Chapter Twenty One

5.6K 202 106
                                    

Thursday;

The air inside the lecture hall was filled with the low hum of students settling in. Lea and I stepped into the room, heading for our usual spot for General Physics. I had barely taken a step toward the rows of seats when a sharp voice pierced the background noise.

"Ms. Wilson!"

I froze mid-step and glanced over my shoulder. There was Professor Montgomery, peering at me from over the rim of her reading glasses, her eyes locking onto mine with that same no-nonsense expression.

"Come here," she ordered, her tone leaving no room for hesitation.

I shot Lea a quick look before turning on my heel, the weight of my backpack shifting awkwardly as my fingers started to fidget. I approached her desk, heart racing slightly as I wondered what she needed this time.

Without so much as a greeting, she handed me a thick stack of papers. "Hand these out to the students," she instructed flatly.

I glanced down, quickly skimming the top page. It was yet another assignment, probably something that would make half the class groan silently in dismay once they saw it.

"Sure," I said, forcing a polite smile, though it seemed unnecessary. Professor Montgomery had already turned her attention to a different stack of work, her interest in the exchange clearly gone.

Clutching the stack of papers, I started down the aisle, weaving between the rows of desks. As I handed them out, I couldn't help but notice the tense silence that always lingered in Professor Montgomery's lectures. There was something about her presence that kept people punctual—no one ever dared come late or miss her class. It was like they feared that one withering glance from her could reduce them to dust. Honestly, I didn't blame them. She had that look that could pierce through steel, and no one wanted to be on the receiving end of it.

When I reached Lea, she accepted her paper with a dramatic flourish and immediately skimmed it. Her reaction was almost instant.

"Maaaaan!" she groaned loudly, making more than a few heads turn. "I never seem to have a weekend for myself," she muttered, shaking her head in defeat. Without a second thought, she shoved the assignment into her bag, crumpling the edges carelessly as if it had personally offended her.

I snorted softly, trying to stifle my laughter. Typical Lea. Always the dramatist. I continued down the row, passing out the remaining papers to the students who looked equally unimpressed by the weekend-ruining workload.

Once I finished, I made my way back to Professor Montgomery's desk, the remaining papers in hand. She didn't look up as I approached, her focus glued to whatever was on her screen. I quietly placed the leftovers on the corner of her desk, half-expecting her to bark some other task at me, but instead, she simply gave a small, barely perceptible nod.

I took that as my cue to slip back into the crowd, relieved to return to my seat for what would surely be another dense lecture.

A tense quiet had settled over the room, the kind that always comes before Professor Montgomery starts class. No one dared break the silence as we waited for her to begin. Lea, however, was the picture of boredom, her chin propped lazily on her hand, eyes glazed as she stared off into space. It was clear her mind was anywhere but here.

After a few moments, Professor Montgomery rose from behind her desk and strode over to the podium. She shuffled a stack of papers, her sharp, deliberate movements echoing through the room. Clearing her throat, she wasted no time diving into the details of our latest assignment, her voice firm and matter-of-fact.

I straightened in my seat, listening intently to every word. There were important deadlines and intricate details we needed to get right. Meanwhile, Lea barely blinked, clearly indifferent to whatever was being said. I could tell by the vacant look in her eyes that she had mentally checked out the moment Montgomery started speaking.

Frozen Desires [profxgirl][wlw]Where stories live. Discover now