-Diana's POV-
I walk down one of the isles in the library, I run my finger along the books trying to find the one I need. I stop, I take the book out and look at the cover of it.
Um...I'm in college—I have been for over two years now. It's...sure something.
To be completely honest and straight up, it's awful.
I have no friends, I've tried making them but I get all awkward and people just give me looks, so basically nobody wants to be my friend.. Of course, I told everyone at home that I've made friends, I just have an excuse why they can't meet my friends the odd time someone comes up to see me.
Well, it's mostly Jane and Beck, they come up once every month or two, get a hotel and check in with me. It's great because for once I'm not alone up here.
I go home for Christmas, spring break and summer...that's really all, so I haven't seen much of anyone and there's been so much tears because I'm always stressed and missing someone. Charlie cries on the phone with me sometimes...yeah, we're both like babies. I miss him though, I miss my best friend.
I mean, nobody even notices me here, my professors call me Diane or Dina if they notice me? But the worst thing is nobody laughs because they don't know my name...It's embarrassing, my anxiety has gotten ten times worse.
I have a job, that I work Monday evenings, Wednesdays and Saturdays, I work at a retro diner a little drive away.
If I'm not working then I'm studying, and god, I'm always studying. I'm supposed to be getting my bachelors degree then I'm off to law school...but I don't know how long more I can last here.
Especially when I miss a certain someone very very much.
Natalie. I miss her so much when I'm here, I always cry leaving her. I miss her cuddles, when she wraps her arms around me and kisses me until I'm laughing and my stomach hurts..
I smile thinking about her, our relationship is great. Of course, we have the often argue when we're both stressed over the phone. She always seems tired recently so she's not too happy. It's been four months since I last seen her, yeah...we're both just so busy with school. We still call every night and we make it work. Sometimes I have to go outside, since my roommate Amber—who doesn't like me at all, complains about me talking. It's fine though, she's usually out with her friends or staying at their dorms.
I check my phone doing a double take. Shit. I put the book back quickly, struggling, of course.
I run....I literally run down back down the book aisle, I almost bump into someone but quickly move past them. I'm late for my lecture, anthropology.
Shitshitshitshitshit.
My professor is a grump! He's going to murder me. I thought they weren't supposed to be strict here—that's what I heard but it's the complete opposite.
I run down the hall quickly, I am not fit for this...I'm pretty sure I have asthma. I keep running though, I turn the corner bumping right into someone.
Of course, I'm the one to fall back on my ass with an 'oomph'.
"Oh dear." I look up quickly almost snapping my neck to see a brunette woman. I look down and I knocked everything from her hands which is a lot of papers.
"Shit—I'm sorry, I was rushing for class. I'm late." I kneel up picking up all the papers quickly, scrunching them a little making me cringe.
"That's fine, may I ask...where is the anthropology hall?" She questions...
I think there's only one. I look up at her.
"I'm going there now, I think there's only one with Professor Day, I might be wrong though." I breathe heavy as I hand her the papers getting up quickly picking up my little bag too.
"Yes, I think you may be correct, professor Day does not work here anymore...I'm taking over his place." She fixes the papers and I open my mouth to speak but I don't know what to say.
I'm relieved.
"Um....Well, I'm going there right now so—yeah." I smile politely.
"Fantastic...Might I get your name?" She asks walking beside me as I fix my skirt...it's getting cold, why am I wearing a skirt.
"Diana—Diana cooper." I hold out my hand to her...Do you do that to your professors—I never talk to mine so I'm not too sure.
"Nice to meet you, Diana. I'm professor Moore." She shakes my hand and I smile.
"Like Jonathan Moore?" I laugh and she looks at me confused, I take my hand away as I keep walking, not even smiling anymore.
This is mortifying.
"Joe Goldberg—you know from the show 'you' and the—never mind, sorry, my girlfriend really likes that show and forces me to watch it with her." I laugh a little and Professor Moore smiles, nice smile. She's pretty, she's maybe in her thirties—she kind of looks like Sandra Bullock, she's a little more tanned, different lips and bright brown eyes.
Natalie would definitely have a crush on her.
I stop outside the double wooden doors.
✺
After professor Moore's lecture, I help her find her office. She tries to balance some things in her hands as she tries to unlock her office too.
"Here, let me help." I offer my help. She looks to me smiling.
"Thank you." She lets out a sigh that's half a laugh as I take her briefcase and laptop along with some papers.
She unlocks the office pushing the door open. She turns back to me and I hand her back her things.
"I have a question for you before you go." Professor Moore says and I nod.
"Yeah?" I ask, she nods for me to go into her office.
I follow her inside the large office, and what an office it is.
