RAINFALL || [c. snow]

xi

ACT II. RECTITUDE

❝HIS WORDS COULD NEVER WRITE A BOOK❞

𓆩⟡𓆪

[Two Years Prior]

PROFESSOR SATRYIA'S WORDS came in a jumble and left through her next ear. She heard nothing, only the steady beating of her heart. She constantly reminded herself to keep breathing. Dolores noticed Coriolanus's eyes, the little glances being stolen. 

Their eyes connected and a small smile lifted on her lips as she spotted the indication to which he was currently extremely bored.

She tore out a small piece of paper from her notebook and scribbled a message: "Has your favorite professor's class gotten too tedious, Snow?"

Coriolanus leaned over in his seat, his eyes scanning over the small slip before he returned a half-smile and wrote something down on another piece of paper, flicking it back to her subtly. "Have we finally found something in common, Imber?"

Her lips twitched and she replied, "Aside from our shared hatred of midterm essays?"

He chuckled softly before writing again, "Well, our rivalry for top grades, our shared disdain for certain professors, our mutual loathing for essays and this class. How ironic. I might actually start liking you."

"Remind me how you are Professor Satryia's favorite student again when you despise this class?"

"Because my insights are more detailed, my notes more beautiful, my essays more concise and well-crafted? Because I'm more charming?"

"Don't flatter yourself too much, Snow. I'm sure the only reason is that you're the only student who actually listens to this boring old lecture."

"Is that what you tell yourself so that you can sleep well at night?" Coriolanus paused for a second before he continued writing, "Could I have a moment of your time after class?"

Dolores froze as her eyes scanned over the note. Dr. Gaul had clearly specified the urgency of getting on the next train. She swallowed thickly before writing, "Make it quick."

Coriolanus nodded before turning back to his notes, the sound of his pen against paper being the only thing she heard aside from her own heartbeat and the monotonous content of the lecture. As Professor Satryia droned on, her eyes stayed trained on each tick the clock made with each second. At last, she was snapped back to reality by the sound of rustling bags.

As soon as the bell rang, students flooded out of the class. She took her sweet time, taking every minute to memorize the layout of that lecture hall as if she'd never see it again.

Judging from the intensity of his blue eyes trying to peek within her mind, she could tell he had noticed something was wrong. "So? What is it, Snow?" she fell into pace next to him as they walked down the hall.

His eyes continued analyzing her silently, his mind working overtime as always before he finally spoke, "I'm not stupid. There's something wrong with you, Imber."

Sometimes she hated the way he was so observant of her every move. Dolores inhaled sharply before she decided to just spit it out. "I'm leaving the Academy." Hearing the words come out of her own mouth seemed to cause her own heart to drop. Then all of a sudden, the fear was back.