Shane's cold, sharp voice left Cammila frozen at the door. She stared blankly at Shane who was talking to someone on the phone. His face flushed with anger and his jaw tightened. Shane gestured with his eyes for Cammila to come into his room and closed the door behind her.
Cammila gulped nervously while feeling her heart, which was pounding very hard. She thought Shane had just shouted at her and punished her. She actually almost fainted as his cold words pierced right through her heart.
“I don't care, you are suspended indefinitely. If you show a good attitude during your suspension, I will consider taking you back. But if not, you had better get out of my campus forever. This university is too good for an incompetent lecturer like you.”
Silence ensued after Shane finished his call with someone who pissed him. Cammila sat up straight in her chair, waiting anxiously for Shane while telling her heart to stop beating so fast. But unfortunately, Cammila couldn't stop her crazy heart beating. The silence around her made her nervousness worse.
“So, where do we start, Ms. Bennett?”
Shane sat on his throne and placed his cellphone on his very neatly arranged table. Thick books were stacked on the right side of his desk with precision, his nameplate was right in the middle of the table, and on the left he had several important folders with various labels.
“Ms. Bennett?”
Cammila gasped in surprise because Shane had just caught her daydreaming while looking at his desk.
“I'm sorry about what happened in your class, sir. I realized that it was very inappropriate to do that."
“Good. You realize your mistake. I know you didn't do it."
Her eyes widened in surprise. Cammila couldn't hide her surprise as Shane grinned at her.
“Your loyalty towards your friend is very commendable. You protect your best friend, right? Sarah Johnson.”
“I-I... It was my fault.”
"So you really like me and want to sleep with me?"
“I-it's not like that. I don't..."
Cammila sighed softly. She thought she was not good at lying in front of her professor. He was too genius to be deceived.
"She was just joking. Sarah can be very nosy sometimes. But she didn't mean any harm.”
“Disturbing other students in the middle of my class is a bad thing. Don't you realize that, huh?”
Cammila flinched in surprise when Shane suddenly hit the table. Her face turned deathly pale and she looked down deeply at the floor.
“Tell me, what punishment should I give her?”
"What? Don't!" Cammila hurriedly covered her mouth because she suddenly shouted.
“Please, don't punish Sarah. She won't do it again. I will make sure of that.”
“She embarrassed you in front of all your friends. Why do you still want to protect her?”
“Because she is my best friend. We have been friends since high school. I love her like she was my own sister. So please, don't punish her. Friendship is not only about good things, there are times when we have to compromise on bad things."
"Okay. She escaped my punishment this time. But if she makes a mistake again next time, you will get the punishment because you promised me to make sure she won't do it again. Especially in my class.”
Cammila sighed in relief. "Thank you very much."
“Don't be too happy. I know you are one of the scholarship students here.”
Cammila's body stiffened. She started to worry about what Shane would say next.
“Behave like a smart girl. I can revoke your scholarship whenever you cause trouble.”
With sickening arrogance, Shane made a gesture with his chin towards the door. “You may go now.”
With a pale face and a body as stiff as a board, Cammila left Shane's room. She didn't expect that she would still receive threats about her scholarship, even though Shane knew she was innocent. It was enough to make her heart pound very hard and her face turn pale all the way to the cafeteria.
“Hey, how did it go? What did the handsome professor say?”
“I need water. I need something to calm my pounding heart.”
“Oh my, your hands are so cold. What did he do to you? Did he kiss you in his office?”
“Stop being ridiculous, Sarah. I became like this because of you!" Cammila shouted at her loudly.
All eyes were on her for a few moments. But Cammila didn't care. She plopped down on the empty chair in front of Sarah and snatched Sarah's orange juice before she sucked it all up.
“You stole my juice!”
“It's better than getting punished. I just saved your ass from that super tyrannical professor.”
"What do you mean?"
"He knows that it wasn't me who did it but you."
“Wow, he's great. The rumors are true. Not only does he have two eyes on his face, but he also has two eyes on his back. Some of our seniors tried their luck by cheating on tests in Shane Coffey's class. And you know what happens, they get caught just seconds after they unlock the answers they smuggled under their table. Ughh... their fate is so bad."
“I can't believe he has eyes on his back. But he definitely has a sixth sense.”
"You were lucky to be alone with him in his office. Why didn't he just call me if he knew you weren't the one writing on the paper?”
Cammila snorted. She regretted defending Sarah so fiercely in front of Shane.
"So, you didn't get any punishment, right?"
“Fortunately not.”
Cammila decided not to tell Sarah about Shane's other threats. She didn't want to discuss it, for the sake of her heart which had been beating very hard since earlier.
"I'm grateful. He's a good professor. Sometimes, people overestimate him just because he is too disciplined and cool. Look, he will not punish anyone if that person is innocent.”
“Ok, stop this nonsense. I'm sick of hearing you praise Mr. Coffey in front of me. Hold on a moment," Cammila motioned to Sarah to be quiet because her cell phone suddenly rang.
“Yes, Mom?”
“You go to the hospital now. Avery just had an accident. Her condition is critical.”
"What? Are you serious?"
“Are you deaf and didn't hear my words, huh? Your sister had an accident. Quickly drag your ass over here right now. We have a critical situation.”
Before Cammila could say anything, her stepmother had turned off the phone. Cammila was left in a state of panic and anxiety thinking about her sister.
"What happened?"
“I have to go to the hospital. Avery had an accident.”
Cammila stuffed her cell phone into her bag and hurried out of the cafeteria.
"Wait. Let me take you to the hospital," Sarah ran after her and kept pace with her.
“Going to the hospital by car is faster than by bus. Let's go. Thank me later.”
Cammila grinned at her friend, who was always overconfident. But she was grateful to have a friend like Sarah. At least, she could be relied on in critical times like that.