Above & Beyond ✔

2. Just My Luck

"Hello again," he said, raising one eyebrow. "To what do I owe you the pleasure of your visit?"

I shifted my gaze back to the door to make sure I saw the number correctly, and I didnt make a mistake. Oh. Well. Shit. "I..." My tongue became rigid all of a sudden. "I wanted to bring my reports."

Mr. Andrew frowned. "Reports?"

I swallowed an imaginary lump in my throat. "Oh right, sorry, I'm a student in the group you're currently mentoring on psychoanalysis reports. I...uh from the psycho-diagnostic group...l-lab 4. I am uh, um, Jenny. Jennifer Adrian," I started to stutter, feeling nervous under his stare.

"I see." He nodded while leaning back to his chair, interlacing his fingers over his abdomen. "I recall the due date is Wednesday this week?"

"Yes."

"Have we met before? I can't remember."

Here we go, he was about to pull the trigger and I needed to think fast to dodge the coming bullet. "About that. I haven't made an appointment yet." I avoided his eyes. "I'm sorry. I was uh..." What was I going to say again? All the words I had carefully arranged before I came here suddenly evaporated just like that into thin air.

"You were uh," he repeated before taking a sip of the remaining coffee that was probably getting cold by now.

"I had a situation in the past few weeks," I replied, distracted by his Adam's apple bobbing when he took another sip. I added, "That's why I couldn't come to you for an appointment."

"What kind of situation if I may ask?"

"It was a family situation. My younger brother got hospitalized from pneumonia last week, and I had to help Mom to take care of him and the household," I replied while crossing my fingers behind my back. Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned. "My mom works full-time, and as the oldest, I had to step up."

"Why didn't she take a leave to care for your brother?"

"She couldn't. We need the money."

"Your...father is not around?"

I dropped my head, trying to look beaten. I should be crying right now. "We don't know where he is. He left home a few weeks back. Things haven't been so great at home lately."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant topics."

"No, it's fine," I replied quickly, glancing up at him to see if he bought my lies. "But that's why I couldn't find time to work on my assignment."

"I see." His face stayed unreadable which sent me straight to a panic state. "Let me rephrase your points here, due to your personal situation which pushed you behind with your assignments, you didn't have any initiative to inform me beforehand, yet here you are now, without an appointment, with your un-revised reports, two days before the deadline. Do tell, Ms. Adrian, do you expect me to drop all my schedules today for you in order to help you with these reports?"

"No, that's not why I came to see you!" I took a few steps forward as if I would sound more convincing if I stood closer to him. "I know my personal issue is not an excuse. I understand my reports are still very raw and I now probably lost my chance for revision. But I did work really, really hard for this under these...circumstances," I rattled off faster than my brain could process. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Calm down, Jen. I opened my eyes and looked up at him again. "Please, sir. To show how serious I am with this, I'm willing to pay for my mistake if you allow me."

Mr. Andrew tilted his head. "Pay me?"

"I mean if there is anything I could do-" I gasped. Did I sound like I was offering myself to him? Dammit. "I mean...that was not what I meant."

"You meant what you didn't mean?"

"No. What I was trying to say is, if you need help with laboratory work, or something of the sort, I would be willing to be a volunteer."

He clicks his tongue. "Ah. I see."

"All I ask is that if you couldn't fit me in your schedules for revisions, at least consider this as my final submission. I shall deserve whatever grade I will get." As long as it's not an F.

He didn't directly respond. Instead, he pursed his lips while keeping his gaze on me, seizing me. I had no idea what to make of it until I heard him sigh. "Fine. Let's see what I can do."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you!" I almost jumped like a child getting her favorite candy.

He glanced at his watch and sat up straight. "If that's all, I need to go."

I carefully placed my papers on his table, swiftly roaming my eyes over his desk. A few text books and some files were next to his keyboard, and a small wooden box was sitting in the corner of his desk. It looked almost like a tea box or maybe he kept his personal belongings there. Maybe a photo of his loved one? Was he married? Did he have kids? Judging from the absence of life in his office, he must have just moved in. Maybe he hadn't had time to decorate his space.

"Can you put your email on your paperwork? I don't think I can squeeze in any appointment until Wednesday. Discussing the work online is an option." Mr Andrew's voice pulled me from my train of thought. He propped himself up, towering over me, and grabbed a black blazer that was hung over his backrest. The room was filled with his scents when he put the blazer on: a mix of woody smell, citrus, and his aftershave. "And, you need to be fast."

"Yes, sir." I rummaged through my bag to find my pen before quickly jotting down my email address. "And Mr. Andrew," I called when he was standing by the door, waiting for me. "I'm sorry for the coffee accident."

"I thought you would never apologize for that."