Chapter 2
The class had started for almost 10 minutes when the professor's lecture was interrupted by a slight knock on the door. Slowly, the carved wooden door was opened and a young girl came in, babbling softly some apologies. Her beautiful blond hair was still dishevelled, despite some previous attempts at fixing it. Her clothes, too, were a mess and one could see a torn sleeve unsuccessfully hidden by a grey blazer. She was obviously in a state of shock, her voice was still trembling and tears were brimming in her eyes.
"Miss Parker, are you all right?" the professor inquired.
"Yes, sir, I.I just.." she trailed off, silently begging to be left alone.
"Would you please take a seat, then!" he replied, looking at her carefully through rounded glasses. That girl was anything, but all right.
"Yes, sir!" she answered and hurried out to the first rows, pulling out a paper and a pen.
The next ten minutes went by peacefully, until the door was, once again, opened, this time rudely, by a booted foot.
A young male nonchalantly entered the amphitheatre, not even bothering to salute. The professor began saying something, yet as soon as the young man's pitch black eyes regarded him coolly, he stopped intimidated. In all his 40 years of teaching he had never seen somebody so cold and frightening, especially somebody so young. Now it was clear to him why this boy's nickname was Icy.
The newly arrived slowly rolled his eyes over his fellow students, nodding slightly as his eyes met with those of Chad. The two of them were not exactly best friends, but they respected each other. His lips suddenly curled into a smirk as he spotted the object of his search, the blond girl, who seemed to have frozen at his sight.
Icy lazily made his way to a seat and "smiled" to the boy seated there, watching with boredom as he almost tripped and fell in his haste to move away. Still smirking he took notice of the silence, which had fallen in the large amphitheatre, and he spoke ironically in a low voice.
"Do go on."
The professor seemed to have snap out of his daze and continued his lesson ashamed of himself for having been intimidated so easily.
From the last row, Dru just rolled her eyes and focused on what the professor was saying:
"Hence, I recommend you to pair in order to hand a proper paper. You are to choose a Renaissance painter and comment him and his work as best as possible. You can work both alone, and in pairs. That is optional to everybody, except for Miss Drucilla Jones.." He added, ignoring the murmurs in the large room and the "Who is that?" questions.
".. Who must work with somebody because for the last three years she has been working on her own."
Dru was shocked, to say the least. Not only did the teacher say her name in front of the amphitheatre, but he was also forcing her to get a mate. Well, bloody hell that was not going to happen! He couldn't make her work with somebody.so what if she liked to work alone, she always did a splendid job! The last thing she needed was somebody prying into her life!
This is why, the moment the professor dismissed the class, she rushed to the his desk to beg him to change his mind, pouring reasons after reasons.
"..So, you understand, I really wish to work alone on this one too".
"I am sorry Miss Jones, but my decision is finale", the professor explained, shutting his briefcase as a sign that the conversation was over. "You should find yourself a partner and be done with. If you can't do it all by yourself, I shall assign you one."
"But.."
"Good bye, Miss Jones", he cut in, picking up his briefcase and leaving the amphitheatre.
Dru just stood there flabbergasted, her shoulders slumped in defeat. How in God's name was she going to find a partner.
"Hm!", there came a shy voice behind her.
Dru turned around in surprise and saw the pretty blondie who had been late for today's lecture.
"My, my name is Lia", she murmured, staring shyly at her shoes. "I.I heard that, I mean what the professor, I just wanted to say that.."
"Yess", Dru patiently tried to make her feel comfortable. The girl obviously had a problem with being shy.
"I just wanted to say that, well, if you want a partner I am available. I mean, if you haven't found anyone, and if you did, I am sorry, I mean I am not trying to force you or anything.", her breath came in panting gasps.
"Ok, you can be my partner, just calm down."
"Thank you", Lia said, her face brightening. "I always have problems finding a partner."
"So, how about if we met tomorrow at the library at 4'o clock, all right?", Dru gently inquired.
"Ok", the blond answered.
"Good, I'll see you there!", Dru bid good-bye.
~~~
Somewhere else, in a dimly lit loft, two men were talking while other five were playing cards on a small table, swearing and laughing mockingly as they lost or won.
"Are you sure it is going to work?", one of the man asked the other in a preoccupied voice. "'Cause I'm not putting my ass on the line, unless we're talking serious dough."
"Don't worry, the plan is perfect. Easy money, easy work. Just like taking the candy from a baby", he laughed maniacally, "a very rich baby".
"Yes, boss", the other one joined his superior in laughing. "When will it be then?"
"Let's say a week. Just make sure those goons are ready", he barked glancing towards the gambling men.
"They will be ready, boss, they will be ready."
