AnOther Alice: A Novel (Undergoing Editing)

Chapter 04

Alice Gordon brought her hand to her mouth and silenced a small yawn. Fatigue pulled at her eyelids. Though it was just thirty minutes into her fourth period, the effects of having finished up an assignment at one in the morning, only for her alarm to go off at five, were now starting to weigh in.

Her English professor, Mark Woodbury, presided over the lecture, salt-and-pepper hair glistening against the light, his hands gesticulating with every word. He scanned the room, making eye contact with his students.

When he finally noticed Alice, during her second yawn, she stopped immediately and grabbed the closest pen to jot down some notes. She stole glances to see if he was still looking at her, even while acting like the most attentive student in the room. Woodbury pressed his lips together before changing the current slide at the press of a button. Her English professor knew she wasn't paying attention, Alice realized with dread.

Twenty minutes later the lesson was over. Everyone flooded toward the lecture hall. Alice moved among a slow-moving swarm of students, all while raising a folder to conceal her face as she made a break for the door.

"Just a reminder everyone," Woodbury called after them. "Remember to study chapters three to five."

Alice noticed a guy wearing a mustard-colored beanie approach Woodbury's desk. "Sir, is this going to be graded?"

Woodbury looked up from reading his next class schedule, "Yes, it's graded," he said, flipping through some pages. "I want no less than two thousand words. The fewer mistakes, the better."

"Thank you, sir," said some beanie guy. "Have a good weekend."

"Same to you."

Alice had to get out to the hall. If Woodbury were to look up, he'd notice her right away, but the line to get out was still sluggish. Moments later, someone was pushed into her, startling her so she dropped her folder.

She turned to the person who'd been shoved into her—a blue-haired girl with headphones. The girl picked up Alice's folder and handed it to her. "Sorry, my bad."

Alice took her folder back. "No worries. It was just an—"

"Miss Gordon," said Woodbury. "May I have a word?"

No avoiding it now. She was discovered yet again. The blue-haired girl was looking past her, towards the direction of the lecturer's desk. She gave Alice a sympathetic smile before heading out.

Alice could feel eyes on her as she made her way over to Woodbury. Unlike most days, his usual poker face wasn't present. Instead there was a softness about his features that seemed uncharacteristic. He's probably in a good mood, Alice thought, which means I'm lucky today.

"Are you thinking of entering the short story contest again?" he asked.

She froze, momentarily unable to process his question. "Pardon?"

Eventually the gears begin to turn. He wasn't going to scold her for not paying attention in his class. With this realization, she smiled to herself, showing just a little teeth.

Woodbury fished out a piece of paper from his briefcase and handed it to her. He pointed at the date on the bottom of the contest flier. "The submission deadline is coming up."

She skimmed the handout. "I'm not sure if I'm entering this year," said Alice. "Besides, even if I did enter, I'll only have a handful of days to finish."

He blinked. "Am I really hearing this from Alice Gordon? A consecutive wo-time winner of Greenwald University's annual fiction prize?"

She paused. Why was she holding back? Why wouldn't she submit again?