~ E L L O R A ~
It has been three weeks since I last passed through the lonely, deserted buildings of Devon street. Three weeks since I have seen Willy. Although I was hired for only two days, it feels like a decade worth of memories.
I have already started to miss walking beside those creepy buildings of Devon street. I have already started to miss house number thirteen. I have already started to miss that huge bookcase with lots of ancient books.
And to say I have already started to miss Willy will be the understatement of the century.
I have seen Professor Langdon four times since then in MU, but I still miss assisting him in his lab work - although I had done it for two days. I realize I had already become obsessed.
And whenever I attended his classes in the past two weeks, I had spent most of the class day dreaming about going back to 13 Devon street someday. The thought of never being able to work beside professor Langdon in his lab ever again in my life, scares me.
Boy, do I miss my ex-job
"Ms. Davis, are you with us?"
I jerk out of my day dream at Professor Anderson's voice.
"Er, yes sir." I answer startled.
"Better be." He says before flipping his head and attention back at the class. " So as I was saying, it will be a 70 mark test, the time will be one point five hours dot, and failing this will cost you twenty percent of your final year marks. No late submission of the answer sheet will be accepted. And in any case of infidelity, the pupil's paper will be immediately cancelled and the pupil immediately suspended from my class for the next...whichever number of days I deem. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir." The usual monotonous reply comes from the students.
Fifteen minutes later professor Anderson says "Begin."
The moment this word leaves his mouth, I turn around the question paper and begin the usual drill.
Well, its not that difficult - I expect an A in this for sure. I start writing.
Fifteen minutes in, I am completely immersed, trying to frame the introduction of my second answer when Professor Anderson calls,
"Ms. Davis"
"Yes sir?" I look up startled.
Without any answer he simply walks up to me with firm strides. His face muscles tight and jaw clenched.
I notice Isabella from the corner of my eyes standing beside Professor Anderson's desk. Okay that is strange...isn't she supposed to give her exam?
"Can I check under your desk?"
Confused more than ever at this weird question, I move aside, "Sure sir."
He bents slightly to look at the compartment below my desk. I never use these compartments ever, so I know there isn't anything there which belongs to me.
Seconds later, he pulls something out.
When he turns back around his jaw is clenched and there is a red tinge all over his face.
"Ms. Raymond you may please resume your exam." he says to Isabella, who immediately gets back to her seat. Not before shooting me a dangerous smirk.
Wait, what -
"And Ms. Davis, follow me out." he says, before walking out stiffly.
This is not normal at all. Students are never asked to 'follow outside' the professors during examination.
Quickly picking up my stuffs, I almost run outside behind him.
I clutch my sheet, pen and bag tightly to my chest as I stand outside the classroom, with Mr. Anderson right in front hovering over me.
He holds up infront of my eyes, the sheets of papers which apparently he had taken out from under my desk.
"Would you like to explain yourself Ms. Davis before your paper is cancelled and you are suspended from all classes for the next semester?"
I freeze.
On a closer look at the papers I realize they are photocopied pages from our Geophysics books.
I stare at the pages for the next whole minute not quite being able to accept the situation I am in right now. Because my brain already knows what exactly this means.
"These aren't mine proffesor." I say truthfully, clutching my bag even tighter to myself.
He raises his brows. "How were they then under your desk Ms. Davis?"
I gulp visibly.
"I don't know." I say quietly. My heartbeat is increasing rapidly by now.
"Well, that explains it."
I don't say anything for the next few seconds. I don't know what to say to this. Because anything I can say right now is something that an actual cheater would have said to defend themself. What different can I say from them except that I'd be speaking the truth?
"I-I did not cheat Professor Anderson." I say somehow finding my voice back.
"Well, Ms. Davis every cheater says this when caught."
Cheater.
My eyes burn with tears. Although this time I bite my lips and keep the tears in.
"I didn't do it Professor-" I start to insist.
"What proof do you have Ms. Davis?" his voice slightly raises here. "I am not going to merely believe in your words now am I?"
What am I even supposed to say here?
But all I know is that I cannot keep quiet.
"I-I don't know. You have to believe my word here. Those photocopied pages aren't mine." I say as firmly as I can.
He peers down at me over his glasses, the rage still intact.
"Follow me to the principle's office Ms. Davis."
~
Almost forty-five minutes later, I find my exhausted self slump down on a chair in the MU canteen.
Cheating in MU is a sin. Afterall, this is an university where even the lowest rankers are straight A students. What do you expect?
So I was a lost case right when Mr. Anderson had called out my name in the middle of the exam. The rest was just following the procedure.
My heart drops at the pit of my stomach at the thought of examination. Even if I manage to pass this year, it'd be barely. Because I am never going to get back this exam and all the classes which I am going to miss.
And all of this, because unlike all the other times before, my bullies didn't get away with their bullying. And this is their revenge. I now perfectly understand the look which Isabella Raymond had given me earliar in class. I do not have a single doubt as to who put those photocopied pages that is going to cost me almost a whole year at university, under my desk.
However I cannot dwell on this now. First things first.
After trying to convince the college authority of my innocence for forty five minutes straight, they have finally come to a conclusion of meeting me again after all classes are over. I think this decision of theirs has more to do with getting rid of my stubborn self at that instance, rather than actually giving me a second chance. However its better than nothing and I am ofcourse grabbing any tiny chance I get.
Clinging to this small ray of hope I sit in the MU canteen for the next four hours. Towards the end of the three hour mark students starts to file out of the building gradually. I don't know how I spend those four hours just sitting by myself in the farthest corner of the canteen as students come and leave without glancing my way once. Okay, if anyone even did notice my unusual behaviour, I wouldn't know, because I myself never spared anyone a glance. I do not even order anything, just check my watch enough number of times for the canteen lady to give me shady looks.
