The Professor

Chapter 8

 Lunch

"So... How was your evening?" Taira asks me, sipping her iced coffee. "And night."

"No, you go first." I dip one of the fries I ordered in ketchup and eat it. "How was being with Justin for so many hours?" 

"It was like we lived together..." She sways back and forth in her chair. "We were all coupley, he's the sweetest."

"So you're serious about him?" I look in aww. "Awwwh you really are" 

"I think I am." She blushes. "But enough about me, how about you?" 

"Well, so far he's been sweet." I drink my raspberry iced tea. "We stayed up almost all night... Talking."

"Talking?" She arches her eyebrow. "You held a conversation for that long?..... He's the one." She laughs.

"Well, earlier in the day he brought me to this hospital..." I pause.

"Uh huh?... And?" She squints.

"It was for children... I met the funniest girl." I say. "I guess he used to volunteer... It was like an hour and so away." 

"Sooo..." She gestures for me to finish.

"So, I met a side to him I don't think a lot of people know. You know?" I lay my hand out. "I've only just met him and he already showed me a part of him." I scratch my nail along the table rim.

"That's good right?" She questions.

"Yeah, but... That means he cares, or really likes me." I bit my inner cheek. "Remember what happened with Kc. Sweet boys and I don't mix well, he'll get hurt when I stop. You know my feelings, they only last long with things I can't have."

"You don't know that." She takes my hand. "I think he'll grow on you."

"We'll see," I smirk.

"Hey, if it doesn't work." She looks me in the eyes. "Don't let ya'll ruin it for me and Justin. Okay?"

"Okay.." I say unfazed.

"No. I mean it." She straightens her face.

"Okaaayy," I promise. "Okay."

"Good." She smiles.

---

I care for Lewis, I really do. But no matter what Scott has this thing, this force over me. No matter what he does I have this draw to him and him to me. I can't control his pull. I give up, no matter what he does... I want him, I need him.

"Scott... The book room... Now." I say into the phone and hang up.

Opening the door to the back office storage room of building A, I wait for Scott, slowly pacing back and forth. Looking around at all the boxes and shelves of books and things of the college, I reminisce on the first time I was in here.

*Flashback*

"And that... Is how you engage an audience." Professor Jacobs says grabbing us with his words. "I need eight students to challenge themselves." He crosses his hands behind his back. "Today's work is to give me a story, intrigue me, engage me, fascinate me with a story. Next week I will pick eight of the best stories and their writers to read them aloud. And the story may be good but you'll still have to grab our attention."

"What will we be writing about?" One of the students asks.

"Whatever you want. Love, sex, death. Hell, it can even be a biography. Just make it good... And short. No more than three pages." He leans back on his desk. "Oh and turn in your books."