How I Became Mrs. Watts ✓

How I Became Mrs. Watts (3)

CHAPTER 3

I went to the rest of my classes that Monday. I was becoming saddened more and more with each passing hour. I felt I needed my book by me. I didn't feel quite as safe without it. I did my homework and went to bed.

When I woke up the next morning, I did the same thing, with the exception of going to Theology and Current Events (I only had those on Mondays and Fridays). The next few days were the same and I felt myself sink into a very rhythmic schedule, a very repeating schedule. Friday finally came. I was nervous, so very nervous. I hoped he didn't just toss my book somewhere, forgetting it, or worse, given it to Ethan.

I trudged my way down to Professor Watts' room and sat my stuff in the second row this time. I was a little early so I could sit in any seat. “Someone's early,” he commented, “I'd like my book back please.”

I put it in his outstretched hand. “Great Expectations?” I asked, “With the original or new ending?”

“It's a classic,” he shrugged, “And new, of course.”

“So, you're a romantic?”

“Something like that.” I smiled. Students came filing in around us. “Okay, we're continuing Monday's talk on sacraments. Someone give me a summary of Monday.”

“There are seven sacraments. There are the sacraments of initiation, Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation, the sacraments of healing, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick, and the sacraments of service, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Efficacious means capable of having the desired effect, and Ella's been studying the Catechism,”a boy next to me said, reading his notes. He then winked at me. I ignored it. So did the professor.

“Good,” he said, “Today we'll be continuing off of the blocks we've placed on Monday.” He then began with his lecture.

“A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ. Protestants view them as this, 'ex opere operatis.' Can anyone translate?”

“By the worker working?” I made it sound like a question. I took Latin in high school and I didn't want to seem like a know-it-all, in that subject, at least.

He smiled his beautiful smile at me, “What about 'ex opere operato?'” No one answered. “Ella?” he asked.

I sighed, “By the work worked.”

“Now they're translated for us,” he smiled at me again, “What do those phrases mean related to the sacraments?” It was a rhetorical question. “Protestants believe the first phrase alone. We, as Catholics, believe both. By the worker working means that the more you do to prepare for a sacrament, the more you will receive the benefits of that sacrament. The second phrase, by the work worked, means that even if you don't prepare for the sacrament, you still receive benefits of that sacrament, just not as much as you would have if you prepared for it, like you're supposed to.

“So, we said that sacraments are outward signs instituted by Christ. There are two parts to a sacrament, to each and every sacrament. There is the matter of the sacrament and then there is the form of the sacrament. We'll go into more detail next week.”

We all scrambled up and flew out the door, even me. I didn't want to be late again. Ethan would kill me, for sure. This class was insanely fast, we spent it discussing nuclear threats in the middle east. Well, I should say, everyone but me. I packed up slowly at the end of class, knowing what was coming. “I don't have the book, Ethan. I let a friend borrow it,” I said. He let me pass him, shocked at what I said. That makes two of us, I thought. I took in Ethan's expression and almost laughed at the hilarity of it, almost. I breezed by straight to my dorm.

I thought of when I handed Professor Watts his book this morning. He'd said that he was something of a romantic. If that was true, he should be enjoying my book. My book! I thought, how could I have forgotten? I couldn't believe that I had actually forgotten all about my book. It did feel nice having someone watch it though. This way Ethan had no idea who actually had the book, and he had no way of getting it. He had no strings to pull with Andrew. Since when did I give myself permission to call him Andrew? I liked his name though, no I loved his name, so I let it stick in my mind.