Remade

Chapter 20

Even though Professor Diel looks like a former hermit, his passion for his lectures is unfazed. He still talks with the glimmer in his eyes and has students participate (not Stephan and I as much as before though. It must be because his favorite student stormed out before the class started) but he seems a bit unorganized. He fumbles for his files and documents and mixes names up all the time.

After he finishes his basic lecture on the building blocks of the civil rights movement, I stand up and start to make my way over.

"Bridget, wait what are you doing?" Stephan looks at me. His eyebrows are up and his eyes opened wide as if worried.

"I'm going to talk to him." I nod my head towards Diel, who's picking up his mess of papers from his desk. "Come on." I take another step and he follows reluctantly.

"Professor Diel?" I say quietly.

He looks up from his desk. "Ah Bridget! Bridget Walls, am I right?"

"Yes sir. How have you been? You look... frantic." I say hesitantly as he looks down and continues to put his papers away.

"Ah yes I apologize for my attire. I took a long leave on a family emergency. My mother-in-law had a heart attack and it's been very stressful," he murmurs. He snaps his briefcase closed and finally looks at me as if we were having a conversation. "I promise that after today I will be much more composed." He smiles at me so I give him a forced one back. "I couldn't help but notice that Mr. Darrow was not here today. Is he alright? Sick or anything?"

"Oh. No he's alright. He just had a lot of work to catch up on," I lie through my teeth.

"Oh well I hope he catches up! Procrastination is the worst thing for ambition you know?"

"Absolutely sir," Stephan cuts in, nodding.

Diel catches Stephan's eye after his little addition to the conversation and then nods. "Good man. Well, I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday. Have a good day!"

"Thank you Professor. You as well," I say as Stephan and I start walking away. "Did you see him? He was a mess!" I say exclaim after we leave the room.

"Well the man did just have a family emergency. Mother-in-laws are incredibly draining for a man, you know that?"

I roll my eyes. "I suppose that could be it. He just looked so different from before you know? It seemed like it was something much more draining than a mother-in-law you know?" I say as we turn the corner to make it to the library where we're supposed to meet the head record keeper, Ms. Winters, for our brief meeting and orientation. "And what was up with you? Back straight, agreeable comments, eyes fixed forward? Someone was trying to impress."

"I just thought I owed it to him to change my behavior. The man may talk a lot, but he knows what he talks about. Hey we're here," Stephan cuts the conversation off bluntly as he opens the door to the library and we walk in. I step foot in and take a deep breath.

Glue and dust and paper. The best combination of smells ever. I give a small grin and walk farther into the building. It's the oldest one on the Institute's grounds, with towering walls with bookshelves with endless supplies of information. Two iron staircases snake up to the second and third stories where the old documents are and the walls have those ladders that are attached to the bookcases and roll around the perimeter of the room, letting you roam the bookshelves and reach the sources that are out of reach. It's a beautiful, open, musty old building and I love it. I walk around, running my fingers on the books' spines, hearing and feeling the soft thud every time I touch a new book. Eventually I make my way toward the back of the first floor and Stephan and I walk into the back room.