Willow
I toss in bed for the entire night, while thinking about Leo. I know I feel something for him, but what I feel for Leo is not as strong as what I feel for Liam. Although, I would never let anything happen between Leo and I. One heartbreak is enough, I can’t handle another.
My alarm rings, bringing me out of my train of thought, and I get up to prepare for CHEM 475 class.
When I’m outside my room and trying to lock my door, a group of students who are passing by steal glances at me, and their loud laughter turns into whispers. I ignore them and I walk to the lecture hall. On my way to the lecture hall, I see a student staring at me, then another, and then, more gawking eyes.
To avoid the stares on campus, I try to walk faster to class, but the tight knot in my stomach doesn't disappear, and it makes want to go back to lock myself in my dorm room.
I have always been a weird girl who doesn’t spend time with anyone, but now I’m a weird girl who walks around with a wolf, and they think I’m probably a murderer.
Why does my life have to be so complicated? I feel a tear threatening to come out of the corner of my eye and I quickly wipe it off.
I haven’t attended any classes since the beginning of the semester, and I sent a doctor’s note to my lecturers. Then, they suddenly saw me on video with bloody clothes and a wolf. How do I explain that? Wasn’t I supposed to be in my dorm room and recovering?
I take a deep breath before waking into the building. When I get to class, I stand at the doorway, and my jaw drops. I remain frozen, and I take a step back.
“You here early.” Leo says nonchalantly while looking up from the computer.
“I wanted to meet the professor before class starts. I sent him a doctor’s note, but I want to explain to him why I haven’t been coming to class.”
“Which professor?” His lips curl up.
“Wait a minute. Are you the Professor Brown that I emailed when I left the hospital?”
“Yes?” He chuckles.
“But you are Doctor Brown.”
“My title as a professor was still not official, so I preferred to be called doc.”
“And you are my boss and my professor?” I eye him skeptically.
He raises a brow, as if to say ‘obviously’.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. What’s with my luck? I’m trying not to think about this person and spending more time with him will make that impossible. I take out my phone to check if there are any other lecturers available for the module, and I only find Professor Brown.
I look up to notice a huge grin on his face. Did he figure out what I wanted to do?
“I accept that you will teach me as my lecturer. But, can’t I switch with another TA and work for a different professor?”
“I’ll tell the HOD I prefer you. Even if you go to the dean, I will still choose you.” He smiles.
“I’ll go to Professor Malino. We are now best friends.”
“We can go together. She is like a mother to me.”
“Really?” I eye him skeptically.
“Yep.”
“So, it’s your intention torture me?” I walk to his desk and I place my books on his table.
“A little,” he shrugs.
I can’t help but feel a smile forming on my lips.
“That’s the smile that I’ve been looking for,” he beams.
“You are the worst.”
“I’m your professor, young lady,” his lips form a boyish grin.
I sigh in response and help him prepare the study material before students get in. How is he so playful abd friendly even after I made him leave last night?
“You haven’t told me what to prepare to teach for this week. You need to send me a study plan.” I glance at him.
“You don’t have to teach anything this week. It’s your first month as my TA.”
“But your email when I was at the hospital…and you made me teach on my first day.”
“I know. My TAs don’t do anything in the first month. I was just furious after you…”
‘After I asked you to leave me with Liam at the hospital.’ I say internally. “I’m sorry. I wish I didn’t have to face you.” I say to him.
“Did you notice that I’m your lecturer for CHEM 428 as well? You can’t escape me.”
“Tell me you are joking.” I mumble.
“I am joking,” he titters.
I playfully hit my forehead with my palm and he his lips curl up. Then we organize attendance papers in comfortable silence.
I head to my seat when I have 10 minutes before class starts.
He starts teaching, and for the first time, I find myself unable to focus in class. I shift my focus and concentrate on his lips. The memories of his kisses return, but his voice gets more deep, and brings me back to reality.
“Are you going to focus in class, or should I ask your classmate to teach?”
I blink, feeling embarrassed, then I notice that he is not focused on me. We all turn to look in the direction that Leo’s eyes are focused on, and I see Paris, Lucy’s popular friend, with her cheeks red as a tomato.
“She is very good. She is my assistant in the freshman classes and she is doing a great job.” He points at me.
“Any postgraduate can teach freshmen. We did those modules anyway.” Lucy says while glaring at me.
“Is that so?” Leo smirks.
She nods confidently.
“Okay then,” he sighs. “I’m going to do what I did to her, I’m going to ask you to teach the class.”
“What!?”
“If you could kindly introduce us to a topic and explain something you did in your freshman year.”
“But I didn’t have time to prepare.” She pouts her rose-red lips.
“I didn’t give her time to prepare either, and she was sick.”
“It doesn’t matter. She is a lunatic! Everyone here wants to say it. We are afraid of her. If we mistakenly offend her, she might set her wolf on us. Why did you have blood on your clothes? Willow?”
“Enough! Are you going to teach this class or not? Time is running out, or are you not confident enough?” He says calmly, but his face remains authorative.
“I am confident.”
“Then, please come and teach this class in exchange for anything you want.”
“Really?” Paris beams.
“Are you going to ask for a date?” Her other friend next to her whispers.
“Obviously.”
She gets up and holds her head up as she walks to the front. Her black wavy hair falling perfectly on her shoulders.
Leo takes a seat, and he grins. ”I would like you to introduce us to hydrogenic wave functions.”
“But we are not doing that topic this week.” Her shoulders drop.
“I know, but I’m choosing the topic.”
“Can’t I choose my topic?” She gives him a nervous smile.
“That wouldn’t be fair. Would that be fair, everyone?”
“No!” Everyone choruses.
“They agree because they know if she ever secures a date, she would snatch him up.” Her friend says to someone next to her.
Paris looks around the room. “It's about, er…You see. It’s about orange and blue…”
“That is vague. Could you explain a little more?” Leo interjects.
“I was about to. I was getting there.”
“So, should I let you continue?” He raises his eyebrows.
She shakes her head.
“Most of us forgot. Right?”
“Yes.” The students murmur.
“Doctor Brown…” Paris smiles at Leo.
“Professor Brown.”
“Professor Brown, but if I chose my topic, I would have taught the class.”
“If what you are going to say is not about hydrogenic wave functions. I would please like you to sit down.”
She goes back to her seat, with her head bowed.
“Thank you, Miss Paris Alder. I would like you all to revise on the topic, because you already did it. If you don’t understand something, there is Miss Gordon. She did a good job explaining this to freshmen.