Breaking Boundaries

Chapter 3 - First Encounter

"Maya Vogel." The words are out but they're not from me. It's from Cara.

"She's new. From New Jersey." Now from Jason.

"She's book smart. Not street smart." Cara. Gee, thanks. How would you know?

"Her first day, and her first class. She's going to help us pass." Jason again. When did I say that? They stop after realizing that that's all they know about me. The classroom laughs. Professor Benton smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Interesting. Can you talk, Maya?" He says, my name rolling out of his lips like silk. My heart hammers. My cheeks flame all the way to my ears and neck. Of course I can talk! But I simply nod. This time when I open my mouth words do spill.

"Yes."

"I'd like to hear from you." Oh. Keep it simply, Maya.

"I..um. I moved here about couple days ago. I been homeschooled all my life so I don't know much about exploring different things but I want to pursue a career in English Literature maybe. I'm all over the place but I'd like to explore a bit to know what I'm really good at." There. Too much? The class is silent. Professor Benton strokes his chin. His eyes glimmer underneath the specks.

"Excellent choice. I can see why you're already important in this class," he says. Heat gushes over me as I take in the compliment. His eyes study me a little longer as we battle to stay connected without blinking. But I look away first.

The class begins with us getting a little more comfortable than before. When I glance around, I find some of the women swooning openly. Time passes by. An hour to be precise.

"Who's ready to get out of here?" Professor Benton suddenly asks. The class awakes. Men raise their hands and females follow because they're forced too. I'm sure they prefer staying here to ogle at him all day.

"Please tell us we don't have any homework!" A girl says from behind us.

"It's a simple task. If you could meet one author, writer, or a poet in person, who would it be and why? We will discuss it. Class dismissed. See some of you tomorrow and the rest on Thursday." In a striking second, everyone is up and out of the room. I'm left behind thinking about what he said. He leans against the desk again and looks at me while placing his into his pockets.

"Penny for your thought?" He says. I look up at him.

"I was trying to connect myself to someone."

"Shakespeare, Elizabeth Browning, or Charles Dickens?" He asks, chuckling.

"I like all three. But I was thinking more of Emily Dickinson, and someone modern. Christopher Poindexter." I smile.

"Emily Dickingson. I can see that in you. But Christopher Poindexter. Why?"

"Emily is light. She expresses herself in somewhat purity. I explored myself through her in the light of the day. And Christopher...he is darkness. His words are pure but intentions are gripping. He's observant. He holds obsession to his heart and takes passion to a height. I explored him in the dark of the night," I shrug, smiling small. He is quite for a minute before lifting his lips.

"You're a hopeless romantic."

"For all the times I've sat alone in the dark with my legs crossed to think, I've realized something. I've realized that there are females out there that admire the beauty in light romance. And then there are females like me who admire much, much more. I'm not just a hopeless romantic, Professor, Benton."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly changes from normals temperature to soaring heat. My body sparks a high dose of heat as he takes his glasses off. It's then I see his eyes, bare. Dilated under the light, and intimidating me.

"Then what are you, Ms.Vogel?" His voice is low, dangerously seductive, and challenging me to speak. But I can't. I've said enough and nothing what I wanted to. I stand slowly, trembling under my skin. I want to remain quite but...

"I don't know, Professor, Benton. I just don't know." And it's then I walk out of the room without a backward glance. It's then I realized that this was suppose to be my best first impression give-out. And instead, I messed up.

If the ground could swallow me whole, I'd happily oblige.