When Paths Cross Again (Prof./Student)

Chapter 3 - Eric Harrison

As I woke up the next day, I had the feeling that something was wrong. And no, it was not the fact that I had slept with my head on the table. 

I felt...a little bit more awake and rested. A glance towards the clock on the wall gave me the answer and I jumped up quickly, almost loosing my balance but I didn't care. 

I had overslept! That happens when you are too tired to set yourself an alarm...

It was already 7:55 am. My lecture started at 8. The lecture with professor Harrison..

There was no way I could make it into the room on time. Shit! 

Picking up the stuff that I needed, I walked into the bathroom only to exit it after three minutes, looking...tolerable. I grabbed my purse and practically bolted out of the door and down the stairs to my car. I was a freaking mess. And the thing that annoyed me the most was that if I hadn't overslept, I would have actually been on time for the first time in...who knows how long! But of course, this needed to happen today, with this lecture. 

After having arrived at the parking lot and running up the stairs, again, I stood in front of the dark wooden door, breathing heavily. For a moment, I contemplated whether or not I should even go inside. Uhh but I had to...

So I took a deep breath and, as quietly as possible, I tried to sneak into the room without anybody noticing. 

Without success. 

"Miss Reed, late again. Explanation after the lecture", his dark voice made my body stiffen and I tried to avoid catching his eyes as I sat down on an empty chair to follow the lecture. 

For the rest of the remaining time, he did not look over at me a second time. However, I felt like he did it on purpose, punishing me for my behaviour and for having avoided his look. Because if I was honest to myself, I longed to see those eyes again. But the coldness, that they contained, deterred me. 

Breathing out shakily as he ended the lecture, I stood up and walked to his desk nervously. 

As I reached it, almost everyone had already left the room. I was all alone with him. He stood behind his desk, hands on the wooden material as he took me in with a scrutinizing look. 

"Professor Harrison, I'm really sorry for being late", I began as he said nothing, only eying me without any emotion. 

"Why?", was everything he replied, taking me off guard.

"Pardon?", I asked confused and his expression turned into something slightly annoyed.

"Why were you late?", he asked again and I swallowed.

"I overlept", I answered and he pulled up an eyebrow.

"And yesterday?", he asked and I tensed up. I wasn't really talking to anyone about my family and the issues we had. That simply was none of anyone's business.

So I replied half defiantly: "Personal reasons."

"Oh really? Personal?", he replied not believing me and I bit my lip in nervousness. 

His eyes wandered from my eyes to my lips only to shoot right to my eyes again after a second. His face took something slightly smirking as he crossed his arms over his chest and replied:

"You've definitely changed from that innocent girl in highschool, who did everything perfectly."

I needed a moment to understand what he had just said but then it made click. 

Eric. 

Of course, Eric Harrison! 

He was two years above me in highschool! It was such a small school that everyone knew everyone but we both had not really any contact. He either ignored me or said some mean comments about me being the perfect nerd.