Nathan
It was Monday. I quickly took a shower and put my clothes on, I put the papers in my backpack and basically ran out of the dorm, I had called my supervisor telling him I have chosen my subject, he told me to write a review about it and bring it to him as soon as possible. As soon as I went to my supervisor's office, he started reading them, he was reading the papers with his right brow raised, wearing a blank expression on his face, I swallowed the lump in my throat nervously, and waited patiently for him to finish. I didn't like to drag things very long, but I also didn't want to leave a reader confused and without any understanding about what I've written. So, I've written two thousand words. My supervisor, Dr. William Harper, looked up from the papers as he finished them and sighed. He stared at me for a while and removed his glasses, holding them in his hands.
Doctor Harper was basically one of my favorite professors at the University of Florida, he was one of the best, not just because he was smart, he was so opposite of the dentist who extracted my tooth without anesthesia when I was a child. I love my parents very much, but Dr. Harper is like another fatherly image for me. So his opinion on the subject I've chosen and his decisions and thoughts really mattered to me.
"This is great, Nathaniel!" Dr. Harper finally said, I smiled to myself and sighed in relief.
"Thank you!" I said smiling warmly at my role model, Dr. Harper smiled back at me and put the papers on top of many other papers on his desk.
"I like to keep those papers, don't forget to update me on your progress weakly, and you know where to find me if you need me." He said. Putting his glasses in his pockets, he opened one of the drawers of his large desk, and pulled out something I didn't quite see. Then he walked towards me and handed me a key, I stared at the key for a while, before reaching out to it and taking it from his hands.
"What's ... this?" I asked, looking at the small key in my hands.
"It's the laboratory's key, make sure you use the lab and the materials well while I'm away." Dr. Harper answered, smiling at my shocked face. I didn't know what shocked me more, him going somewhere?( Because I freaking needed him at that point of my research, especially when my subject was very hard), or him giving me his key to the university's lab?
"You deserve more than this, I wish I could stay and help you out in other ways, but I have other business to attend to, I'm sorry." He said.
Shaking my head I said, "This is more than enough, thank you very much!"
"You're welcome, son. You know you're my favorite student. Not because you're smart, but because you're a human, unlike others." He smiled and patted me on my shoulder, I grinned at him and put the key in my backpack, so I don't lose it.
"Just make sure you lock the door, we don't want you to get into trouble." He said, I nodded my head and assured him I'll take care of the lab.
I grabbed my backpack and opened the door of Dr. Harper's office, when he suddenly called my name.
"And Nathaniel?"
I turned around holding the door's handle " Yes?"
"Good luck!" He said. I smiled and went out of his office, sighing happily. This will be good, I will make a great graduation research. With these thoughts on my mind, I went to the classes of the day, and was even more motivated than before.
Today is my lucky day, I thought.
And it was, I used the lab after Dr. Harper flied to Los Angeles, for whatever business he had, and I was taking very good care of it. I locked it whenever I finished my job. And took good care of the instruments and materials in it. I broke two test tubes actually, but I bought new ones and put them back in their place, I had to be more careful I guess. It wasn't my fault actually, the heat broke the cold test tubes into pieces, but since I had promised I'll use the lab with care, it was only appropriate to buy them myself. I was doing good with the research too. I had sent the finished parts and my lab results to Dr. Harper via email. And he was very happy with it. Which was good news for me.
Two weeks had passed, when suddenly everything I had worked for these past days crumbled down. I was in the library, books spread out in front of me, I was busy with my research, the midterm exams were near too, so I was trying my best to be the top student this year as well. Christmas was near, and I was actually planning to go home, but I reminded myself that I need to spend most of my time studying and doing research.
I told my parents about my condition; of staying home and studying, and only getting out on the New Year's Eve. They agreed immediately and told me; it won't matter as long as they have me for this Christmas. That's why I was working this hard, I was sure Rachel would not let me have a rest from her nonstop talking, I smiled to myself at the thought of my sister. I missed her very much.
"Nathan?" I heard Dave whisper.
I looked up from my laptop to find Dave sitting beside me and staring at the laptop screen, he was having an apple in his hand, taking bites of it now and then. When did he get here?
"What?" I asked, feeling annoyed. He was almost finished with his research.
"Mrs. Hall was looking for you, she said it's urgent." Dave muttered, I furrowed my brows in confusion, wondering what she could want from me. Mrs. Hall was our Dean's secretary, so this meant the Dean wanted to speak with me.
This can't be good.
"Did she say what it is for?" I whisper-asked, Dave shrugged -no- and leaned forward to read the last paragraph of what I've typed.
"What are you looking at? Go do your own research!" I whisper- yell, making him grin at me innocently. I just rolled my eyes and got up to go to Mrs. Hall's office.
"Take care of my things, I'll be right back." I said and left him with my laptop.
"Sure!" He said and sat down in my previous seat to read my incomplete research.
I smiled at his craziness and stubbornness, then walked to Mrs. Hall's office.
I knocked on the door and got in, Mrs. Hall was on the phone with someone she motioned for me to sit down, so I did. I waited for a while until she finished her phone call, and hung up.
"So.. Nathaniel Evans..." She muttered and stared at me, she is a woman in her thirties, I think I'm the only guy who hasn't had a crush on her in University, my friends all thought she's gorgeous, but my thoughts were otherwise, well... my thoughts were that anatomy and dental anatomy subjects were more gorgeous than her.
"Yes, Mrs. Hall." I said unsure if she asked for my name or just called me, She stared at me with a look I couldn't recognize and sighed.
"The Dean wants to see you, he currently has a visitor, you can go in when he gets out, just be warned he's not in his best mood." she said and bit her lower lip.
Why do I have a bad feeling about all this?
"What's...the matter?" I asked.
"Why did you do it?" She asked, I raised my brow and stared at her in confusion, not getting whatever she was saying, she looked at me with a look of total disappointment, and shook her head.
"I... did what?" I asked stupidly, because honestly I was unaware of whatever she was talking about, what could she possibly mean by that? I have no idea.
"We all expected more from you, you have no idea how much he's disappointed in you!" She pointed at the door of the Dean's office with her pen, and sighed deeply.
I shook my head furiously and breathed in, not being able to understand what's going on, whatever Mrs. Hall had in mind was not making any sense to me, what could I have done to make them disappointed at me?
"I... I'm sorry Mrs. Hall, but I honestly have no idea what you mean, what have I done?" I asked her, Mrs. Hall stared at me from top to toe, as if saying; poor guy, look what you have done to yourself. Which made me gulp.
"Do I really have to say it for you to understand?" Mrs. Hall muttered under her breathe, but I was able to hear her anyway.
"What have I done?" I asked and run my hand through my hair, I could feel my throat going dry as I waited impatiently for Mrs. Hall to tell me what's wrong. I hadn't done anything bad as far as I can remembered, I hadn't even had a single fight all these years at university and I never break rules, all my friends and professors know this.
But.. what is this now?
Mrs. Hall looked away from me, and put her pen in her mouth, she seemed to be in deep thought for a while, then she cleared her throat and leaned a little closer to me.
"Why did you steal the filling materials?"