CHRISTINE
“You ready?”
Maggie bounded into our room in a cute grunge-style outfit for her first day—and she was totally pulling it off. Damn, I wished I could look like her. I was missing the confidence that Brandon gave me, but I hadn’t been back to see him. I’d grown too nervous to head back to the bar as yet in case I ended up catching feelings for him. A man like that wasn’t someone it was wise to have feelings for. See? I was more street smart than anyone gave me credit for. But that didn’t mean I was done with him for good. I was sure the allure to be screwed by such an incredible man would overcome me again at some point. I just had to be ready for it, so I could ensure I knew what I was getting myself in for. All sensations, no feelings. Once I could fully separate the two, all would be fine.
“I don’t know, I think so.” I pouted at my reflection in the full-length mirror and wiggled my hips side to side. “Do you think I look too preppy?”
I didn’t want anyone to realize I was a small town girl now, not when I was fully stepping into my new life. I’d gone so far for college to give me the freedom to reinvent myself, and that started here and now.
“You look hot,” Maggie laughed as she patted my butt. “I like this little dress on you. It’s cute. With your backpack on, you’re going to be the talk of the classroom.”
“With you around? I don’t think so. Have you seen yourself?”
That wasn’t what I was aiming for anyway. My ideal situation would be blending in, being seen as a New Yorker like the rest of them. Standing out was so high school.
“Come on.” Maggie tugged on my arm. “I don’t want to be late. Not on our first day anyway. Let’s at leasttryto make a good first impression with Professor Bowden.”
Okay, that I could agree with. The campus was huge, and I didn’t know it all yet. Maggie and I needed plenty of time so we didn’t end up lost. I let her drag me from our room out to face the world. Out to tackle the first day of college, which was a day I’d been dreaming about for as long as I could remember. Was it going to be as glamorous as I imagined? Would I stroll through it with the ease I so desperately wanted? Everything started from this moment on, and I could notwait.
Thankfully, it didn’t take us long at all to get to the college building, otherwise the suspense might have killed me. This was so grown up, so exciting, I already liked college a ton more than high school. I couldn’t wait to meet other like-minded people in my classes. Maggie and I already had lots in common because we were going to share some classes, luckily including this first one, so I was looking forward to spreading my wings further…
“What’s going on?” I leaned in toward Maggie the closer we got to our classroom. “Doesn’t it seem like something is happening?”
A crowd had gathered, and there were hushed whispers circling everyone. They all seemed to be sharing a secret that we weren’t in the middle of. My blood ran cold; I didn’t want to be on the outside looking inalready.
“I don’t know,” Maggie uttered, sounding uncertain for the very first time since I’d met her. “But I think we need to find out.”
The fact that we’d picked up the pace wasn’t why my heart pounded hard against my rib cage—it was the intensity of the anticipation surging through my veins. A first day drama didn’t sit well with me; it wasn’t how my college fantasy had ever gone.
“What’s going on?” Maggie demanded to the guy standing closest to us. “Is there something wrong with our class?”
He shrugged helplessly. Not a good sign. “I don’t know. Professor Bowden’s had some kind of breakdown, no one knows the details exactly, so we don’t know if we have anyone to teach us.”
I deflated like a balloon. What the hell? Wasn’t that something they maybe should have told us already?
“Well, that can’t happen.” Maggie folded her arms defiantly. “We’ve all paid to be here. They are going to have to sort it out for us.”
The poor guy we’d accosted had the same worry as me; it was written all over his face. If our professor had a breakdown, then maybe there wasn’t an option. We’d just have to…wait. I didn’t know if I had the patience for that.
The low hum of conversation sickened me. We were all in the same boat, but no one seemed as deeply upset as me. It was more something to be irritated about, something to make our first day interesting. But Iwantedto be in that classroom; I was truly thrilled about all of this. I didn’t know where it left me if it all came crashing down around me now. All the words of discouragement that everyone darted at me before I left for New York City started to overcome me.
“I’ve just had an email back from the main office.” One voice spoke louder than everyone else, capturing the attention of everyone with the authority. “Professor Bowden really isn’t coming in to teach us…” This was met with a collective groan. “Butthere is a replacement. A Professor Wilson will be here with us shortly. So maybe we should just go into the classroom and get ourselves seated.”
Maggie and I exchanged a look as everyone filed in to take their seats. The size of the classroom was impressive. It seemed to stretch on for ages. Then again, I suppose the Deborah classrooms were probably considered tiny. Maggie had to grab my arm to help me to a seat so I didn’t get distracted for too long, just looking around in awe, showingeveryonewho I really was. Being impressed by the size of a room wasn’t going to help me blend in, was it?
“Aren’t we a bit close to the front here?” I hissed at Maggie. “I don’t know if we should be more in the middle.”
She tossed her head back and boomed with laughter. “No way, Christine. Not a chance. I want to be noticed right away. In a class this size, you have to do what you can to get noticed.”
Oh…that was my plan out the window then, unless I wanted to blend in alone. Nah, I figured my days would be better with Maggie by my side.
“I did some research on Professor Bowden,” I admitted, only to her. “I was prepared for him. I don’t even know who this Professor Wilson is.”
“It’s better than no one, I suppose.”
“Maybe we should let his lessons show us that…”
An automatic hush fell over the room. Heavy footsteps entered. The undeniable footsteps of a professor. Intrigued, I twisted in my seat to get a glimpse of this new man who would be showing us the ropes…