Never caught a feelin' this hard
Harder than the liquor I pour
Ooh, I fall apart
Down to my core
Ooh, didn't know it before
- Post Malone, I Fall Apart
"I came here to see why you miss the assembly this morning." He gave the photo one last look then moved to the kitchen and sat on one of the bar stools.
I raised my brows in question. "What assembly?"
Frazier rolled his eyes. "Have you ever checked your emails? The school sent one about it two days ago."
Unlike text messages, I didn't check them regularly and this was one of the downsides of such laziness. Although if I was honest, I doubted the assembly would come into my mind even if I knew about it since the only thing bringing me back to reality was the sound of Frazier knocking the front door.
I didn't realize I had gone quiet for too long until I felt his hand cupping one side of my face as he looked down and asked, "are you okay, temptress? You look-" he paused as if trying to search for the right word then finally settled with, "distracted."
He was right. I was distracted, too distracted for hours after Ty had left. "What time is it?"
Frazier narrowed his eyes, telling me that he knew I purposely refused to answer his question by asking about the time and he wasn't happy about it. Yet he answered after one glance at the watch on his wrist. "Twelve fifteen."
"Dear Mendes!" I walked towards the bedroom but stopped on my way and looked at him over one shoulder. "Wait here. I'm gonna be quick. Really quick, I promise. Just give me five minutes." He answered with a nod.
As I quickly moved to the bedroom, I heard his soft reply, "I won't even dream to go anywhere else, luv."
It took more than fifteen minutes to quickly showered, shoved my laptop and study materials into my bag, and brushed my wild hair into something that looked decent for school. Surprisingly, the last one took more than five minutes alone. When I used the word 'wild' to describe my hair, I wasn't exaggerating, my hair truly had the superpower to look as unruly, resembling a birds nest.
By the time I walked out of the bedroom, Frazier already held my coat for me and soon we hit the road. I had BMGC class at one PM and if I was lucky (by lucky, I meant the road wasn't as busy as it always been at one PM), I might have a chance to get to the class before Prof. Milford even parked his car on the lot.
I was going to settle in the last seat at the back of the class when Frazier subtly pushed me to the next one and settled in that seat. I put my bag on the table and whipped my head at him. "Do you even take this class?"
"No," he answered curtly. When I was about to ask him what the hell he was doing here, he quickly added, "I was in his other class..."
I nodded. "So you're crashing my class now?"
"...last semester," he finished off his sentence.
Last semester? "Then what are you-"
His hand found mine, which the reason I didn't finish my question, and gave it a little squeeze as his jaw motioned me to look ahead. "Prof. Milford is coming. Act natural."
I followed his gaze and nearly fell off my chair. Professor Milford, one of the killer professors in Columbia, walked up the stairs and stopped by our table. I didn't have to look around to realize that all eyes were on us. It may have only been a week for me to breathe and live like a college student, but even I knew that professor usually only wandered and about in the podium, at the front of the classroom.
I was sure he was going to kick Frazier for crashing on his class. I was so sure he would send him to a detention room, provided they had one. I was so sure of what would happen that when he finally opened his mouth and warmly greeted Frazier, I knew magic was real.
"Frazier Ronan! Fancy seeing you here, mate!" He tapped Frazier's shoulder lightly as his smile broadened.
I stared in disbelief. Did he just call him 'mate'?
Frazier smiled. "Professor Milford, what can I say, I miss your teaching. It's only fitting to come here especially," he paused and turned to me. I thought my widened eyes and stiff head shake would suffice to indicate that I didn't want to be dragged into the conversation. Yet he was either too blind to see it or chose to ignore it as he continued, "when my friend, Autumn Summers, is a student of yours this semester."
Professor Milford turned his gaze to me and I smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Milford." I may not enjoy the way I was brought into the conversation, but I wasn't stupid enough to forget my manners, especially when I was talking to someone who could decide my fate for the next six months.
"Likewise, Ms. Summers." He smiled at me then turned to nudge Frazier with his elbow. "A freshman, huh? You sure up your game, mate."
I heard a noise of my jaw dropping to the floor.
"I better start the class now," exclaimed Prof Milford as he turned around and walked down the stairs. "If anyone needs help with BMGC," his voice was loud and clear as he directed his speech to the entire class. "I know it's quite a tough subject, you either get it or don't get it." He walked up to the podium and smiled as he lifted one hand and pointed at Frazier.
"Oh, bollocks." I heard Frazier curse under his breath.
"You can find Mr. Ronan. He was top of my class last semester. I'm sure he can enlighten you," said Prof. Milford as he finished up his speech. Only then I realized that he and Frazier were truly close to the point where they wanted to annoy one another, just like siblings.
I leaned towards him and asked, "Are you two are friends?" It may be uncommon for professors to be friends with their students, but it was still possible and judging their interaction earlier, they certainly looked close enough to be buddies.
Frazier shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh. "He's my uncle."
