Down The Highway

Chapter Thirty-One

Our professor clapped his hands several times to catch everyone's attention. A day I thought would just be as normal as the others but was not. It just didn't catch my attention. Instead, it also made my heart jump off me and made me jump off my knees.

I rolled my eyes after being startled by him. He smiled at everyone and caught all our eyes one by one. At least he arrived. "Sorry, guys I am late. I was just a little busy last night" he stated but none of us said a single word except for the birds chirping outside our room.

He nodded even if there was nothing to nod for. "So umm, yesterday, umm..." he seemed speechless. Looked like he forgot everything that he taught us yesterday. Without raising my hand, I answered to help him out since he seemed clueless about what we talked about yesterday. "Intellectual Honesty sir," he nodded and bit his lips in annoyance. I didn't mean to annoy him though.

All the other students looked at me, but I ignored them. "Ok, great job Ms. Frocklori," he said as he started to write on the board. At first, he purposely blocked the board but when he took a few steps away from it, the statement on the board got clearer.

WHAT IS YOUR OWN DEFINITION OF INTELLECTUAL HONESTY?

It was even written in an all capitalized form. I sighed as he called me. "You know the answer miss Frocklori?" I had no choice but to stand up while everyone watched me. I gulped before saying a single word. "Intellectual honesty is honesty in the acquisition, analysis, and transmission of ideas." He frowned at me as if my answer was wrong even if it was what he taught us yesterday.

"Can't you read the question? It says own definition" he pointed the words own definition. Gosh, I just realized how stupid I am. Yes, I read it but didn't mind what it was saying. "Oh, umm..." I gulped one more time and everyone looked at me like I was a TV show. "I think it means that intellectual honesty is the scientific honest that includes honest attitude" when I said my last two words, I looked at Shawn, to make him feel that I am pointing at him.

The professor nodded and continued talking, "okay, that's right! Like what miss Frocklori said, intellectual honesty is a kind of scientific honesty just like honest attitude" I sighed when I found Shawn staring at me with a sarcastic half-smile and a frown. But when I looked at him, he looked away while shaking his head. I opened my notebook to take some notes. I know that my words hit him.

The professor startled everyone again when he clapped his hands several times for the second time. It's his way of calling everyone's attention. "So class listen up!" All our heads got pointed at him as he raised his hands to get the attention of the students at the back, us.

He sighed first before saying a word. "So, now that we talked enough about intellectual honesty, we are going to create our first project this year... everybody group yourselves into three" I smiled, immediately turned my back to Maureen, Jannet, and Myrna. I rolled my eyes when they gave me a hand sign saying that they were full already.

It's just the three of them to be in a group. Not me, included in them. Why did he group us to three and not to four? We could be all together if he only grouped us into four. The three of them stood up and made their way to the corner of the room. While there was me, who was left at the table all alone. "Everyone has a group of three members already?"

I immediately raised my hand and said, "I don't have a group yet, sir" I found someone a few steps away from me, also raising his hands and saying the same words together with me. "I don't have a group yet, sir," we said together at the same time. I looked at him and realized that it was Shawn.

I rolled my eyes. This can't happen I constantly started to play with my hands, what I usually do when I am nervous or when I want something not to happen. "Okay then. Since you guys are the only ones left. Maybe you two can form yourself a group" I frowned and looked at Shawn, who seemed unbothered by what the professor said anyway. "What? Can't we break a group of three into four? That wouldn't be fair if we would just be a group of two while the others are a group of three-"

He didn't even let me finish, instead, he quickly cut my words saying, "calm down miss Frocklori. The numbers of the members in a group doesn't matter. What's important here is to get yourselves communicated and be able to get yourselves in a teamwork" everyone else stood up and formed themselves into a group of three.

While I and Shawn were left in our seats. I looked away after the second he looked at me. I leaned at the back of my chair and placed my hands on my chest, tied up together. But after a few seconds that I heard all the other students talking to each other, I noticed that he sat next to me.

For no reason why I gulped. He looked at me and didn't look away even just for a second until I looked back at him. "Shawn" he offered his hand in front of me. I faked a smile, hid the truth that what made me smile was his eyes that reminded me of the days we'd been together. I took his hands, "Jade" we shook each other's hands. His hand was as cold as ice and was sweating like a sporty dog.

"We're going to make a great team," I stated.

"Are we?" He asked cluelessly.

"Okay, guys. Everybody, follow me! Hold your partners' hands" I grabbed his hands and faked another smile. As the professor walked away and we all followed him.