The Professor

Chapter 1 - Professor A

I'd woken up that morning, to a message from my cousin about our family's get together happening over the coming weekend.

My bags were almost all packed for summer break, but I still had a few days left to clean up my dorm room. Our last few lectures before break were just to finish touching up on work we'd be writing exams for when we come back.

After locking up my room, I walked down the stairs of our residence and said good morning to the security at the entrance.

It was a pretty sunny morning, 10:45am classes always made my day better because you'd come out of them and it would be lunch right after.

The walk to campus was less than 5 minutes, and I only had one class today so I only had a notebook and a textbook in my tote bag, with a couple pens. I always kept 3 pens in my bag just in case one was about to run out, or my friend forgot theirs.

There was a slight breeze, so I was glad I'd wrapped a cardigan around my waist. I wasn't sure if I'd go back to the dorms after lunch or spend some time in the library, which was notorious for having the air conditioner on full blast.

There weren't a lot of people on campus today, most people had already left, especially the first and second years. But as third years, our return exams would determine if we repeat a semester or not.

I say hi to a few familiar faces as a class comes out of the lecture hall. Once it empties out, I walk in.
Guess I'm the first one here.
Seizing the opportunity, I pick my favourite seat, third row from the front, just to the right of the lecture hall.

Not too close, but close enough to hear the professor mutter under his breath when he's deep in thought at his desk going over papers, when he gives the class a few minutes to go over a section we'd covered.

A few students start coming in, I receive a few "hi"s and "hey"s as people take their seats.
There weren't that many of us left in this class. In first year we were almost one hundred students, but now we were less than forty. But a more intimate class made way more sense for third year in such an obscure course.

5 minutes later our professor walked in, he had a rush in his step because he was almost late. He still needed to unpack his laptop and set it up for his PowerPoint. His teachers aide was already set up with hers, so while we waited for him to show up, we were asking her some questions relating to the course.

His hair was ruffled from the breeze. His breathing was fast, almost as though he had run from his car to the hall. Actually, yeah, he must have. He was wearing a short sleeve, maroon button up - which was open - and a light coloured T-shirt on underneath. He always liked to wear shorts to lectures, and today was no different. This time he had a denim pair of shorts, they cut off just above the knee. Anything shorter and he would have caused a few fainting spells in class.

Greeting us all, he stood at the front as the aide hooked up his laptop. Folding his arms across his chest, I dropped my gaze from his warm smile to his biceps as they tightened as his arms met. His warm toned brown skin stretched taut, darker now due to the spring sun getting stronger.

"So, class, apologies for starting a little bit late today, but I'm sure you all coped without me" he says, laughing slightly. Bringing his arms back down to his sides, he pats his left pocket and pulls out his laser pointer.

Directing our attention to the PowerPoint presentation he had prepped, he turns towards the wall in front of us. Facing his back towards us, my eyes immediately dart down to his calves. You could tell the man worked out simply due to the way the muscle shifted as he took a few steps back and forth. The man's shoulders were so wide in the shirt he wore today. I can just imagine how it looks with just the T-shirt.