Garden Lights

Garden Lights - Chapter 21

The workday, Monday, approached with another Sunny smile on the blazing round ball in the sky, silently screaming "Wake up!" to the sleepers. The routine was the same; get up, brush your teeth, change clothes, have breakfast and go to college.

College in the morning was the best. You feel fresh, ready for a day of racking your brains, while enjoying the scent of clean air, exhaled from the greenery planted by the board. First class in the morning was sociology for her and she was content like always with it since she needed concentration and attention, so she had to be active. And sleeping early to wake up early gave her all the energy she needed.

She saw three students, all female, observing down through the third floor window. They had smiles and slight blushes, whispering in each other's ears.

"Hey, isn't he cute?" She heard.

"Penny wasn't kidding. He's hot." Another said.

"Oh my God, He looked this way." The third waved. "Aw, he ignored me."

"He's still hot. He's like devilishly handsome, isn't he?"

Vivian stopped at her tracks.

Devilishly handsome.

Two words that were a title. A title that belonged to only one guy she knew.

She turned to the window, somehow feeling anxious.

"No, he's leaving!" one of the girls shrieked.

"I'm taking his picture."

Well, it's none of my business. It may not even be him.

And she walked on.

Class began, Vivian sitting in the first row by reaching early. She quietly but vigilantly listened to her professor's lecture. Her professor, an old man with silver hair and stubble, had a manner about him that was full of confidence and his every movement and every word deserved attention. She didn't know about the others, but Professor Prowess was her favorite teacher.

Class ended, Vivian gathering her books and her bag. Some of her classmates invited her to hang out with them in the cafeteria, but she kindly refused because she had to reissue a book from the library even though she had another day left before the dead line closed in. She trotted to the library, only to discontinue trotting halfway in the hall.

I forgot to give the professor back his book.

She quickly ran back, praying that she makes it in time before the professor leaves. She had talked to the professor on Friday, speaking about her interest in his lectures. He looked pleased, and gave one of his favorite books for her to read. "Do androids dream of electric sheep?" is the name of the book, and she read in it in two days. She hoped to give him by today so that he won't worry about his book.

She made it to the lecture hall, creaking open the door and spotted, to her relief, the professor, reading a book while sitting on the table.

"Professor Prowess?"

He closed his book and looked up. "Oh, Vivian! What brings you to me? Are you confused on anything in today's lecture?"

"No, sir," She advanced near him. "Actually, I wanted to give you your book back."

He took a look at the book Vivian handed to him. "This book! Thank you, Vivian. Did you like it?"

"It was certainly an interesting one."

"What else? Tell me your thoughts."

"To be honest, I didn't like the femme fatale of the book, Rachel."