I roll over to rays of sunshine streaming in through the curtains, casting a soft white aura on the entire room. My suitcase is still resting in the corner gathering dust since I arrived last night, stopping only to get changed and freshen up before blacking out again on the still-bare mattress. Groaning with the effort, I sling an arm over the bedframe and reach for my phone, discarded on the floor along with my leggings. The time sears into my eyes: a quarter past ten in the morning.
Shit! Didn't my first class of the day start at 10 am? Stumbling out of bed, I almost fall to the floor in my hurry, darting to the bathroom while still struggling to put my leggings back on, hopping around the room like a maniac. I splash ice water on my face, trying to wake myself up, but as soon as I bury my face in the towel to dry it off, I can feel my eyelids starting to droop again. I smack myself straight across the face, the stinging bringing color to my cheeks. There, that should keep me alert.
Get up Reyna, get UP! I scream at myself, digging in my backpack for the right binder. In my hurry, the side of the textbook runs across my forearm, giving it an angry red scar that would soon start to bleed. Struggling to get the right foot in the right shoe, I eventually give up and swoop my Keds up in my hand, cursing all the way along and perching my materials precariously in my hands. Taking off at a run through the corridors of the dormitory, I'm wearing only socks, and can feel the slap of the pavement on my arches.
If not for having memorized my schedule and the map of the campus, I wouldn't have made it in the fifteen minutes it took to rush to the B wing, where all the English department classes were. Coming face to face with a little golden plaque that reads "Professor T. Hiddleston", it's only then I realize I haven't brushed my hair. Face already flaming with the exertion of my morning exercise, I knock once on the door before turning the handle, still shoeless.
"...The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!" A honeyed voice rings out with a flourish, just as I step into the classroom. It must belong to the professor, for he is the only one with a triumphant look on his face; but I wouldn't discredit the other students, who all have their mouths gaping open, no doubt by seeing the state of me. The tall man strides over with a stern look, and I try to calm my rapidly beating heart. He was beautiful, no doubt about it; copper hair framed his face, with angled cheekbones and the beginnings of a beard. It gave a sharp contrast to his much paler skin, and his slender fingers were grasping what looked like a battered copy of a book.
"You're the new student, yes?" His mouth is set in a firm line, but his sparkling eyes give him away.
"Yes sir, I'm sorry sir, I was just-" Staring down at my socks, I realize they're covered with grass stains, showing even through black fabric. First impressions, completely out the window? Check.
"Sleeping in, it looks like." Chuckling, he turns to the class, where a few titters can be heard, especially from the girls who were all clustered together in the back of the room. "Class, this is...Reyna Carlton, yes?" He looks at me for confirmation, and I meekly nod. "Reyna is new here, so please give her a warm welcome."
"I'll give her a warm welcome when you give me one, Professor!" an audacious girl drawls, catching his eye before massively winking at him, all while twirling her strawberry blond hair. Oh dear lord. It was going to be one of those classes.
"Silence, Evelyn." Somehow while all of this played out he's moved close enough to stand next to me. His lean figure overshadows mine, and I jump. "Now, I would ask Reyna to introduce herself, but it's too late into class to do that, so that'll be the first thing on the agenda next time." Leaning closer, his voice washes over my ears, making me tremble. "But if she can give context as to what I was saying just a few minutes before she walked in, perhaps I'll spare her the embarrassment." Was that a challenge in his voice?
I straighten myself. This was going to be a piece of cake. "William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Scene II of Act II. One of the more famous quotes of Shakespeare's works, our title character himself says it to Rosencratz and Guildstern, for all three of them were just discussing Hamlet's affairs in Denmark before this. Hamlet asks why they have come, and so the two men claim they have come merely to visit Hamlet, but he sternly declares that he knows that the king and queen sent for them. They confess this to be true, and Hamlet says the reason is because he's lost all of his joy and descended into a state of melancholy, in which everything and everyone seems worthless to him. That's what the next line after the one you just said states: 'Man delights not me. No, nor woman neither.'" I finish proudly, and look to the professor for his reaction. He's staring at me wide-eyed before composing himself. Good. "This is the honors Shakespeare class, correct?" I smirk at him, clearly enjoying this.
"Well, Miss Carlton, that was...I couldn't have said it better myself. Well done; you've just earned your first grade in the class." He's shaking his head at me in bewilderment, and I head off to the only empty seat in the room, which, with my perfect luck today, is right in front of his desk. "Welcome to Honors Shakespeare, young lady."
