I will act like you are not here

I will act like you are not here
Three days had passed since that night. The night everything went wrong for Leon. He could still hear it in his head like it just happened. Carissa saying another man’s name while he was trying to make her feel good. Every time it crossed his mind, it pissed him off all over again.
That mistake hit him hard. It bruised his pride in a way he had never felt before. Since then, he had completely shut her out. No talking, no looking at her, no reason to be near her. He avoided anything that might bring them together.
Everything inside him felt messy and heavy. Anger, embarrassment, irritation. All of it sat there, refusing to settle.
Until Carissa said sorry, he was not going back to how things used to be.

Two hours had passed during his lecture that morning. As always, near the end, Leon gave his students a chance to ask questions.
“Is that all, or does anyone still have something to ask?”
His eyes moved across the room, watching students already packing their laptops and books, eager to leave for lunch.
A hand lifted in the corner. Leon saw it. Then he looked away and checked the watch on his wrist.
“I think that is enough for today,” he said, ignoring it.
“Sir, I want to ask something!” the voice called out, loud and annoyed.
Leon did not pause. “My class ended ten seconds ago. If you have a question, ask it next time.”
His voice sounded normal, but there was something in it that made people listen.
Carissa let out a quiet scoff from her seat.
“Next week is the test, sir. By then it might already be in the exam,” she said, pushing back.
Some students clicked their tongues, clearly irritated. They wanted to leave, not sit here longer because of her.
Leon raised one eyebrow. “Then send your question by message, or come to my office when I am free.”
Carissa opened her mouth to argue again, but the looks from her classmates stopped her. She pressed her lips together and stayed quiet.
Leon closed his laptop and removed his glasses. He packed his things, then stood.
“That is all for today. Do not forget to study for next week’s test.”
He walked toward the door. Then he stopped. His jaw set hard. Chaka stood outside, leaning by the door, smiling into the classroom. His attention was fixed on Carissa. Leon turned back and looked inside again. His eyes locked with hers.
“Carissa, come to my office after this. I have exam guidelines for you to share with the class.”
His tone made it clear he was not asking.
“Hell no,” Carissa muttered the moment he walked away.
She let out an annoyed breath. He ignored her in class, and now he expected her to follow his order? Not happening.
“Car,” Marcel called, stopping her before she could leave. “Just go to his office first, please.”
“I do not feel like it,” she said, shaking her head.
Alvero stepped in front of her. “Come on, Carissa.”
“Yeah, just take the guidelines. You are the class rep,” another girl added, already annoyed.
Carissa clicked her tongue, tired of all of them. “Fine. I will send it to the group chat later.”
She walked past them.
“Car!”
She stopped again. Chaka was already waiting at the door.
“Ka, sorry..”
“I know. I will go with you to the office,” he said, cutting her off.

Knock. Knock.
The sound made Leon lift his head from his phone. He set it aside.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Carissa stepped inside.
“Excuse me, sir.” She gave a small nod and walked closer. “I came to take the…”
“Sit down first,” Leon interrupted. “Listen to me.”
He pointed to the chair in front of him. Carissa sat down without a word.
“The soft copy is gone from my laptop,” he said. He paused, watching her face slowly lose color. “But I printed everything.”
For a second, she almost looked relieved. Then he continued.
“You can type it again. I will lend you the papers.”
Her face dropped right away.
“Type it?” she said, almost choking on the words.
The stack looked thick. At least twenty pages. There was no fucking way she was doing that.
“I can just photocopy it, sir,” she tried.
Leon shook his head without hesitation. “No. Either you type it, or you leave it. It does not affect me. It is your class that will lose.”
Carissa’s hands clenched on her lap. She could walk out right now and not care. But she knew her classmates would blame her. As the one in charge of the course, she could not just leave.
She let out a slow breath through her nose.
“Alright, sir. I will type it. But I will take the papers to the library and return them today.”
Leon smiled, clearly enjoying her frustration.
“Why go to the library? Do it here. I do not want you damaging the papers. I do not have another copy.”
Carissa drew in a quiet breath, holding everything back.
“Fine, sir.”
Arguing with him was useless. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Chaka, telling him not to wait. Then she took out her laptop.
“When is your next class?” Leon asked, handing her the papers.
“Two o’clock, sir.”
He nodded. “Then start. Ignore me. Pretend I am not here.”
Carissa looked up at him, meeting his eyes.
“Alright. I will act like you are not here.”
She gave him a small, sweet smile. But that smile was not soft at all.