Professor Hemmings // lrh

Ⅵ

The class ended, and I was making my way towards the exit after packing my bag.

It's sheer luck that the mini-argument ended up all quiet and good, with a few laughs, and a reaction from Mr. Hemmings that I still can't stop thinking about.

I, like a silly 10-year-old girl, can't stop being happy about the fact that he found my observations impressive and funny.

I took a deep breath and glanced towards Mr. Hemmings to say goodbye only to find him already looking at me.

"Miss Rose," he began as he paid a glance to other leaving students. "That was some good... debate you and Mr. Foster had."

I glanced down to my feet before looking back at him, remembering exactly what the 'debate' was about. "Just some general knowledge."

"You're interested in Ancient Egypt?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"Well, I really like The Mummy franchise and I played Assassin's Creed: Origins, so I guess you could say so."

His eyes were still glued to mine as his smile gradually grew, revealing a set of straight teeth. "You game?"

A giggle was bound to escape his mouth anytime, but he kept his cool. I realized that he finds this amusing, so I decided to play his game and not give him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered.

"As a matter of fact, I do." I slightly pursed my lips triumphantly. "Do you?"

Only after asking the question I realized what I did. I blurted it out automatically and wondered whether Mr. Hemmings will find it inappropriate, but nothing in his disposition pointed it out, so I relaxed a bit.

"Sometimes, with my friends. Call of Duty, mostly."

"Good to know that gaming culture is nowhere near dying." I joked, drawing out a chuckle from him.

"Gia, where the f—" Angela stormed back into the classroom, apparently searching for me. "Oh,"

I felt like someone slapped me with a wet rag.

Angela froze, perfectly knowing that she interrupted a pleasant conversation between me and Professor Hemmings, while he and I stared at the culprit.

The silence lasted for a few more seconds before I snapped my head back to Mr. Hemmings, a rushed apologetic smile on my face. "Goodbye, Professor."

"Bye," he muttered quietly, somewhat wistfully.

✕

"I'm gonna kill you," I hissed to Angela as she kept apologizing between her stupid giggles.

"Okay, okay, terribly sorry," she tried to shield herself as I kept blowing small punches to her side. "But you automatically admit that you fancy him, eh?"

I stopped punching, realizing the same thing. "Well... You interrupted our conversation."

"Thank me for that, because sexual tension was so evident that you could cut it with a knife."

"Okay, Ange, stop imagining things."

"I'm not!" She cried. "Seriously, Gia, he looks at you as if you are the last cookie in a jar."

I scowled and laughed at the particularly Angie-style comparison.

"All right," I sighed. "I mean, what's not to like? He's cute and polite, but that's just a crush."

Angela opened her mouth to scream in opposition but I beat her to it. "I mean, I like him just how I like Ezio Auditore or Tom Hardy. You get me?"

"Girl, you don't just like Ezio and Tom – you're fucking obsessed about them."