uneasy to be there. It felt like she was intruding upon someone, slinking around in places she wasn't meant to be. However, the feeling mingled inside her with another more pleasant one, one of hope and the thrill of starting a new life. The marble floors seemed to shine brighter and the stained glass windows become more vibrant as she allowed herself to indulge in the feeling for a brief moment. How happy she was to be living the life she'd dreamed of for so long.

Alas, she had to pull herself from these thoughts if she were to find her classroom. "301", she swore that's what the paper said. "101", "103", "105", "87?", what kind of cursed, evil pattern was this? Well it didn't matter, she thought, she was a smart girl, after all, she'd figure it out. But, after what felt like centuries of roaming the bustling halls, she still couldn't find the damn thing. Agitated from her long trek, she let out a little groan of frustration. The universe must have heard her because no sooner had she decided to ask for help that she saw a "301" out of the corner of her eye. She was so relieved, she hardly noticed the 200 or more people crowding the room.

Finding an empty seat in the packed lecture hall was no small feat, many students stretched themselves over multiple seats, some haphazardly throwing the entirety of their worldly possessions on would-be available chairs. Oh, how she hated other people at times. However, she was able to locate a seat in the front row, next to a seemingly quiet man. And, before any other students had a chance to seize the open seat, she sprinted to it and threw herself upon it. She was just in time too, because just as her butt touched the seat, a man she assumed to be the professor strutted into the classroom.

He was tall and thin with a wide smile that put her on edge. To be frank, he didn't look much like a professor. His beard was scruffy and he wore a stained, ill-fitting shirt. He looked more akin to a junkie than a teacher, and she knew their type all too well. Even so, he carried himself with an air that only a tenured professor could. Without uttering a word to the class, he began to write something on the board.

It took only seconds until he was satisfied with what he'd scrawled, and he stepped aside as if to admire his work. The board read, "Icebreaker game!" in big, sloppy red lettering. She'd never liked these games. Back in high school, even if she tried conversing with the others, they never seemed to care all that much, and it never led to any meaningful connections. People would form cliques one way or another, she thought, might as well not force them to talk with those they don't wish to. But, deep down she wasn't truly so apathetic. In her heart, Julia had always wished to be accepted, but because of her financial standing and general social ineptitude, no one wanted to waste their time on her.

"All right listen up everyone!" she heard booming from the front of the room, "Please turn to the person beside you, right or left, doesn't matter, just find someone, you will need a partner for this activity", the professor said, the offputting grin still playing upon his thin lips. Julia audibly sighed and turned to face the man beside her. He turned to face her too and a light pink the shade of bubblegum immediately filled his cheeks. "Hi!", he said cheerily, obviously trying his best to be friendly, even though he was nervous. "Hello there", she replied, smiling widely, trying to put him at ease.