What Life Holds

Chapter 41

Notes:

Additional cast:

Wallace Shawn as Mr. Theodors

Valorie Curry as Anna Matthews

Grey Damon as Ashton Sanders

Vanessa's POV

What an endless line at the coffee shop today! I wonder how the employees keep it together here. Every customer is yelling or arguing with the person who is trying to steal their turn or indeed stealing someone else's turn themselves. I gave my turn twice to two guys from the ΚΕΓ house, as I heard them saying to the girl who took their order, they were having a bad hangover. Their last night was pretty intense from what I can tell. Is that all frat boys do all the time? I'd like to find out but I would never ask these guys. They were really huge and scary. That's why I gave them my turn in the first place. If Alice was with me, she will never let them get ahead of us. I should ask her to show me how she does her "glare" of hers. It seems to work every time.

Now I am kind of late for class. I run towards the classroom just to find Mr. Theodors ready to close the door. He waits for me with a smile.

"Good Morning, Miss Adams." he greets me and we both enter the room.

I am five minutes late and Jannel is sitting at my seat at the front? Well, that's not kind of her. I would never do that. I seat at the first empty chair I see.

"Good Morning, Vanessa." Nathan is sitting on my left. Wow, Nathan is sitting on my left? Has the world apocalypse arrived?

"Wha...How...?" I try to find the right question. I wasn't expecting this for sure.

"Ah!" he points a finger at me. "Don't talk to me in class. I'm trying to hear what this bold version of Harry Potter has to say."

"You are?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Shh, quiet, little nerd." He now brings his finger to his lips. That doesn't hide his smile though. I take a moment to take it all in. Nathan is actually attending International History I? He kind of implicated it while we were texting the other day but I didn't believe he meant it. He had once told me he would "maybe" do it in the past and he didn't. It was over a month ago, that late night at the court. I barely knew him back then. Not that I know him now but I do have a better glimpse of him. We are somehow in better terms since we ran into each other at the airport. He didn't seem good that day. I'm happy to see he is not in a bad mood today. Quite the opposite, he is pretty cheerful. I hope I knew what was bothering him. Maybe I could help him. I don't know if I would actually be able to do that but I was willing to try. I am still willing to try. I want him to keep in mind I'm here for him.

Throughout Mr Theodors' lecture, I take little careful looks at him. Even of he has no idea what the professor is talking about, he nods agreeing to his words from time to time not letting anyone know he is clueless. Well, he is kind of cute when he is clueless.

"That would be all for today, my dear students. See you next week." Mr Theodors makes a little bow and Nathan begins to laugh.

"Did he really do that?"

"He is a man with manners. I find his way of teaching very vivid and pleasant." I defend my favorite professor.

"And amusing. And funny. And ridiculous." Nathan whispers.

"Hey! He might hear you." I say as we get out of the classroom.

"He's surrounded by his dear students." he tries to sound like Mr Theodors with no success. Now it's my time to laugh.