The class had started for almost 10 minutes when the professor's lecture was interrupted by a slight knock on the door. Slowly, the carved wooden door was opened and a young girl came in, babbling softly some apologies. Her beautiful blond hair was still dishevelled, despite some previous attempts at fixing it. Her clothes, too, were a mess and one could see a torn sleeve unsuccessfully hidden by a grey blazer. She was obviously in a state of shock, her voice was still trembling and tears were brimming in her eyes.
"Miss Parker, are you all right?" the professor inquired.
"Yes, sir, I.I just.." she trailed off, silently begging to be left alone.
"Would you please take a seat, then!" he replied, looking at her carefully through rounded glasses. That girl was anything, but all right.
"Yes, sir!" she answered and hurried out to the first rows, pulling out a paper and a pen.
The next ten minutes went by peacefully, until the door was, once again, opened, this time rudely, by a booted foot.
A young male nonchalantly entered the amphitheatre, not even bothering to salute. The professor began saying something, yet as soon as the young man's pitch black eyes regarded him coolly, he stopped intimidated. In all his 40 years of teaching he had never seen somebody so cold and frightening, especially somebody so young. Now it was clear to him why this boy's nickname was Icy.
The newly arrived slowly rolled his eyes over his fellow students, nodding slightly as his eyes met with those of Chad. The two of them were not exactly best friends, but they respected each other. His lips suddenly curled into a smirk as he spotted the object of his search, the blond girl, who seemed to have frozen at his sight.
Icy lazily made his way to a seat and "smiled" to the boy seated there, watching with boredom as he almost tripped and fell in his haste to move away. Still smirking he took notice of the silence, which had fallen in the large amphitheatre, and he spoke ironically in a low voice.
"Do go on."
The professor seemed to have snap out of his daze and continued his lesson ashamed of himself for having been intimidated so easily.
From the last row, Dru just rolled her eyes and focused on what the professor was saying:
"Hence, I recommend you to pair in order to hand a proper paper. You are to choose a Renaissance painter and comment him and his work as best as possible. You can work both alone, and in pairs. That is optional to everybody, except for Miss Drucilla Jones.." He added, ignoring the murmurs in the large room and the "Who is that?" questions.
".. Who must work with somebody because for the last three years she has been working on her own."
Dru was shocked, to say the least. Not only did the teacher say her name in front of the amphitheatre, but he was also forcing her to get a mate. Well, bloody hell that was not going to happen! He couldn't make her work with somebody.so what if she liked to work alone, she always did a splendid job! The last thing she needed was somebody prying into her life!
This is why, the moment the professor dismissed the class, she rushed to the his desk to beg him to change his mind, pouring reasons after reasons.
"..So, you understand, I really wish to work alone on this one too".
"I am sorry Miss Jones, but my decision is finale", the professor explained, shutting his briefcase as a sign that the conversation was over. "You should find yourself a partner and be done with. If you can't do it all by yourself, I shall assign you one."
"But.."
"Good bye, Miss Jones", he cut in, picking up his briefcase and leaving the amphitheatre.
Dru just stood there flabbergasted, her shoulders slumped in defeat. How in God's name was she going to find a partner.
"Hm!", there came a shy voice behind her.
Dru turned around in surprise and saw the pretty blondie who had been late for today's lecture.
"My, my name is Lia", she murmured, staring shyly at her shoes. "I.I heard that, I mean what the professor, I just wanted to say that.."
"Yess", Dru patiently tried to make her feel comfortable. The girl obviously had a problem with being shy.
"I just wanted to say that, well, if you want a partner I am available. I mean, if you haven't found anyone, and if you did, I am sorry, I mean I am not trying to force you or anything.", her breath came in panting gasps.
"Ok, you can be my partner, just calm down."
"Thank you", Lia said, her face brightening. "I always have problems finding a partner."
"So, how about if we met tomorrow at the library at 4'o clock, all right?", Dru gently inquired.
"Ok", the blond answered.
"Good, I'll see you there!", Dru bid good-bye.
~~~
Somewhere else, in a dimly lit loft, two men were talking while other five were playing cards on a small table, swearing and laughing mockingly as they lost or won.
"Are you sure it is going to work?", one of the man asked the other in a preoccupied voice. "'Cause I'm not putting my ass on the line, unless we're talking serious dough."
"Don't worry, the plan is perfect. Easy money, easy work. Just like taking the candy from a baby", he laughed maniacally, "a very rich baby".
"Yes, boss", the other one joined his superior in laughing. "When will it be then?"
"Let's say a week. Just make sure those goons are ready", he barked glancing towards the gambling men.
"They will be ready, boss, they will be ready."