The Hybrid Girl (Andromeda Book 1)

Chapter 3

As I'm sat in my Wednesday afternoon lecture, I make a list of the things I need to complete by the end of the week. I refuse to be one of those students who's always straggling behind. Cradling my mobile in my lap, I scroll through the student shared area at all the material that has been made available. Five modules. One lecture per module per week, each on a different day. All labs are to start next week, due to the police still guarding whatever 'meteorite' is in the lab rooms. Leigh-Anne said it was supposed to be moved last week but it hasn't been yet.

Occasionally, I glance at the door awaiting Leigh-Anne's arrival. Finally, when she arrives, she's followed in by a large group of people all talking and laughing together. Initially, I was going to wave her over when she came in but when I see the mass amount of people with her, I decide to leave her be and let her sit wherever.

A couple of minutes later, I gaze up to find her taking a seat next to me. Greeting me with her signature grin, she starts to ramble on about a prank her boyfriend pulled on her this morning, making me smile.

Leigh-Anne is not from here, she is from London and lives on campus during term time. Born on 4th October, she is of Barbadian and Jamaican ancestry, which I think is cool. I'm of Egyptian and Yemini heritage, so it's nice to meet someone with an interesting background. She picked Optometry on impulse and decided to go with it, after achieving high A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physics last year.

In the few days I've known her I can tell she's a shopaholic, and deservedly so because she sure turned some heads as she entered, with her stunning outfit. Her permanent smile snatches the attention of everyone when she enters a room.

I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I'm liking her, but before we can start having a proper conversation, the lecturer arrives. The lecture theatre goes silent as we patiently wait for him to set up,
"Morning everyone!" he projects his voice, "welcome to your first lecture for this module. That is the Professionalism module."

Mentally groaning, I realise this will be the module that's the least engaging because most of it will be common sense. Behave professionally at all times. Remember you're representing the entire profession. Don't do something that could get you stripped from the register for optometrists.

Yes, we understand. I think that if anyone doesn't think that's common sense, they should probably think twice about whether this course is right for them. No offence or anything but it is what it is.

My mind starts to wander to other things, like what I'm going to eat for lunch and if it's acceptable to walk out of a lecture that's only just started. Leigh-Anne eyes me carefully as if trying to depict what looks different about me. Her eyes go wide when she realises the redness all over my neck, "What happened to your neck?"

Self-consciously readjusting my scarf around my neck, I shrug, "I don't know. It just appeared overnight and I don't know what caused it."

"And it's never happened before?" she whispers, trying not to get caught talking. I shake my head. "You should go to the doctors or something."

My heart squeezes at her genuine concern and I smile, "I've put some cream on it, so if it isn't healed by tomorrow I'll go to the doctor."

She nods still looking concerned and then turns her attention back to the lecturer. I carry on making my mental checklist until I hear the word coursework, which compels me to zone back in. Jotting down a few bits and pieces of information about the coursework based on this module, I realise I'm actually going to have to pay attention to this topic. That is if I want to get a decent mark on my coursework.

My phone buzzes in my lap and an unidentified number illuminates the screen:

Please tell me I'm not the only one falling asleep.