The walls are wooden, a dark brown wood kind of effect, once you step inside you're a little away from the front of her desk, her desk is also a dark brown wood, very big. There's a globe on it. She also has a lighter brown, leather office chair that has wheels, its one of those chairs that spin.
I look around, the wall behind the desk has two very large book shelves, from the floor to the ceiling, they are filled with books already.
Over to the right of the room, there's a window with dark red, almost brown curtains and beneath the window is a long dresser.
There's two leather arm chairs too, with a small, round glass table too.
"You got lucky with your office." I say looking away from the room and looking to her. She walks around her desk setting her things down.
"Well, I got promoted this job for a reason."
"Promoted?"
"Yes..Dean Horne, was at an event not too long ago...I had won an award and we discussed the university I was working at, it was a small university...She said I needed more recognition."
"There's anthropology events?" I ask. She nods.
"Yes. From what I know, you know a lot about anthropology." She says and I tilt my head a little confused.
"Huh?"
"I need a TA, I did discuss that with professor Day. I was told a certain someone was top of his class." She smiles at me.
"Wh—wait...Professor Day calls me Diane, he didn't even know my name and I was top of his class?"
"Yes...You're a smart student, Diana. I was wondering if you would like to be my TA, I'm offering since it will benefit you in the future and you will earn a little money from it." She says threading her fingers together.
"What do I do as your TA?"
"Just help out really, with grading mostly...I may need help during my lectures too." She says and I nod.
"Okay, sure—I'll do it." I shrug. Finally something that isn't me sitting in my dorm or working.
"Great, I will email you tomorrow morning, make sure to look at the syllabus." She says and I nod.
"I will, thank you, Professor." I smile before walking towards the door.
✺
"And why did this Professor choose you specifically?" Natalie asks as I fix my phone on my desk so she can see me.
"Because I'm top of the class." I smile, my roommate Amber doesn't come back to the dorm on Fridays so I can talk to Natalie longer.
"Top of the class?"
"Yeah...I was shocked too." I tell Natalie while I look around my desk for my pencil. I frown lifting my notebook to check under it.
"In your hair." She says and I look at her through the phone, confused before noticing the pencil resting on my ear. I smile.
"Why couldn't she tell you this in the lecture hall? Why did you have to go to her office?" Natalie questions.
"If you're jealous just say so." I look at the camera and she squints at me.
"I'm not jealous, I just don't like the sounds of her."
"You're jealous."
"I am not jealous, I just don't know her and don't know if I can trust her."
"She's my professor, baby." I say closing my notebook since I'm not gonna any work done. I don't want to..
"And that's all she will stay." Natalie says and I smile.
"Yeah, I only have eyes for you, Natalie snow." I say and Natalie cringes as I look at her through the screen.
"There's thirteen till days till I come home for Christmas." I groan picking up my phone, changing the subject because I don't want to talk about my professor.
"I know."
"That's so long away." I frown, I get up from my desk, walking over to my bed and plopping down on it.
"No it's not, it's close." She tells me, I lean on my palm with a huff.
"I miss your cuddles." I pout and she rolls her eyes.
"Shut up, I am going to throw up."
"You're so mean." I say and she smiles.
"No I am not, you are just weird sometimes."
"You love it."
"Sure." She says and I smile picking at my blanket.
"How's work?" I ask and she looks away from the phone and around her bedroom.
"It's alright, same as always."
"What's wrong?" I ask her.
"Nothing, just the never ending rumours." She sits back.
"I'm sorry." I apologise picking at my shorts.
"It's not your fault. It's just students constantly staying back after class trying to 'talk', the boys especially, it's flirting, is what they do." She scoffs and I huff.
"Why do they even do that?"
"Because their grades are low, they think I will sleep with them..." She shakes her head.
"I'll beat their asses, I've gained a bit of muscle over these past few months, Natalie." I move back from the phone flexing my non existent muscles in my arm. She laughs making me smile.
"You can show me how strong you've gotten when you come home." She tells me and I lean back down on my palm.
"I will. Where's Maggy?" I question.
"I'll go get her." She goes out of frame and I sit back waiting.
A/n
It's short I know...I think the first few chapters are but honestly that's where most of the chaos is (spoiler not spoiler).
Also, new character introduced straight away, I have a feeling I know what you all are thinking and I'm going to say nothing about it.
Just give me a couple of days because my headspace is in a completely different part of the story...I mean literally like, I can't say anything but chapter twenty five is where my head is at...yeah..some chapters will probably be deleted so a lot of editing is needed to be done.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I promise in this story there's a shower scene...But I can't promise it's Diana and Natalie! But who knows, it might just be the two of them. 🤭