illicit affairs | Charlie Barber x Reader

chapter two: comparison of literature

Wow... Dal actually waited a whole week to post... You guys should be proud of me!! I'm overly excited to share this story and introduce my version of Charlie to you guys! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and let's get down to business! 

All my love, 
Dal
--------------------

You knew the upcoming chaos of balancing work, school, and studying was inevitable. You knew that your time management would be tested on a daily basis and that the books you were carrying around would be explored by you, flipping through every page you could.

That's why the first day of school always felt like you were living in purgatory.

No matter how busy you knew you were going to be that semester, you always knew the introductions to your classes were always...mundane. Of course, the other students loved it, never getting any assignments on the first day.

You, on the other hand, were ready to jump right in.

It was just like any other first day of school. You sat near the front, syllabus and notebook at the ready. The professors went over the expectations for the semester, the same routine dragging you to the floor. They explained that the textbook was required, along with attending classes. There would be tests every other week regarding the material they would go over in class. Questions and class participation were encouraged. Blah, blah, blah...

It wasn't really a shock to you that the professors barely started lecturing, spending an entire day introducing themselves and the rules they expected their students to follow. It was very exhausting to sit there and hear the same thing over and over.

You started with your Western Art Studies class. That building was at the edge of the grounds, the students' chatter quieting down the further you walked away from the center of campus. You had a feeling that this class would be the most helpful to you, learning about European pieces and getting an idea of the culture. It definitely sparked excitement, knowing that this time next year, you had a chance to see the pieces you would learn about in person.

Your Biology class was next, only needing to walk a few buildings away. It was fun to see how the professor was eager to teach about the ways of life. They were ready to show you the experiments they had planned for the semester, their life's purpose to have their students leave with at least one piece of information regarding life. Of course, all of that would start with the next lecture.

A bit disappointing if you say so yourself.

You had to admit, no matter how boring it was, it was still exciting to be in school again. It gave you a structure you thrived on. You loved to plan your days, dividing each class into designated time slots for studying. It felt like you had control of your life, deciding when to start and end things.

After your first two classes, you had an hour for your lunch break. You got a snack from the cafeteria and set up camp underneath one of the trees on campus. Although the summer heat was still lingering in the air, the shade of the large oak tree was perfect to cool you off while you continued to work your brain.

You felt the grass underneath you and the tree trunk behind your back as you unzipped your backpack. Most people took advantage of their breaks, relaxing in between classes. It wasn't a surprise that you pulled out one of your textbooks, reading away as you waited for your next class to begin.

You spent most of your break with your nose in between those pages, taking notes and playing catch up even though you were technically still ahead of schedule.

You liked to assign yourself the first few lessons in class, knowing how hectic things would be later on in the semester. It was an opportunity to build a foundation for yourself, giving you a chance to know what items you couldn't fully comprehend. Doing this gave you time to concentrate on your weak points, rather than focusing on what you already knew. It was a way to better yourself, focusing on your weakness rather than your strengths.