My Professor's Secret

29|

twenty-nine

After leaving Sawyer's at daybreak, I head straight home. Turns out packing a bag leaves room to forget things. For one, it was seven thirty in the morning and I was already anticipating the fact that Taylor and I were still on the outs with each other. Once I've finally made it to our room and discovered she had already managed to escape before I could make it home, the stiffness in my shoulders releases it's grip on me. For a moment I even contemplate picking up the phone to at least give her a text, but decide against it because nothing had changed about my response.

It takes no time to prepare myself in my Hinkhouse uniform before trudging to work in the icy winter air.

With holiday break being over, campus was back to its usual liveliness—which I enjoyed—still, it meant another busy day back at Hinkhouse. The place was jam packed for breakfast when I arrived and Kevin refused to waste a single breath with hello's before practically shoving me towards the kitchen. Even though I played discreet entering, it took the voice in my head to remind me of the importance of breathing. Seeing Professor Thornton with all that's going on in my personal life and the crap between him and I weighted heavy on me. If Kevin wasn't as crazy as I've been told he is, I'd have never showed up for my shift today. Instead, I'd be locked in my dorm like a coward.

Professor Thornton isn't in the kitchen, neither is he in the lounge as I strip myself of my winter attire and hang my coat. A sense of solace wraps me up and I'm able to compartmentalize everything into its own separate file cabinet locked only in my memory. At least for now. As expected, the breakfast flow never slowed. By lunch, It was obvious the day would keep me occupied and my mind off of Professor Thornton—who never showed. I wondered if cowardice is what kept him away today but refuse to dwell on it any longer than I needed to.

After my shift ended, I had a few spare minutes to walk to see my brother before my next class began, so I headed over to his side of campus. He welcomed me in with the same sunken expression on his face he wore during our days in Dreycott for break.

"When can we just skip to the part where you tell me what's going on with you?"

"When it becomes your business," he says, sitting at his desk. He doesn't say more, not that he needs
to considering his posture told the story of his distaste. "That was rude," he sighs. "I'm not mad at you if that's what you're thinking. I'm just—there's a lot going on right now and the only way I've been able to keep it together is by pretending there isn't a problem."

I want to tell him. About Trevor and Meghan. About everything that's going on but obviously the thought of them has already got him so bent out of shape.

He finally opens up after I've spilled the beans about my argument with Taylor—who my brother ends up agreeing with over me. Apparently word about Meghan and her possible indiscretions have begun traveling around campus. Christian tells me that a few of his friends have either heard or witnessed Meghan cuddling back up with Trevor and possibly a few other guys.

It takes a whole lot of strength convincing myself that bashing her to my brother would only do more harm than good, so instead of agreeing with anything, I tell him I'll put my differences with Taylor aside for information about Meghan. Thankfully the promise of a little bit of closure brings him enough fulfillment to hug me goodbye once I've prepared to head to my lecture.

The walk is longer than I anticipate it to be, and by the time I've actually made it outside the hall, class has already begun. Professor Thornton's, who was clearly avoiding me at work spoke loud enough for his voice to travel through the hall. He was encouraging students to participate in whatever assignment he was getting ready to pile onto us. Before fully gaining the strength to enter, I tuck away loose curls behind my ear and line my lips with a light layer of gloss. As expected, my entrance interrupts him mid sentence and he and everyone else in the class finds their attention trained on me.