Young Blood

Chapter Six

 I couldn’t believe how thankful I was that today was Friday, and therefore the last day of the week of seeing Professor Starkey. I didn’t bother looking good today, knowing that if I did, Professor Starkey would not be able to stop staring on me, and I wouldn’t be able to stop staring back at him. He drove me crazy, and I had realized last night that even though it was wrong, I wanted him. I had to stay away with him romantically though, because even though I had realized my feelings for him, it was still illegal.

  John and Paul weren’t much help. Paul was a little moody because I had ignored him and his boyfriend yesterday, but I didn’t mind. It wasn’t like they had actually helped me with anything. They had just been there for ‘support,’ I guess. They were the ones who forced me to talk to Professor Starkey. Perhaps they were the ones to blame for this whole fiasco.

  Class was awfully difficult. I tried to pay attention, I really did. But Romeo and Juliet isn’t the most interesting story to listen to, especially when it was subliminally about you. I know Shakespeare hadn’t intended on writing it about my relationship with Professor Starkey, but the professor had definitely chosen to read the piece because of me. It was an honor, somehow, but it was still a little hard to grasp the concept that he was actually trying to win me over. It was weird that someone, especially a teacher, would be interested in me.

Most of the class I wasn’t actually focusing on the reading. I was too distracted to pay attention, as I had been the entire week. The only thoughts running through my mind were of how today was the last day of the week, and after this class I’d be able to walk home. Then I could hang out with John and Paul and we could do fun things, just the three of us. Thoughts of fun raced through my mind. And thoughts of something else, too.

  Professor Starkey was wearing a pair of very stylish reading glasses that only illuminated his beautiful eyes even more. He kept glancing up at me on occasion, the new gray tint of his eyes appearing haunting and cold. I wondered if he realized what he was doing to me. Every time our eyes connected, even for a brief moment, a shock of chills was sent through my entire body, cooling down at my heart.

  I picked up my pencil in an effort to take notes but instead doodled pointless circles and lines around the edges of my notebook paper. We were supposed to be taking down anything in particular we found interesting or useful, but I found everything in this play too familiar and almost scary. To me, he was forbidden fruit, a man beyond the boundaries. But to him, I was probably just another man he wanted for himself. And for some reason, I didn’t care. 

  He was sweating underneath his blue button-down. Not visibly, but I could tell. A man just knows these kinds of things about another of his kind. He was scratching at himself nervously as well, something that probably would have gone unnoticed to the other students. But not me. 

  I felt this electrifying connection between the two of us, something I didn’t know whether was right or wrong. I knew I wanted him, and he obviously wanted me, but I didn’t know if I should hold back or take the plunge. If this were entirely about academics, I would have said no and avoided him at all costs. But this man was wonderful, everything I had been waiting for all packaged up into one human being. I wanted him like I had never wanted anyone else before, and it was almost horrifying how badly I felt I needed him. I didn’t care what anyone else thought at this point. I needed Professor Starkey, whether the world wanted us together or not.

  Class dragged on another half an hour or so, my eyes looking down at my book and actually trying to read. Although I hated the story, I loved hearing Professor Starkey’s voice reading it. I knew that after class I would probably get to talk to him, too, if I really wanted. Thinking about what might happen just made class go by even faster, every minute more exciting than the last.