Avoiding The Bad Boy

Chapter Five

Graciela’s POV

‘What?’ I demanded, glancing around at everyone nearby who was now staring at us openly.

‘What the hell are you doing Gracie?’ Addison hissed as she quickly dumped her bag onto the desk and rummaged around before pulling out a compact. ‘Are you trying to be a social pariah?’

Taking the compact I snapped it open in confusion, looking in the tiny mirror, the colour drained from my face as I took in the big granny rollers still fixed in my hair. They weren’t even neatly fixed, more snagged in my hair haphazardly.

‘Oh God!’ I whimpered, turning to Addison who was staring at me wide eyed, ‘help me!’ I hissed.

Nodding quickly, my roommate pulled out the chair next to me and started to try and remove the offending tubes from my hair as I tried not to cry from humiliation and the pain of having strands of my hair ripped out at the root.

‘How did you not realise’ Addison muttered darkly, ‘surely you felt them when you brushed your hair!’

‘Does it look like I brushed my hair this morning?’ I replied through gritted teeth, ‘I barely had time to put deodorant on!’

Ten very painful minutes later and Addison handed me the rollers that were still wrapped in quite a few strands of my brown locks. Please, deities of all religions, please do not let me have any bald patches.

‘Here’ my roommate murmured, thrusting a brush at me that I grabbed gratefully and pulled through my hair as I stared at my bright red expression in the small compact mirror.

‘If the ladies in the back have finished their hairdressing course, maybe we could get on with learning some Chemistry’ came a cold voice from the front.

Peeking up over the top of the compact, I found a foreboding man in his late sixties glaring at me with disdain. Snapping the compact shut, I thrust the brush and makeup back at Addison and straightened up, trying to look my most studious. Giving me one last look that did not bode well for a good year in this class, the professor turned back to the rest of the class and introduced himself.

‘I am Professor Gold, I do not respond to Goldie, Goldman, Gold Rush, Rich b***h or any other inane variation of my name that you may think of’ he growled. ‘Trust me when I say I’ve heard them all and anyone who believes that they have the wit to come up with something original will be subject to my . . displeasure.’

A ripple of fear ran down my back as I gripped my pen tightly between my thumb and forefinger, this guy was scarier than a rottweiler when faced with someone dressed in a meat suit! I have no idea why anyone would dress themselves in meat let alone stand in front of a hungry dog whilst doing it but I think that’s a pretty scary scenario.

Striding around his desk, the Professor leaned back against the veneered table top and crossed his legs at the ankles as he glared at each of us in turn.

‘This will not be like high school’ he ground out icily, ‘don’t come in here and think you can half ass my course and pass. I expect a certain level of work and anyone who cannot provide it, will find themselves out of my classroom immediately. I have no time nor tolerance for people who are more interested in socialising and parties than getting their coursework done to a satisfactory level.’

His piercing gaze swept the room, ‘hand in rushed, barely legible work to me and i’ll flunk you before you can pour your next beer. If you are not dedicated to learning, I won’t bother wasting my time in teaching you, are we clear?’

‘Yes sir’ I muttered along with everyone else, Jesus, were all my teachers going to be like him?

Thinking about my other teachers brought me back to my statistics professor and I let out a groan as I remembered how he’d tried to get me to leave his classroom. OK maybe he wasn’t trying to manhandle me now I was aware of my hair faux pas, s**t, I hope he’s not going to take my reaction personally, anyone could have misread that situation right?

The lecture passed in a long silent wave of vicious note taking and furtive glances before Professor Gold finally deemed us worthy of leaving his room, sending us on our way with what felt like a years worth of homework that was expected to be handed in on Friday.

Lugging my bag over my shoulder, I trudged my way down the stairs, studiously avoiding the professors gaze as he gave Addison and I a look that screamed, ‘you are wasting my time.’

Please God don’t let him kick me out, I need to pass this course! Making a silent promise to myself to tackle the mound of homework as soon as I got back to my room, I followed my roommate toward the dining hall.

Grabbing a tray, Addison placed a large salad bowl onto the centre along with a banana and some smoothie type drink. Trudging along the line behind her I grimaced at the options in the hot counter, eyeing something that might have been meatloaf or possibly curry, it was hard to tell in its congealed state, I pointed instead to the hot dogs. The canteen worker grabbed a bun and shoved one of the weiners into the middle, placing it in a cardboard carrier before shoving it toward me with a grunt.

Giving her a small smile, I took it and scuttled after Addison who was sighing as she looked over the desserts.

‘Ooo custard slice’ I gushed, reaching out and grabbing one, placing it next to my dinner.

