The Flower You Didn't See | Mystery

Chapter 12

"And he is teaching you next year too," added Sara. "What?!" Ruby said in shock. "Yup. Two subjects in the third semester," Lee chipped in.

"Now I'm really upset," Ruby immersed her face into Lee's chest. She grabbed a bit of the fabric of his t-shirt and mumbled, "Please help me."

"Ruby, this is Prof. Thompson. And Tom, this is Ruby. She is our friend."

Sara introduced Ruby to Prof. Thompson as soon as she joined them.

Professor Thompson had a small face and a gentle smile. His hair was greying to a pleasant white, his eyes were kind, hidden behind his glasses and he gave off friendly vibes. Ruby thought that he must have been quite popular when young. He reminded her of a clean shaven Santa Claus.

Thompson shook hands with her and said, "Why am I hearing about this friend for the first time from you?"

"I'm in my first year actually," Ruby answered with a smile.

"I found her quite recently. She was hiding from me," added Ruby. Thompson chuckled.

"She plans on taking your subject next year," said Laksh.

"Is that so?" Thompson turned to Ruby, with raised eyebrows, "Mind you, it's not easy."

"Don't scare the poor girl. She is already worried by Sloan breathing down her neck," said Sara. Thompson laughed, "Prof. Sloan has that effect on people. Don't worry. If you want, I'll talk to him to go easy on you."

"Thank You sir. I just hope it won't be much trouble," Ruby returned his warm smile.

Sara immediately leaned in and whispered to Ruby, "Your 'friends' are here." She pointed towards the entrance of the cafeteria. Ruby turned around and glanced at them. Determined, she stood up from her seat, and walked towards them.

"I have to get going. I have a class. They won't pay me if I'm late," he laughed getting to his feet, "I'll see you kids around."

"When will we get to visit your vacation home again?" asked Laksh before he left. Thompson thought for a second and said, "How about this weekend? You can all come, but come bearing gifts," Laksh nodded with a smile. She added, "We can discuss the scholarship also then."

"Sure."

Thompson said his goodbyes and left. This was when Sara joined them, closely followed by Ruby.

"Just get rid of them. Kick them out of your life. And please don't call them as your friends, not in front of me anyway. Ever," Sara said as she sat down.

The road to Tom's vacation house was long and flanked on either side by tall trees. The lush green canopy barely let any light pass through them. Since it was mostly unused, the road appeared to be smooth and perfect for a long drive. It had slightly rained early in the morning, and hence the surface of the road was a dark shade of grey. The road reminded Ruby of the forest reserve between her town and the big city.

This time, Sara drove, Laksh sat beside her in the front , while Lee and Ruby took the back seat for obvious reasons. Whenever she heard a giggle, Sara would say, "Guys, behave. This is a public space. Don't make me kick you out of the car."

Soon they arrived at the vacation home. It was an enormous wooden structure built in the clearing, in the middle of the woods.

Huge windows that let in light into the house, the long balcony, an open area where guests could sit and just watch over the forest, were some of the first things that caught their eye. To its right was the open space, and to its left, was a small greenhouse where Tom grew his exclusive collection of plants. The vacation home was on its own a marvel.