Citations Justified | mayifl

• Sweet Lemons •

"Okay, so, to quickly summarize your next module for the term; there will be weekly updates of your core texts on Moodle*, a class related to that, reading each week and at the end, a portfolio of your essays with Harvard referencing."

I drummed my fingers softly along the desk as I noted down each of the pointers neatly on the page in front of me. My seat neighbour- and childhood best friend- Ashley threw me a pointed look as she scribbled something furiously on her notebook. I leaned over imperceptibly. 

why do you think he had a haircut?  

"There will also be a literature list of texts you might find useful for your arguments, and if any more are found they'll be added to the list."

I tore my eyes away from the notepad and scribbled something back. no he didn't, he must've combed it differently today.

"If you have any questions later on, you can contact Chris who helped with curating the module. Only email me for emergencies."

wut? im talking about dan

I looked to the other side, eyes sliding conspicuously over Daniel- who, to my brief embarrassment, was sporting a military buzzcut. Consequentially, having no hair to 'comb differently'.

"Any questions?"

My other best friend, Brian, who sat two seats below us, raised his hand. I slid my gaze back to Ashley, who merely gave me a knowing smirk. It was wise to presume she had figured out who I had been referring to. 

"Yes?" Professor Marston, Ashley's guess and the correct answer, addressed Brian. 

"Uh, when will we get our marks for our last assignment?" I resisted the urge to snort at his question. Of course he was worried about the assignment. My thoughts raced back to Brian calling me at 4 last week and screaming about how he ought to 'manslaughter' William Shakespeare for writing 'such lengthy material, good heavens, Cal, I will have a goddamn breakdown-'. 

"So you'll get your marks and feedback in the next couple of weeks." he continued, oblivious to the amount of anxiety he had just caused Brian, "But I will say there were some great topics and discussions raised. And, I have found interesting articles for a lot of you to expand your knowledge on the subject. I'll email them to you throughout the week so keep an eye out for that. Any more questions?"

No one reacted. In most cases, it was because they had no questions. In some cases, it was because the spiral into the seventh circle of hell had numbed them to the surroundings. However, in my case, it was because Andrew Marston's glasses, in his attempt to adjust his eyeglass chain, had become slightly askew. It did not, unfortunately, hinder his ability to look effortlessly breathtaking under any circumstances. 

I perched my chin on my hand, sighing to blow a strand of hair from my face. It was so unfair.

"Okay that's it for today," he stated, organizing the papers and submissions on his desk with frightening precision. "The first call text is already uploaded so give it a read and we'll discuss it tomorrow. Failing to do so results in falling behind, so study hard."

Chaos reigned in the dingy literature classroom as everyone packed their bags and stuffed in notebooks and writing material. Ashley patted my back and whispered a 'see you for lunch?' and walked over to Brian after I nodded my assent. They had Physics next, while I had a free lecture. Hence, I was tasked to get lunch from our favorite outlet outside campus. As I shouldered my bag, my gaze fell, as usual, on the professor. Who turned around right in time, and pointing at me, announced, "Oh, not you, Miss Ruth."

"Uh...?" 

"I need to speak with you for a few minutes," he provided, pushing his sleeves back as he hauled a few papers back into a staff locker nearby. Something about the sight coupled with the words seemed to halt my cognitive processes.