The Professor

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I wake up the next morning with a sore neck. I must have slept on it wrong. I wince when I sit up in bed and see Jessica look at me from the corner of her eyes in the mirror. When I hop out of bed, I walk to my share of the closet and open it to try and find something to wear today. It looks sunny outside and it's Friday so I decide to dress down today in running shorts and a t-shirt. 

After I shower and dress, I sit on the edge of my bed to put my shoes on. I lean my head down to look at my laces as I tie my shoes, and tilt my head a certain way that causes a sharp, shooting pain in my neck. Wincing again, I see Jessica pause at the mirror as she's apply on mascara and looks at me with narrowed eyes.

"Sore?" Jessica asks with a hint of sarcasm and suspicion.

I don't look at her as I tie my shoes. "Yeah. I think I slept wrong last night." I say. Jessica stands at the sink now putting on earrings and it dawns on me that she's up earlier than usual this morning. I narrow my eyes in suspicion and sit up straighter once i'm done messing with my shoes. "You're up earlier." I say with the same amount of suspicion as she used on me. 

Jessica doesn't look at me as she finishes putting in her earrings and sprays herself with body spray. She looks... pretty. Jessica always looks pretty but she's never up this early since she has later classes, and it looks like she looks pretty with a purpose. She admires herself in the mirror and ruffles her blonde hair to give it volume, then strikes a pose before walking to the bed to grab her book bag. 

"With the amount of secrets you've been keeping lately," she says, slinging her bag on her shoulders and cutting me a glare. "I don't think you're in the position to ask questions."

Jessica says the last part lowly and zooms out of the room. I sit on the bed, taking in the blow, and scoff. "Still being a petty bitch." I say to myself. 

I get up from the bed, finish getting ready, and walk to my Friday classes.

I think about today's Brit Lit class the whole day and wonder how Dean's going to act. He never texted me last night or this morning and it makes me wonder how mad he is... if he's still mad. Since I told him i'm going to Collin's party tonight and Collin is in that class, I wonder if he's going to act differently to Collin too. He can't stand Collin and he made that clear last night before I left. 

When I get to class, I see Collin sitting in the same seat beside of mine at the front and Dean's already behind the podium. He gives me a quick glance as I walk by him and slide into the empty desk. Collin gives me a warm smile and takes out his headphones when I walk by. 

"You still coming tonight?" He asks.

I smile and resist the urge to look at Dean, even though I know he's watching and listening. "Yes I am." I say with a purposeful smile.

Collin wraps up his phone in his headphones and a smile grows on his face. "Can't wait. It's going to be fun." 

"It sure is." I say, still smiling before fetching my notepad out of my book bag. I open it to a clean sheet of paper and look at Dean as he prepares to start the class. 

When I look at him, my stomach drops. His icy blue eyes are glaring at me as if they were piercing daggers into my chest. His look gives me chills and causes me to sit frozen in my seat, internally scared at the way he's feeling right now. 

Dean keeps his eyes on me for a lingering moment and I pray he looks away. I can't take it anymore. As if hearing my thoughts, Dean shifts his gaze to around the room with a vibrant smile and says, "Alright class, let's get today over with. Shall we?"