Destined

Twenty Nine

I woke up pretty late on Tuesday, with an even prettier hang over. Actually we all did. I was so late that I missed my History of Culture class. And I wasn't planning on attending Writing Class either. I knew it was Vince's last day observing the class and I didn't want to see him. Maybe I was ashamed, who am I kidding? Of course I was ashamed. I'd kissed the man and told him I loved him and he'd, in not as many words, told me he didn't feel the same. Despite his book and his dedication, which I still wondered if it was about me, I honestly didn't know what to do. I did know that I wasn't prepared to face him.

I took my time in the shower but dressed rather quickly. I didn't even bother with my hair and just went out with it flying about. I bet I looked like a hag when I got to school but I didn't care. Liz and Maddie skipped class altogether and Talia went much later.

I was on my way to my usual third and last class of the day when my phone pinged with an email. I hated that sound. The only people that normally sent me emails were my professors and the weekly magazines or books I subscribed to. I pulled my phone out from my pocket and there was an email from Professor Darke asking me to see him in his office between the hours of two and four.

Conveniently, my class started at one and was only an hour long so I made my way to him afterwards. He was seated at his desk like I'd expected but he did not look happy.

"Afternoon, Miss Sanders, please, have a seat," he said and so I did. "I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you here,"

Well duh.

"See, I've been carrying out student reviews this last week, you know we have those once a month. And after looking at your file, I've found some discrepancies,"
"What kind of discrepancies?"
"You've been late for class twice already, today you skipped it altogether, not to mention you've been on the receiving end of the rumor mills for a while now,"
"I can't help what people say," I said.
"Kristina, you're one of the best students in the Humanities department. And that's saying a lot considering you're just finishing up your first year. You've already made such an impact on the board of directors. You had the highest aptitude score, you participated in three different clubs within four months of your being here, and you made a substantial donation at the East Wing fundraiser," he listed down the activities slowly, as though I hadn't known I'd done them. "The board thinks you would be a great candidate for valedictorian,"
I gasped, "Me? But I'm barely out of my freshman year,"
"I know, and that's why I think you could use my help,"
"Your help?"

He stood and walked around his table, my eyes following him so that I'd swiveled my whole chair to face him, to the shelf near the door and started looking through it until he pulled out what looked like a random book to me. Then he turned to face me and I'm not sure why, but the look on his face didn't sit well with me.

"Question, Miss Sanders," he spoke again and I noticed he was now leaning against his door, blocking my way out. "I happen to have noticed that many of the female students have taken a special liking to our latest addition to the faculty, Mr. Delavigne?"

It was a sentence that sounded like a question.

"Uhm, I don't understand," and I really didn't understand. Why was he telling me this?
"Oh don't be daft, I saw you get in his car. I've seen you two giggling like school girls in the library, tell me, what is the nature of your relationship with the man?"
"There is none," I answered quickly. Not anymore anyway.
"I find that hard to believe," he said. "Considering you have lunch with him every week,"
My heart was racing suddenly and I stood slowly, "Where is this conversation going?"
"Wherever you want it to go," he was standing in front of me now, I hadn't even realized he'd moved, putting the book on the table. "I think we could work out an arrangement too," he said reaching to touch my hair. I froze, unsure of what was happening and also scared out of my mind about it. "See how generous I was with that test of yours, you pay me the same favors as you do Delavigne, I'll make sure you keep your grades up, and by senior year, you'll be a shoe in for valedictorian,"
I'd like to point out that my brain was not functioning very well at that moment, "What?" I whispered in fear.