How To Capture The Crow

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

"So what is love?" Professor Hixson asks standing in front of an empty dry erase board.

A guy with a striped beanie in the middle of the classroom raises his hand and the professor points to him.

"A really catchy Haddaway song"

The class laughs and Hixson shakes his head.

"Yes Brandon, very cute, but what is it really" He says looking around for more students to take a swing at such an open ended question.

I slowly write in my notebook.

Love is a lie. Something hormones like oxytocin trick us into feeling. People end up falling for someone after a hormonal high and staying with them because of factors that benefit their life. It's selfish. Love isn't rea.....

"Emma" He stares at the furthest back corner of the room where I chose to sit "You seem to have something to say about love."

I drop my pen and clear my throat feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Um, well..." I say trying to buy myself some time. "Love isn't real, it's just a bunch of hormones" I finally manage to murmur clinching my jaw and staring at the grain of the fake vinyl wood desks.

Professor Hixson sighs and takes a deep breath. He then slowly walks over to his desk and picks up a large text book and slams it onto the counter making a loud noise. The entire class jumps and one girl scream a little.

"Miss Lutz." He asks me again "was that real?"

My face instantly flushes with heat as I feel my heart beating quickly.

"Yes..." I say quietly breathing shallow and slow.

"Why?" He continues to ask. "Oxytocin is a hormone right? Well so is adrenaline and that reaction of fear and surprise seemed very real to all of you."

I immediately feel dumb and I frown bit thinking about how my past seems to have scarred me in more ways than I thought. Of course love is real, I think to myself... Maybe, I'm just too damaged to ever feel it.

I snap out of my thought when I hear the timer on Hixson's phone go off.

"Okay everyone I'll see you back here same time next week" He says turning off the timer and opening the door for everyone.

I put my notebook in my purse and slowly make my way to the door. On my way out Professor Hixson pulls me aside and waits until everyone leaves the classroom.

"Emma." He says in a somber tone "I didn't think that you'd ever come back after what had happened with..."

"Florida wasn't exactly the best escape plan. It's expensive... and too sunny" I say quickly to cut him off before he can mention my mother or even worse my stepfather.

He puts his hand on my shoulder and gives me a warm smile.

"I'm glad your back." He says softly "So where are you living now?" He asks.

I know he wants to know if I'm living in my mother's house, but I'm not...The thought of going back to it makes me sick. To see the floors stained with her blood and my tears... I couldn't handle it.

The truth is I don't have any family; in fact I only have a grandmother. Well, I had a grandmother. I'd met her once and a few months ago she passed away. She didn't have any family other than me either so everything she owned was given to me.