Room 206 - Luke Hemmings

five

"Go Alex!" I yelled from my seat as I watched him Saturday morning pass the ball to one of his teammates, who kicked it into the goal and I jumped up and cheered.

Alex smiled at me from on the field, pushing his hair off of his forehead and walking back to his position on the field.

I sat and watched the remainder of the game, screaming and cheering for him when he kicked the ball into a winning goal and the game ended. I ran out onto the field into his arms and kissed him, proud of him for playing so well in the game.

He and I walked into the building together, and I saw out of the corner of my eye that Professor Hemmings was in the stands watching us the entire time. I walked into the building with Alex and waited for him in the foyer while he got cleaned up.

"Miss Williams." I heard a familiar voice say and I rolled my eyes before I turned around and put on my best fake enthusiasm.

"Hi Professor Hemmings," I smiled.

"I was quite impressed by your interpretation of Macbeth in class this week," he said. "Not many students can read and comprehend to an understanding of yours on their own. I also was impressed by your strong and well-thought opinion on his actions."

"Thanks," I said awkwardly.

He stared down at me with his piercing blue eyes for a moment before he turned and walked away without saying another word.

Within a couple minutes, Alex had exited his dorms and held my hand, walking with me outside.

"I heard we're dissecting frogs in my science class next week," Alex said. "I can't decide if I'm excited for it or if I'm going to be too grossed out by it."

"I love dissecting things!" I said. "I dissected a lamb's heart last year, oh it was so fun."

"Gross," he laughed. "Wouldn't blood get everywhere with a heart though?"

"Not if all of the blood is drained from it first, silly," I said, his hand finding mine as we walked.

"The idea is still so gross and slightly haunting," he said. "That heart was once beating and supporting a lamb and now it's dead and you're cutting it apart to see what's inside."

"I suppose," I said. "But it's not like I was hurting it since it was already dead."

"I still don't think I'll enjoy it," he said. "My forte isn't in science, it's in maths."

"Yeah, you maths nerd," I teased.

"You're the one who always corrects the professor in English!" he laughed. "Who are you calling nerd?"

"We're both nerds," I said. "That's why we're in a nerd school, isn't it?"

"I prefer the term 'elite school for the gifted.'"

"Well whatever floats your boat I guess. Anyone in the world would call us a bunch of nerds."

"You're annoying," he laughed, stopping and leaning down to kiss me as we reached the little town streets.

"Do you want to get something to eat?" I asked. "I'm rather hungry and you've got to be starving from the game."

"Sure," he said. We walked towards the little restaurant in town and sat down waiting for our sandwiches to arrive.

"I don't have any other classes with you other than World History with Professor Clifford," Alex said. "I wish we had more classes together like we did last year."

I shrugged. "At least we get to see each other. I heard there's a girl in our year who has a boyfriend back home that she hardly ever gets to see."

"Yeah, you're right," he said. "I guess I just get a bit greedy sometimes."

"It happens when you're a spoiled white rich kid," I smiled, knowing that everyone's parents in this school had a lot of money to even get into this school, and it rarely gave scholarships.

"Hey, we all are," he smiled back, our sandwiches arriving at our table with us.

We ate in a comfortable silence, able to appreciate each others' company. I was secretly admiring his jawline and cheekbones and lips and basically his entire face while he ate and looked at the pictures on the wall.

"How are your classes going?" I asked as I finished the last couple bites of my sandwich.

"They're going fine," he said. "It's a bit hard juggling practice with homework and what not but I'm sure it'll get better as the year progresses."

"I hope I don't burden you," I said, taking a drink of my glass of water to wash down the remainder of my sandwich.

"No," he said. "It's actually nice having someone so pretty to distract me from all the stress."

I felt my cheeks flush and I smiled at him, honored by his compliment.

"What about Professor Hemmings?" he asked. "Anything better with him?"

I literally cringed at his name. "Don't even get me started."

"He's really not that bad," he said. "You're the one who makes him out to be Satan."

"Because he might as well be," I said. "He's such a fucking dick, why am I the only one who sees this?"

"Maybe because you're the only one who thinks that?"

"I guess I'm the only one who knows what a good professor is," I rolled my eyes, pushing my plate away and standing up.

"Daisy..." Alex reached for my arm but I pulled away.

"Don't 'Daisy' me," I said.

"You're just mad because Professor Henderson retired and you want him back but you can't have him," Alex snapped at me.

"Why do you all think it's so bad that I miss having an old teacher?" I snapped back at him. "You all act like I'm not entitled to dislike someone and their shitty way of teaching."

Alex sighed and rubbed his head, and I grabbed my jacket off of the back of my chair.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Back to my room," I glared at him, pulling on my jacket and grabbing my purse.

"Let me walk you back," he said.

"No." I turned to walk out the door and didn't look back at him.

-

After telling Eleanor about everything that happened with Alex back at the dorms, and her assuring me it was just a minor argument that would pass over, I relaxed the rest of the day and ignored Alex and everyone else outside of our room.

In church on Sunday, I sat with the girls and leaved almost immediately after. I barely even looked at Alex and spent Sunday studying in my room.

I didn't care if I was being hard on Professor Hemmings. No one would compare to Henderson no matter how hard everyone tried to make him be better.