Roommates & Soulmates

Ch37: Alec's Bigmouth

It was Valentine's day and Alec still didn't know what he was going to give Magnus. However, at the moment he had other worries.

"Never before have I been so disappointed in a class's performance," the professor's voice echoed through the classroom. Alec was sitting at the back, but that didn't stop him from sinking lower in his chair. "I told you all this would require you to keep up with it. You are first year students, but that's no excuse. Even first years should be able to follow such a simple instruction." The Professor slammed the stack of papers, that consisted of their poorly done assignments, on his desk.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he asked. "Do you think I can't tell the difference between a month's work and a night's cramming? Do you think this is my first day teaching?" He paused to move from one side of his desk to the other. "I have to say I am very disappointed in each and every one of you, and I expect each and every one of you to redo the assignment. To be handed in again next week." He started moving among the students, handing back assignments.

Alec was feeling about as important as gum on someone's shoe as he sunk lower into his chair. He kept going over and over the assignment in his head, wondering where he'd gone wrong. He couldn't stop his brain from going over every detail and trying to remember exactly how it didn't match the instructions.

"That guy is intense," Jace sniggered from the seat beside Alec.

"How can you be so calm?" Alec muttered. Jace just grinned like a fool. Ever since Jace had started actually dating Clary, Alec had noticed a huge change in him. Mostly this change consisted of Jace always grinning like a fool.

"It's Valentine's day!" Jace whispered. "And I'm seeing Clary later."

"So basically, what you're saying is girls are more important than school?"

"No," Jace corrected him. "Clary is more important than school."

"Oh yes," Alec replied sarcastically. "Because heaven forbid we call her a girl."

"Shut up," Jace said grinning. Alec turned away from Jace as the Professor walked by them. Alec took back his assignment but he had his eyes shut tight to avoid seeing his own failure.

"Oh yeah," Jace said, happily. "That could totally have been worse." Well if Jace had done badly, surely Alec hadn't done worse? He opened his eyes.

"Huh?" Alec said stunned, staring at his homework. What the hell was the professor's problem. Had he just been trying to give Alec an ulcer?

"Sorry Lightwood," the professor said before moving past them. "Nothing I said applied to you." Alec just blinked down at his 100% score in awe.

"Great," Jace smiled. "You can help me fix mine." The class was dismissed while Alec was still staring dumbfounded at his paper.

"Why did you lecture the whole class then?" Alec asked.

"Well it was that or ask you to leave the room," the professor replied. "And I didn't want to single you out like that." The professor moved on to hand out assignments to the rest of the students, but Alec was still at a loss. Did the professor know his parents? Or had he actually been the only student in the entire class who didn't need to redo their homework? The professor finished handing back the homework and the class was dismissed.

"You coming?" Jace asked. He was already packed up, books in hand and was waiting for Alec to join him.

"Yeah, one sec," Alec replied as he walked past their row of seats toward the teacher's desk.

"Geez!" Jace called after him as Alec left. "A perfect score isn't good enough for you huh?" Alec ignored him.

"Excuse me," Alec said as he approached.