8 Pencils 1 Sharpener

Chapter Five

"Over the course of the next four years, I shall be your head tutor and councillor."

Cathal finally managed to close his agape mouth. He stared at Miss McFonald wide eyed, watching her every move, listening intently to her every word.

"Take a look around you." Miss McFonald ordered. Sixty pairs of eyes darted around the room.
"Many of your colleagues will not be here by the end of your four years. Some may not even make it to your sophomore year." she continued.

Cathal swallowed nervously. He began to wring his hands together, hoping against hope that he made it to the end of the year.

Miss McFonald cleared her throat. "You will meet here every morning at nine o'clock on the dot for role call, class cancellations and any other announcements. In a moment I will give you a map showing you the layout of the university, along with directions to your individual course classes."

She let her eyes glance along the rows of students, and Cathal felt his throat close up and tighten as her gaze rested on him. Quickly she snapped her head forwards, directing her stare at the far wall. "Now, if you will, please come up to me when I call your name so you may receive your map."

She opened a draw with a squeak and pulled out a stack of papers. Bundling them into her arms in one graceful swoop, she read the first name from the list.

"Ronald Hooding."
                                *****

Victor felt the scowl creep onto his lips. Ronald. Ronald "Shitface" Hooding. He hated him with a passion. They'd been friends for a few years back in primary school, but that changed quite quickly as secondary school hit. They went to different schools, and Victor watched as Ronald rapidly turned into what was probably one of the biggest, most self-centered asswipes Victor had ever come across, and Victor had been to seven different schools in his life.

Ronald trotted down the steps with a smug grin on his face. Just because he was called first he thought he was number one. Victor tried to stop himself from growling.
How did that dumbass get accepted into a school like this? Victor thought, then realised. Ronald's mother was the principal of a mediocre high school. She must've known people that would've wedged her precious "Ronnie" a secure spot in Hope University.

Miss McFonald handed him a map and said "Journalism 101 is in room 43."

Fame-hungry faggot Victor thought.

Miss McFonald continued the list.
"Jackie Pucc."
The tallest girl Victor had ever seen cruised down the steps. Her sandy hair was kept in a spiky pixie cut and her sky blue eyes shone like gems. Victor heard a sharp intake of breath beside him, and turned to see Evan close to hyperventilation. Suddenly he grabbed Victor's arm tightly, and whispered in his ear intensely

"She's such a ride!"

Jackie was handed a map directing her to Medicine 101 and many a man watched her as she trotted up the stairs back to her seat. Victor managed to hold back a snort as Evan's eyes practically bulged out of his sockets.

Another 10 minutes passed as one by one nervous freshmen collected maps to their individual classes. Victor watched as his roommates' courses were revealed: Adam with engineering, Adrien with pharmaceuticals,  Ashley studying surgery, Cathal doing Irish, Jack with Social Care, Harry a course in Teaching, and finally Evan with Journalism. This intrigued Victor.

Might ask him to keep an eye on Shitface Hooding  Victor thought.

"Axel O'Searing!" Miss McFonald called, a look of boredom slowly creeping onto her face. A boy at the front of the classroom stood up. His dark blonde hair was slicked back with gel, a devilish yet genuine smile tugging at him lips. As he grabbed his map leading to Catering 101, he locked eyes with Victor. His face changed completely as he gave a shy grin that meant "We acknowledged each other's existence. Hooray!" Just as quickly as it had happened, Axel looked away and sat back down in his seat. 

At long last, the professor held in her hand two sheets of paper. "Victor Keyting!"

Victor scootched past a droopy-eyed Adrien and rhythmically trotted down the steps to McFonald. He felt as if someone had walked over his grave as her ice eyes shot chills through his bloodstream. "Dental Science 101 is in room 39." she said coolly. Victor let his eyes wander to her chest, not too long so that she'd notice, but long enough to satisfy his primal needs.

As he whipped around to return to his seat, McFonald called out one last name.

"Jade Cooper!"

Victor watched as a cute bespectacled girl rose from her seat unsteadily. Brushing back a few loose strands of mousy brown hair, she took two steps, only to trip over a sniggering blonde's outstretched leg. Squealing, she flew over the twenty-odd steps. Instinctively, Victor spread his arms and with one almighty swoop caught the falling Jade. He was quite proud of himself—until he lost his balance and fell hard onto the floor, Jade clutched tight to his chest.

Groaning in pain, Victor lifted his head up slightly, locking eyes with the girl in his arms. It was the magical, ever-changing hazel eyes that drew him in. At first glance they were a sad brown, but he watched bewitched as a spring of green danced in her pupils when she registered his attention on her. Stammering apologies, she clambered out of his arms, straightening her glasses.        

Missing her warmth, Victor leaped to his feet. He placed his hands lightly on her shoulders and began to search for any injuries she'd acquired. Startled by the contact, she brushed him away in a rapid yet polite way.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry!" Jade muttered, avoiding all eye contact.
"Don't be ridiculous," Victor reassured her, putting his hands into his pockets. "Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"

Jade let a soft sound slip her lips, but it was drowned out by the collective laughter of their classmates, of which they'd only registered at that moment. It felt like Victor had been slapped in the face as he saw a deep crimson flush Jade's cheeks. Every snigger fueled his anger like coal to a fireplace. He turned to the class and before he could stop himself, he bellowed "Are you proud of yourselves?!"

A chorus of "oooooooo" filled the room, along with a flurry of mock imitations. Suddenly, a sound so loud and sharp it could've been mistaken for a gunshot silenced every voice within a radius of ten blocks. McFonald had wrapped a metre stick hard on her desk, sending a wave of barely audible "Oh shit" along the rows of chairs.

"That's enough. I will not tolerate any noise or messing in my class!" Her voice was booming, yet it didn't hit that shrill pitch that other female teachers in Victor's past. He wasn't sure whether the automatic obedience for Ms McFonald stemmed from respect or fear.

McFonald glance at her wrist, where a bronze-coloured watch lay rest. "Assembly is over. Using your maps, head to your appointed lecture rooms. If I see any dossing, ditching, mitching or stalling, you're heading straight out of this building and back home."

After a few brief, confused moments, the class in unison rose and started to shuffle out of the classroom. With his backpack slung over his right shoulder and his map clasped tightly in his fist, Victor found his roommates huddled together. Ashley elbowed him softly in the ribs.
"So, who's the bird?" he smirked, making an obvious wink that amused him so much he let out a short chuckle.

Victor turned his head to the back of the classroom, where Jade was clumsily picking up sheets of paper and books that a few girls had knocked out of her backpack.

"I have no idea." he replied, meaning every word.