Towards the end of the four hour mark, when almost every class for the day as been dealt with and the crowd of students in the canteen and university grounds have turned to non existent, I get up finally and walk back inside.
My second bout of waiting starts in the reception area as I wait for the principle to call for me.
And just like that, after another million checks of the watch, another whole hour passes.
And still no call from the principle.
The whole building is almost in silence now, without the presence of any student. That is when I start wondering if they ever even intend to call me. If the past five hours were a complete waste. By now, most of the teaching staff have left no doubt. Has Mr. Anderson left too? Or is he with the authority right now actually deciding over my fate. But aren't I, the accused, also supposed to be present in such a meeting?
Suddenly I catch Ms. Wilkins walking over to me.
Seeing her at the end of the corridor makes my heart flutter. Finally.
I stand up immediately and she doesn't have to take the last few steps as I cover them myself.
"Good afternoon Ms. Wilkins. Where am I supposed to go? To the principle's office or to Mr. Ander- "
"You are supposed to go back home right now. " She says as my heart falls to the pit of my stomach. "What are you even doing here so late? We are closing up, I would suggest you leave."
"Ma'am Mr. Anderson had asked me to -" I start to explain.
"What are you talking about girl? Mr. Anderson has left almost two hours ago. I would suggest you do too. "
Obviously this woman is in terrible hurry. And who am I even kidding? Ofcourse the authority had never meant to give me a second chance to explain myself.
And here I wasted the past five whole hours waiting for nothing.
Its rage that fills me right now. All this while I have been wanting to desperately explain myself to Mr. Anderson, but now I want to punch Mr. Anderson hard that it changes the shape of his entire damn face.
"Are you leaving or no?"
Clenching my jaw I give her a nod before turning around and leaving this hell hole of a place that I call my university. I can feel tears gathering in my eyes, tears of rage. But I don't let them fall as I march down the stairs and out of the building.
This is an odd time in Moonsvile, when no one has any purpose to be out on the roads. The street to my house is usually deserted. And the memory of the drunkards from a few nights back is still engraved clearly to my memory. The slight tinge at the cut in my cheek never forgets to remind me of that.
So although I can use some walking right now, to calm down my mind with the exercise, I book a cab home. I do not want to experience that night again.
Not every day Mr. Langdon would pass by the same road where drunkards corner me.
Within five minutes the cab driver, with a baseball cap hiding half his face pulls up infront of MU gates.
Anger, hurt and betrayal are still clouding my thoughts as I get inside the cab without a second thought.
Half the road I spend staring out the window planning various ways to torture Mr. Anderson and Isabella, none of which ofcourse will ever be executed by me. Wishful thinking.
My phone buzzes with a notification which finally breaks me from my reverie. I look down at the screen on my lap as confusion breaks through me.
I look up at the driver. "Um, excuse me, I just got notified that the uber I booked just arrived at the pickup point..." I let the sentence hang through the eerie silence of the car.
A minute passes by as the driver takes a rough turn, the impact almost making my head bang against the window. I pick myself up at the last minute.
And the man with the baseball cap still doesn't answer.
I pry, "Um..excu- "
"My application is facing problems recently. " He replies curtly in a rough voice, with his eyes straight at the road infront. Clearly he is not a very big fan of speaking. Not with me atleast.
I back down slightly, frowning.
And for the first time I notice my driver properly. He is a bulky man with muscles. Bit too muscled for a man who drives cars for a living. Clearly half a punch from him would knock me out for good, and I wouldn't be able to do a thing.
My heart drops at the pit of my stomach as I notice outside for the first time.
This definately is not the way to my house.
This road leads to the outskirts of Moonsville, to the forests.
Fear creeps up through my veins and fills up my entire being.
Baseball cap abruptly increases the speed of the car. The impact causes my whole body to smack against the back seat as I gasp.
Baseball cap pays no notice, instead takes another rough turn. We are off the main road and the road here is bumpy, but my driver here seems to not care at all. I have to hold the front seat to keep my balance as I have no wish to belt myself in a car driven by a man with shady features and shady behaviour.
I notice him glancing at the rearview mirror twice before pulling the car to a speed far more that traffic rules allow. And my heart starts beating even faster. When Baseball cap keeps glancing at the rearview mirror time an again, I chance a look and follow his gaze. I freeze in my seat as I realize another black car behind ours, chasing us in a similar indecent speed.
What on Earth...
I turn back infront, the speed of the two cars scaring the shit out of me. My voice seems to have lost its way as I fail to say a word. Not that it would have mattered as I am pretty sure my silent driver would not have bothered to answer.
The question is, is baseball cap even a driver?
Blood pounding through my veins, I turn back around to see the black car racing at full speed behind us trying to catch up as our car runs faster, increasing its speed every second.
I am surprised the cars haven't yet crashed with the speed they are driving.
"Fuck." Baseball cap curses loudly abruptly.
A series of incidents take place simultaneously before I am able to comprehend anything. From the corner of my eyes I see the black car pass by us in a whoosh, and almost at the same time our car screeches to a break loudly as a series of curse comes out of baseball cap. Our car stops almost immediately. But I don't feel anything except a huge invisible force which pushes me to the other side of the car.
For a moment I see stars in front of my eyes.
I still don't loose consciousness though - until a huge something hurles onto my leg with an unbearable force.
A scream comes out of my mouth.
And next all I know is blackness.
> > > > > > > > > > < < < < < < < < < < <
Thoughts on this chapter? Feelings? Criticisms? Anything at all?
Yours truly,
Ms. Yours truly.