Beside me, my roommate wrinkled her nose, ‘do you know how many calories is in that?’ she pouted, picking up a fruit yogurt and checking the side before dropping it unceremoniously next to her salad.

Grabbing a soda, we both made our way to the cashier who rang up Addison’s purchases, the blonde rummaging in her bag before pulling out her canteen card and swiping it.

The college had a cashless system, supposedly it was to stop people knowing who was receiving financial aid and prevent discrimination as we all paid with our cards. Those on scholarships were credited with money for their lunches by the college, it worked in theory, but it was obvious with my Walmart backpack and off the rack clothes, I was not from money, but hey, at least no-one was staring at my canteen card with a sneer or condensation.

Swiping my own card, I gathered up my tray and followed my roommate to a table where I sat down and grabbed my hot dog, taking a huge bite as I moaned in appreciation. Who knew being completely humiliated and then scared to bejesus would have such an affect on my appetite. Beside me, Addison stuck her fork into her salad, picking out a cherry tomato and popping it into her mouth.

‘My first class was a riot’ she mused as she swallowed, ‘the professor was a hoot, she let us draw our favourite memory in any medium we wanted. She seems to want to explore our individualities and harness our creativity.

My friend’s eyes gleamed as she spoke and I was secretly jealous that she had the option to take something like Art. I liked to draw but was no prodege, and I knew as well as the next girl, drawing pictures was not going to put food on my table or pay my rent in four years time.

Eating, I tried to avoid the looks from our fellow students, some of them obviously saw the slight mistake I made this morning, just ignore them, tomorrow I will be yesterday’s news, no-one will remember me.

Finishing my meal, I stood up, Addison joining me as we wove our way through the crowds and deposited our rubbish into the bin by the doorbefore heading outside and out into the corridor.

‘You have another class?’ Addison asked as she made a beeline for the ladies restroom, me on her heels.

Pushing open the door, she dropped her bag beside the sink, opening it up and pulling out her makeup bag as I pulled my own rucksack around my body so I could poke around for my phone to check my online timetable.

Withdrawing the electronic from the bottom of my bag, I scanned the list as I shook my head. ‘Nope’ I replied, silently relieved, ‘my psychology class doesn’t start till Thursday’ I wiggled the phone at my friend, ‘something about the teacher not being available today, so classes will start later this week.’

‘Lucky’ my roommate sighed, reapplying her lipstick as she leaned over the sink, closer to the mirror. Smacking her lips together, she added, ‘I have Economics, I’m only taking it because my father insisted.’ She rolled her eyes, ‘as if I’m going to be like a politician or something to need this course but he wouldn’t allow me to do Art History like I wanted, said he was compromising on the life drawing.’

I gave her a sympathetic smile, I suppose, even with my crappy past, I at least didn’t have anyone making me do any course I didn’t want to do. My dream was to go into criminology, specifically forensics so my first year was dedicated to ground level learning that would help me in my major when the time came.

Putting her stuff away, Addison swept her hair over her shoulder, ‘are you going to head back to the dorm?’ she asked curiously.

Checking my watch I shook my head, ‘I think I’ll head to the finance office, I have yet to check in with the officer there and I need him or her to sign my form so I can get my book grant’ I sighed. I’d been so busy trying to learn my way around I hadn’t had two minutes to stop by and get the money I needed for my books. I’d had to go to the library and borrow the books I needed for today to get me through, but I couldn’t put it off any longer.

Leaving the rest room, Addison gave me a quick wave before walking away toward her next class. Patting my hair nervously, I turned the other way and made my way toward the exit and over to the administration building where the only person who could make or break my time here was currently sitting.

Entering the building, I glanced around nervously as a tall red head looked up and smiled at me, ‘who you looking for hun?’ she asked.

Her friendly smile and the fact she couldn’t be more than a few years older than me, put me at ease, ‘finance officer’ I replied, returning her grin.

The redhead nodded, pointing down one of the corridors, ‘third on the left, he doesn’t have anyone with him right now so your timing is perfect, just go right on in, his door will be open.’

Thanking her, I followed her directions, walking hesitantly by the closed door before I found one stood wide open. Stepping inside, I frowned for a moment, thinking the office was empty before a bang and a muffled curse came from under the desk.

A large hand came over the edge of the desk, followed by blonde hair before sea green eyes came into view. The owner was using his other hand to rub a spot on top of his head as he stood up and my mouth went dry.

A unintentional squeak left my lips, drawing his attention as the ghost of Christmas past turned toward me, stiffening, his eyes widening in shock before he mumbled the one word that destroyed me where I stood.

‘Everleigh’ he breathed out hoarsely, his hands gripping the desk in front of him tightly as he stared at me.