My Professor's Secret

38|

Perhaps it was because of the nervousness in both of us, or maybe he'd been trying to broadcast our united front to our peers, but Wyatt slipped his moist palm between mine. There's no hesitation for me to latch onto his until A slither of anxiousness becomes desperate of Professor's reaction to it. Our eyes meet until Professor sways towards our interlocked hands. It's immediate, but as his eyes find them, I'm tempted to unlatch our hands—and suddenly, I do. All I could manage to keep a shred of cordialness between Wyatt and me was that same subtle smile I'd given him moments before that he no doubt saw through.

Why did I even care what Trev–Professor Thornton thought about me holding hands with Wyatt? And why had I been stringing Wyatt along if a single hand hold was enough to make me squirm under Professor's pressuring gaze? Nevertheless, an explanation would suffice after we had been selected for the roles. Hopefully, by then, he'd be able to forgive me for the way I had reacted or even take the high road and forget it happened.

My eyes find Professor as he strolls toward the blackboard to jot down our team names. To exacerbate the anticipation of the choice, he instructs us to shift the opposite way before prompting the class with the pressuring question of who would be selected. The room is silent apart from staggering shuffling as everyone begins to vote on their choice with a single hand raising once he announces Chessie and Gavin's names. It's then that I'd wish I hadn't denied the grasp of Wyatt's hand, but doubling back after altogether rejecting his advances was worse than trying to do it now that I was sure I wouldn't have to face Professor Thornton's expression, so I'm left to rely on my depleted faith.

Apart from the quietness in the class, there's squeaking from the chalk gliding against the blackboard, and then Professor asks about my and Wyatt's name. The same shuffling and gliding of the chalk filled the class until we were finally instructed to turn before the class.

"As decided by your peers with a very close tie, Chessie and Gavin have been cast as the understudy. Congratulations, Wyatt and Alexandrea. While lead is essential, so is the understudy in case of emergency or if someone cannot perform come showtime. This play is worth seventy percent of your overall grade and will be the ultimate factor in whether you pass this course. I expect you all to spend your time wisely and rehearse. You never know who will be in the crowd once you perform or what opportunities might arise. Class is dismissed. "

Without glancing at my professor or Wyatt, I return to my seat to gather my belongings as everyone else prepares to exit the lecture hall. I thank everyone who takes the time to congratulate Wyatt and me. Still, the chatter isn't enough to prevent me from overhearing the transpiring conversation inches away from me.

"A black chick as Hester Prynn? This school is officially a joke. First, she gets Rachael demoted, and now she steals the role that should have, without a doubt, gone to Chessie. Someone more fitted for it."

There was nothing I could do without someone finding fault with it. It almost prompted me to head straight down the steps to decline the role and give it to Chessie until it's her who my eyes lock with after I've shoved my iPad into my backpack. Her dark hair—effortlessly draped over her shoulder in a pristine french braid—complimented her olive skin. She overtook me in height by a few inches, and her grace immediately made me feel minute under her gaze. They weren't entirely wrong. Chessie would have been the ideal choice for the play, and as hard as I tried to will my mind away from the spiral of self-doubt, it began devouring me where I stood.

"Hey," she says, gliding her lips together against the sheer gloss. "I just wanted to say congratulations on getting the part. As soon as I saw you and Wyatt perform, I knew the two of you would get it. There's something feasible about the way you two worked together. I almost believed the scene originated between the both of you," she ends, leading the way to the exit. At least if I walked out with her, I'd avoid a conversation between Wyatt and Professor, so I hold her pace and follow after her long-legged strides. "And if it's any constellation, I'm on my way to report those two girls to the Dean."