"That was flawless, earlier!" the boy sitting next to me whispers, eyes alight in amazement. The bell rings, and I get to rising out of my chair. He thrusts out a hand enthusiastically, and a real smile. "I'm Benedict. I'd ask who you are, but then again, I think we already all know that."
"Oh, please. That Evelyn girl just pissed me off because she was flirting with the teacher. If you're going to take an honors class, take it seriously because there are other people that are actually interested in the subject waiting for an open seat." I mutter, gathering my syllabus.
"Wow. You sure care about uni, don't you?"
"I would hope so, seeing as I traveled from a country on the other side of the world to get here."
"Listen, I'd love to talk to you more, but I've got to get to my next class, yeah?" Benedict's scribbling something on a notecard, and hands it to me. "Here's my number, text me when you can. How well do you know Hamlet?"
I blush. "Um...I sort of memorized it." He gapes at me.
"Could you help me on something then, please? I'll text you all the details later, I'm going to miss class!" To my surprise, he plants a chaste kiss on my cheek. "Goodbye, Reyna!"
Stuffing everything into my binder, I'm just about to follow suit, until that same honeyed voice speaks.
"Reyna, would you mind staying behind for a moment please?"
Aw, damn it.
I walk to his desk, feeling extremely nervous all of a sudden. "I assume you don't have a class right now."
"No, sir. My next one is at 2 in the afternoon."
"That's perfect, then." He adds one last mark of red to the paper he's grading, and then gets up. "Shall we talk in my office?" he suggests. I have no choice but to agree, and pray I'm not about to get asked to leave the class for the term. Following him into the small alcove sectioned off at the back of the classroom, he opens the door and lets me go in before shutting the door behind him. His office looks unnaturally tidy with not a sheet of paper out of place and a cup of what looked to be cold coffee on his desk, next to a bright Granny Smith apple. I hungrily stare at the apple; it was my favorite kind, and I hadn't eaten since last night.
"So," he sits down. gesturing to the chair in front of him. I perch on the edge of it, still clutching my binder and books. "You transferred here from the United States, correct?"
"Yes." My mouth has run dry, and I lick my lips in a weak attempt to draw moisture to them. The professor notices, but nothing gives it away except the quick flash in his eyes.
"Straight from secondary school, I assume, with your young age."
"Yes, sir."
"And on full scholarship as well, congratulations."
"Thank you very much, sir." I knew this wasn't the reason he brought me in here; he could've easily said all of this in the classroom, even with other students around.
"I wanted to talk to you about what happened at the beginning of class today. What in the world was all of that?" he says calmly. There it is.
"I wasn't showing off, or at least trying to. I'm sorry if it came across like that. I guess I just wanted to prove myself to you, that just because I was super late coming in doesn't mean anything of my attitude on Shakespeare. I still had every intention of giving my undivided attention to you and the material."
"Well you did a very good job of that. I think you had the whole class floored, including myself."
"Thank you." I mutter, looking down at my shoes in embarrassment.
"While we're here," he says, glancing at his watch, "is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"
And that's when all the pent-up emotion I've been keeping inside during this entire move bursts the dam, spewing out word vomit everywhere.
"I...I also got mad at that Evelyn girl because I know she doesn't take the class seriously, and like I was saying to Benedict earlier, there are people out there who are clamoring for a seat in this class because they actually appreciate the subject. And ever since I've come here I just feel so alone because my best friend's off in London as a principal dancer in the Royal Ballet and I miss her so much and I feel like everyone already hates me for impressing you today and if they learn about how I got here they'll hate me more and I feel like I won't fit in because I'm a foreigner and no one will be my friend and I need to do well in all my classes to keep my scholarship up and yeah." It isn't until I finish and try to look up that I find my vision blurry, a clear indicator that betraying tears escaped my eyes. I wasn't supposed to have breakdowns in front of my professor; I had to stay strong. For Camryn, and myself.
As if reading my mind, he speaks, holding out a tissue as he does so. "I could be your friend, if you'd like." he says quietly. I sit silent, only dabbing at my eyes. "They always say it's good to have a professor as your friend in uni, don't they?"
I laugh weakly at that. "Yes, sir. That they do. Let's just hope they're right."
He puts out a hand, and I take it, rising as I do so. "To 'friendship', as they call it, yes?"
"To 'friendship'." I echo.
"Excellent." He smiles, showing off his teeth. "Please feel free to call me Tom when we're not in class now, alright?"
"Yes, si-Tom." I grin back.
"Oh, and Reyna?"
"Hm?"
"Take the apple with you. This one's too sour for me. And I know you've been eyeing it ever since you came in." He winks at me. I grab it graciously and walk through the door, nibbling happily at the tart flesh.