Hunted

Chapter 3

                                                                               Chapter 3

"This will be so awesome! I'm ready to say goodbye to high school and enter the adult world otherwise known to me as college." Sarah beamed as they exited their dorm room.

"Calm down there girly, it's still school after all." Harper grinned at her friend's enthusiasm and felt the excitement growing within her.

The two girls hadn't exactly grown up in a small town but the large campus of the state university was easily bigger than the combination of the two high schools her town housed. Yes, the campus was certainly daunting to Harper but it was also a place for her to grow and learn to be independent.

"So I wonder what this Mr. Marks is like." Sarah mused as they walked across campus towards the science building. The one and only class they had together was Biology 1001 and it was being taught by a new professor that had just arrived this school year.

"I don't know but I guess we'll find out." Harper shrugged and glanced down at the sheet of paper holding her class schedule on it. She searched for the room number as the pair walked into the building. "His class is being taught in Auditorium B."

Dozens of other students milled about the large hallway. Some entered the already opened doors of other class rooms while others headed towards the doors, ready to make their escape and head to their next class. Checking her watch, Harper realized they would be a good twenty minutes early to their class because of Sarah's insistent need to always be early and never late.

"Here it is." Harper spoke aloud, causing Sarah to halt in her tracks. The plaque on the wall read "Auditorium B" but the door was closed.

"Should we wait out here?" Sarah asked while glancing around to see if there were any other students in the class waiting outside.

"We're already here, let's just see if anyone is in there." Harper grabbed at the handle on the door and pulled it open.

The door swung open to reveal dozens and dozens of seats arranged in an arc around a podium sitting on a raised platform. Next to the platform a small desk was arranged with a laptop set on top and a stack of papers sorted neatly. A large screen hung down from the ceiling and a projector sat ready and waiting to be used. A man stood by the desk, pulling things out of his bag and setting them on the desk. Aside from the man, no one else was in the room. Sarah strode forward and after a glance around, Harper followed.

"Hi." Sarah greeted as they got closer.

The man jumped, clearly startled. After a second he turned and faced Sarah and the slowly approaching Harper. As she got closer, Harper couldn't help but be surprised by how young the man looked. She had originally assumed the man was the new professor because of his well dressed attire and the fact that he had been placing things on the desk. However, she could now see the handsome features of his face and thought he looked more like a teacher's aid. Chocolate brown hair was brushed back in waves and matched his warm brown eyes. Perfect teeth were revealed as his lips pulled back into a smile.

"Hello. I'm sorry, you startled me. I thought I heard the door open but I guess I hadn't been paying much attention. I got a late start this morning and now I'm frantically trying to get everything set up before students arrive." The man explained while still wearing a pleasant smile on his face.