Student Secret

Chapter 2 : The Professor

You woke on the pull out couch in Maria's flat, a sleeping Wanda practically glued to your side as you shared a blanket. Your eyes were heavy, as was your head, but the sun was bright and leaking through gaps in the blinds. Carol and Maria were talking quietly on the couch adjacent yours, wrapped up with cups of tea and coffee.

"Is it morning?"
You sat up a little, careful as to not wake Wanda, continuing to allow your shoulder to act as her head rest.
"Oh my God. Carol, she's risen from the dead."
You joined the hushed laughter for a moment, before pressing the heel of your hand to your forehead.
"Fuck. This hangover's already shit."
Maria stood to fetch you a coffee and hopefully an ibuprofen to go with it.
"Yeah I can imagine what your hangover is like."
Maria laughed at Carol's comment with her back turned to you both, stirring some milk into the coffee.
"What the fuck is that meant to mean, blondie?"

"Well, yourself and sleeping beauty there took it a little far with the drinks."
You shook your head in typical morning-after shame, allowing it to hang as to display your embarrassment. However, you let it sit there as your cheeks grew hot - memories of the unknown redhead suddenly retracing in your brain.

"Who was that unlucky woman you'd cornered yesterday, by the way?"
Your head shot up in initial joking disregard towards Carol's sarcasm, then at the remembrance that she'd in fact witness a portion of it. Maria handed you a mug, tossing a pack of ibuprofen onto your lap as if it were routine.
You didn't respond to Carol, taking sips from the edge of the hot coffee cup hoping conversation would progress past the topic.
"So cmon? What happened? Why didn't you bring her back?" Clearly Maria had no intent of dropping it.
"Wanda threw up and I went to collect her. Y/N over there had her dress above her waist and her partner's shirt undone."
Immediately you jumped to your own futile defence, attempting to give excuses and reasoning for what Carol had seen. Nothing you were saying amounted to anything mildly meaningful.

Wanda came round due to the sudden rowdiness, rubbing her eyes gently before motioning for a sip of your coffee. You handed her the cup, standing and wrapping your side of the blanket round her.
"I think you've all forgotten that we have our first class tomorrow. I'm going to do work."
You grabbed your things and left abruptly as the girls shouted after you. The embarrassment of their confrontation proving slightly too much for your hungover body to handle.

Upon arriving back at your flat, you slouched into your bed and pulled the duvet over your shoulders. As you sat up, you noticed your laptop flashing as work and assignments were being uploaded for the coming weeks by your professor.
"God, already?" You said aloud, pulling it onto your lap.
You couldn't really be mad, you chose to study law after all. A big workload is a given.

The group-chat was already blowing up with countless texts from Maria and the others complaining about the work. You replied bluntly before tucking your phone beneath your pillow and checking out the updates.

Miss Romanoff
Your professor's name. You liked it.

The blue light from the screen of your laptop was only worsening your headache, so you decided to call it a particularly early night and head to sleep. It was only late afternoon, but you were sure that your lack of hours and pounding migraine would put you down until morning.

You lay there, your hands behind your head as you stared at the ceiling. You pressed your thighs together as the darkness of your room gave leeway for your mind to plaster itself with thoughts of the stranger from last night. You wish you knew her. Such a short interaction yet your mind runs wild. What you'd give to see her again.