Come Inside of My Heart

When classes resumed, Cheenie Carson returned after a week of absence, a week spent mourning the sudden death of her mother. Grief weighed her down, leaving her exhausted and empty, as if all her strength had been drained with her loss.

Stepping back into the classroom, familiar faces greeted her, yet one unfamiliar presence stood out: her new professor, Frankline Wynn Licarus. Cold and commanding. Despite Cheenie's pain, her professor expected nothing less than excellence. For Licarus, grief wasn't an excuse, everyone carried their own burdens, and wasting one's potential was never justifiable.

Cheenie hated that. The words stung, leaving her feeling misunderstood. No one had the right to dictate how she should grieve, no one could possibly understand the weight of her pain. The intensity of her loss felt far too heavy for anyone else to measure.

So, she kept her distance. She avoided Professor Licarus as much as possible, convincing herself that staying away was easier.

But she was wrong. As days passed, Cheenie realized that Professor Licarus wasn't someone she could easily ignore. Her intimidating presence, made it impossible to fade into the background. No matter how hard Cheenie tried to stay out of her way, it seemed Professor Licarus was always there, a force too powerful to avoid.