And for the first time today, I let myself giggling like a schoolgirl. Frazier glanced at me sideways, his eyes screamed disapproval but when he saw me, he chuckled and the next thing I knew, we were laughing at the back of the class.
*~*~*
"Okay." I took a deep calming breath and looked up to meet his grey eyes. "I need your help." It was difficult for me to ask someone for their help, especially when that someone was Frazier Ronan, but Prof. Milford wasn't kidding when he said BMGC was a tough subject. I'd spent three hours inside that big classroom, listening to each and every word he'd said and yet I was still as clueless as to when I first stepped into the classroom. Yes, it had been that horrible.
Frazier smirked, clearly finding my misery amusing. "What do you want me to help?"
"Teach me whatever Prof. Milford was trying to say, back there." I pointed my thumb at the building behind me where my class was held earlier. "How am I going to pass this subject if I have no idea what he was on about?"
The devil laughed. And I had an overwhelming urge to kick him.
"It's not funny." I glared at him, hoping that would shut him up. It didn't. If anything, it only made him laugh louder. A few people who were walking gave us a curious look. "Dude! People are looking! Shut it!"
When he finally stopped laughing his Irish arse off, he put one hand on my shoulder and smiled. "I'll help you, luv."
"Awesome!" I walked to the nearby table and sat on its wooden chair. I pulled out my books and set them on the table.
"Now?" Frazier asked me with arched brows.
"Yes," I answered as I opened the first page of the thick BMGC book. "Start from the beginning." I heard him groan and quickly added, "you said you'd help."
He let out an exasperated sigh and settled on the seat beside me. "Just know, I'm a very bad teacher."
If he was hoping I would bail, he thought wrong. "I take my chances."
Frazier pulled the book towards him and dropped his gaze as he begun to read. He hasn't even finished the first page when a group of girls came to our table and looked at him expectantly. "Hi, Frazier," said one of the girls. Frazier tore his attention from the book and looked up at the mention of his name. "You know, Prof. Milford told us to come to you for help. Do you mind helping us with our study?"
He slid his gaze to me. I grinned since that was the only way I could manage to hold my laughter. His eyes narrowed as if he knew I was actually laughing inside.
"I'm gonna strangle John the next time I saw him," he muttered under his breath. He glanced up at the girls and offered one of his charming smiles. I swore I could hear them gasp. "Sure. I'm always a fan of helping the damsels in distress."
I rolled my eyes. As the girls were trying to find their seats and settle on the table, he leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear, "don't laugh, Princess, you shouldn't be laughing at your prince."
I turned to face him, keeping my eyes level with his. "I thought I'm a temptress, not a princess." I gave him a daring look.
His eyes sparkled as a slow seductive smile appeared on his lips. "You might as well be both, luv."
Despite having five extra students, Frazier managed to explain the lesson in a simpler, easily understood way than Professor Milford. Plus, he also managed to control his temper when the auburn girl named Nora kept asking him about the same question over and over. I knew he was annoyed, I could see his jaw clenched every time she said 'I don't get it' but he kept his thoughts to himself, which was for the best considering the last thing we needed was a girl crying for being called stupid by him.
"Well, that went well," I commented once the girls were off to their next class. "I'd say you're a pretty good teacher."
He gave me a pointed look. "What I have to endure for you," he said with a sigh.
"That's what friends for, right?" I grinned as I slapped him playfully on the back. I could feel his muscle turned hard beneath my touch and dropped my hand.
Frazier glanced at me and for a second I thought he would say something but he simply gave me a lopsided grin and said, "yeah right."
I shoved all the materials back into my bag and was about to zip it close when his hand reached in and pulled my laptop out. "What are you doing? I'm so hungry right now, we should get going and grab something to eat."
I knew he was a good teacher but I also knew I wouldn't survive another hour without food. At the end of the day, food always wins.
"I'll carry this for you." His eyebrows taut as if he was trying to search for heavier things to carry. "Your bag looks heavy."
"Oh, it feels heavy too." I slung it over one shoulder and faced him. "Thanks." He answered with a nod.
We walked across the lawn to get to the parking lot. If there was a shorter way, I would definitely take it considering my stomach started to growl like a hungry grizzly bear. Frazier, who was walking beside me, suddenly came to a halt. I stopped and turned to him. "What are you doing? Didn't you hear my tummy growl?" He didn't seem to hear anything I said as his eyes were so fixated on whatever he was watching.
I knew I should shake him or check his pulse to make sure he didn't just turn into a statue, but God help me, my curiosity got the of me and I turned, following his gaze to see a couple wrapped in each other's arms.
The sun wasn't kind at these time around in NYC so I had to shade my eyes using one hand. I wondered if she was one of his exes and that was the reason he looked so mortified. When the couple finally pulled apart, I found myself facing my own horror instead of his. For Hemming's sake, it was "Tyler."
© All Rights Reserved 2018 AgathaRoza