I'm Normally Perfect (re-upload)

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Subversive" I could see. Especially the woman she was in the sixties and seventies. Still, that was a long time ago. 'How long have you known her?'

He sighed deeply, 'Long enough.' He looked at me again, 'Longer than you've been alive, I dare say. But we are not here to discuss your...friends. Unless you've made some others?' His eyebrows rose questioningly.

'I went out with Robert before the break. I mean, I went with him to a party.'

'Oh. Well, that's all to the good, isn't it?'

I shrugged, 'I guess.'

'You haven't been carving much of a niche for yourself socially, have you? You should get out more. It is not wise to be unsociable.' He inhaled deeply as though preparing to deliver a speech and I groaned inwardly, 'University, after all, is a time to make the friendships, and connections, you'll have for the rest of your life.' When he said it, it sounded like a prison sentence.

I stated matter-of-factly, 'Alex and I will be friends for the rest of my life.'

He sighed, 'I wasn't referring to Professor Pristin, and you really should try and call her by that name when you're here. It's a sign of respect, you know.'

'I respect her deeply,' I cocked my head to the side, 'but I wonder if you do.'

'I don't have to respect her.' I could tell I'd crossed a line, but he didn't shout or grow red, he just asked, through a tightened jaw, 'And your studies, how are they getting on?'

'Great. I really like Dr MacBeth.'

'Do you?' That seemed to fascinate him for some reason.

I nodded. At first she had reminded me a bit of the wicked witch of the west, with her black bun pulled back rather tightly, nearly translucent complexion and long, bony appendages, but I had grown to like her quite a lot. Her comportment made her seemed stern, but she knew all sorts of interesting trivia, like the Brontë's real surname (Branwell) and she suggested a book about Victorian customs she'd thought I'd enjoy, which I did. It was called What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, and was full of all types of interesting information about daily life in the Victorian era. She wasn't a laugh-a-minute person by any stretch of the imagination, but having tutoring sessions once a week with her didn't produce the lead ball of dread in my stomach that seeing Professor Burrows did. 'Yes. I think she's lovely. Very intelligent.'

His eyes narrowed, 'She is indeed very intelligent.'

'Do you not like her?'

'I like her fine.' Something seemed to occur to him--a flicker in his eyes. 'It is fitting that you find her to be...lovely. I have a meeting in a few minutes, is there anything you'd care to tell me?'

Still confused by his behaviour I said, 'No, sir,' stood and pulled my bag over my shoulder. On my way down the stairs in his building I considered going to Alex's office for tea, maybe she'd know what the hell he was on about. Then I stepped outside and an arctic blast hit me full in the face, once I remembered how to breathe I decided the library was closer than her office, and I'd see her in a few hours anyway, I could ask her then.

During the ride home, after our usual conversation about supper (soup was decided on) I said, 'Today was Bizarre Conversations with Men Day, apparently. I wish someone had told me earlier so I could've prepared myself.'

She snorted, 'How do you mean?'

'First, Robert walked with me to the library, going on about us going out together sometime. He was acting really goofy. More so than usual. He walked up two flights of stairs with me, even though he didn't need to be in the library. Then he kissed me on the back of the hand before running out of the library. I don't know. It was weird.'