Chasing Henry Marshall

Chapter Two

   I couldn't stop staring. This man was much more than I had expected. I was no longer surprised by the tidal wave of cheers and swoons from the students. The TA approached him and for some reason, I felt myself drawn to do the same. I was slightly fearful of this pull. I knew nothing about him and it frustrated me. I wanted to join in with the dying cheers. I quickly pulled my phone out and began to type under my desk. I didn't want to appear rude or have the nasty TA take it from me. I didn't appreciate being treated like a middle schooler.
   "Mr. Marshall," I heard from somewhere near the door and my head snapped up. The head of the science department was standing in the doorway. Now there was a man I feared. I had only had a few run-ins with the burly man but he has given me the cold shoulder since I mentioned that I didn't particularly like science and that it was not something useful in my career. His black hair was unprofessionally pulled back in a ponytail but aside from that, he was dressed in a sleek black suit and "science green" tie.
   The TV star turned and a very businesslike smile curved his lips. My eyes were drawn there a second to long. He had very... kissable lips. I blanched. Was I really thinking about this? I shook my head and took the arrival of the director as a cover, beginning to Google Henry Marshall and WWIP. I keeping an eye on them every so often.
   "Director Congreve," Marshall responded, holding a hand out. The director shook his hand and then looked at the TA.
   "I assume Mr. Richman introduced you to the class?"
   "I was about to Sir, once the applause died down." Nyil Richman, one of the most smug upperclassmen I knew, looked down in shame. Mr. Congreve looked at him, sharing in his shame only he was on the dealing end. He turned to the class and put a hand on Henry Marshall's shoulder.
   "Class you should all know Mr. Marshall. He has had a very successful career in the paranormal field and has decided to teach for us until we can find a replacement. I am sure you will all have the level of self-control required to allow him to do his job with as minimal interruptions as possible." When the students said nothing, the director continued, "We assume he will be here for at least the first semester of this current year. I am sure he will teach you all plenty and you may even get to see some real evidence."
   This caught my attention and I looked up. What the director said was true. With the CEO of WWIP teaching us, we would most likely be flooded with examples and evidence. When I saw Congreve begin to leave, I looked back down to my phone to finish my search. I was trying to find something about Henry Marshall's life but all I ever found was frank Wiki pages containing appearance and lists of seasons/episodes. I found fan pages dedicated to him and tons of screen shots from the TV show but nothing of his personal life. Absolutely nothing.

   I shut the page down and clicked the phone off, sliding it back into my bag. I could see Henry Marshall's appearance for myself. He was average height, probably about 5'11 or so, with slightly wavy blond hair and the bluest eyes I have ever seen. He had a flawless complexion and a dazzling business smile. But how could someone be so perfect? I became slightly suspicious. There had to be a flaw somewhere.
   "Its an honor to have you teach here Mr. Marshall."
   I looked up and watched Nyil Richman hold out his own hand. The TV star shook his hand and then looked at him. There was a coldness to his eyes, his face changing drastically after the exit of the director. When Mr. Marshall let his hand go, Nyil seemed to notice the chilling atmosphere. The room seemed to drop a few degrees and I almost expected snow to begin falling from the ceiling.
   "Nyil, was it?" He said as he put his hand back in his pocket.
   "Yes Sir," he said firmly, full of his usual confidence.
   "And you are....?" There was an arrogance to his tone.
   "I am your assistant Sir. I help teach this class."
   "Not anymore," He said and walked by him. Nyil's face converted to one of pure shock. He stood there, just as dumbstruck as everyone else. He turned and looked at the TV star. Mr. Marshall was running his fingers over the large mahogany desk. Once he was content, he sat on the edge and looked over at him. All the students fell into a spell of silence. Nyil Richman was being fired? This had never happened to the boy who gets everything. The "Prince of Science" was his nickname for a reason.
   "Excuse me?" He said slowly.
   "You heard me."
   "Why, may I ask?"
   "Because I don't think your going to be assisting me. I truly believe your going to be in my way and are going to attempt to do one of two things," He held up two fingers, "Your going to brown nose or your going to correct me. I don't tolerate either."
   Nyil's jaw dropped. I could barely contain my laughter. This was becoming the greatest day of my life. Henry Marshall stood up and then folded his arms, watching him. My eyes migrated to the star's face. He had this smug look on his face, one I would love to slap off but at the same time, it made him much more attractive. My soul perked up. I was so busy trying to piece my thoughts together that I never even noticed that Nyil had stalked out the door, most likely going to go have a little talk with Mr. Congreve about this whole surprise.