CHAPTER TWO: do you know me, professor?
HE recently moved to Beckharn just a few days ago. The small city was rumored to be one of the most peaceful places around the state and he needed peace.
He already had a job as an accountant in the most famous enterprise in Beckharn but he needed the means to teach. With his skill in coaching other people, getting a teaching job at Beckharn University was not as difficult as it was supposed to be. After all, he had been applying for the job the moment he made up his mind to move to a smaller city.
That morning he managed to get up from bed without breaking the alarm clock that was carefully placed on the nightstand. Most times he wondered how some people got up in the morning and remained agile while going about their duties.
Jason always had to go the extra mile before he could be fully awake. Getting up from the bed was never enough because it does not take a nation for him to move from the bedroom to the living room and continue his beauty sleep on the sofa.
He needed his traditional morning jogs and that was how he met her.
There was something about her that kept his mind occupied with the image of her from that morning. Was it the way she reacted to the broken earpiece? Although she didn't say anything much or showed many reactions regarding the situation, he saw the fierceness in her eyes. The atmosphere was foggy and he couldn't see clearly but he felt it. The heat in her gaze was too much to miss.
He wanted to meet her again to pay for the earpiece... Or so he thought
Jason arrived in the classroom just in time to make a little introduction and get acquainted with his new students before going over to the most important part of his job.
He was truly excited to be teaching again. He missed that part of his life and he was on the right track in his journey to starting it again.
After he dismissed his class that morning as he was about to leave the podium, he saw her again; the lady he bumped into that morning and she was one of his new students..
Jason was in shock for a moment and he could not take his eyes off her.
Just at that moment, his phone started vibrating.
"Hello," he answered as he made his way out of the classroom.
"Yes, I will be coming to the office later today. I need to see how things work around there," he finished answering whoever was on the other side of the call and entered one of the rooms by the hallway.
******
Cyrene was seated by the window side of the popular cafe located across the university premises. She was looking at the people passing by as they went about their daily activities.
Her encounter with their new professor earlier that morning was still bothering her. She needed to find out why he was showing that much interest in her. She has been a student at Beckharn University for the past few years and just in less than a year she would graduate. Amidst all the struggles of being in her final year, the last thing she needed was getting involved with one of their professors.
She took a sip of the drink inside the disposable straw cup in front of her and a bite from the chocolate cake placed inside a tiny plate beside it.
"Mmm..." She moaned, Slightly nodding her head involuntarily in reverence to the deliciousness dancing in her mouth.
"Is the cake that good? You should have seen your face after taking that first bite," June said while sitting across from Cyrene at the table.
"I asked around and they told me that students tend to hang out here a lot," June said again while looking around the cafe.
"Were you following me?" Cyrene asked staring at June without any expression on her face.
"Don't give yourself too much credit." June took a sip from her drink, "I admit that I looked for you after you left but meeting you here was a coincidence."
"Oh," Cyrene replied with a hint of disinterest.
"Oh?" June laughed a little. "From what I noticed so far, your life needs some spice. I'm going to be the spice in your life from now on, so the sooner you accept me as your friend the better for you," she said with confidence laced through her voice.
"You better not run away later," Cyrene responded.
Maybe June was right about the spice thing. All her life, all she had ever done perfectly aside from accounting was push people away.
"I won't run, so don't worry."
"Do you know professor Roman's office?" Cyrene finally asked June.
"I don't know, but we can ask around. Do you two know each other?" June responded.
"No, he bumped into me this morning during my morning jog and broke my earpiece."
"So you want him to pay?" June asked, peering at Cyrene over her cup.
"No. Can we go now? Something has been bothering me and he's the only one I need to speak to about it. It might be nothing actually and I will end up forgetting anyways but before then, I need to find out what's going from him," Cyrene tried to explain.
"Alright, let's go." June agreed and stood up along with Cyrene, walking side by side they both stepped outside Buffer's cafe in search of the professor's office.
******
About an hour later, June and Cyrene came to a stop in front of a door and Cyrene knocked twice. As she was about to turn the knob of the door handle June pulled her back and whispered, "should I come with you?"
Cyrene shook her head in disagreement and responded, "no, I will be fine," with a subtle smile.
"Alright Rene, I will be out here waiting," she leaned back on the wall opposite the door and started pressing her phone.
Cyrene turned the knob and walked in and there he was seated behind his table, expectantly waiting for the person that knocked to enter.
"It's you," Jason said trying to hide the surprised expression on his face.
"Yes, I'm sorry for badging in like this," Cyrene said nervously
The way he was looking at her was making her head go blank. She was forgetting why she looked for him in the first place.
A part of her wished that he was not in the office the moment she walked in through the door. She suddenly started feeling ill prepared for the meeting she initiated herself.
"My name is Cyrene and I... I..." Someone should remind me why I'm here, please. She desperately prayed in her heart.
Okay, this is embarrassing. "I'm sorry for badging in like this," she said again without realizing it.
It was not intentional but Jason found it amusing and he let out small laughter.
It was obvious she heard it due to the way she looked up at him and it was like all those nerves that were fighting to eat her alive moments ago vanished.
"I admit that I was nervous a while ago but I don't think it was funny," she said glaring at him with annoyance.
"It wasn't funny. And laughing about it was not okay," Jason admitted trying to keep his expression straight.
"I came in here not because of our encounter this morning outside the school. I noticed it, the way you were looking at me after class. It was hard not to notice professor."
"I was just surprised to see you in my class," Jason replied with a straight face.
Cyrene knew that he must have been surprised to see her but was that the only reason? She couldn't read the expression on his face either because he hid it with a close to perfect mastery.
"Do you know me, professor? Have we met before?" She sighed and massaged her forehead a little. It was a habit of hers whenever she was getting worked up or stressed.
"My question might seem weird but I need to know," She added.
"Look, I replaced your earpiece. It's the same brand as the one I broke. When I saw you in class today, I was thinking of how to get it to you," He tried to explain as he pulled out the drawer of his desk to bring out the earpiece.
"And I'm here now, is this fate or something?" Cyrene asked still a little skeptical about the entire situation and took the earpiece from him. "You didn't have to buy me a new one."
"But I needed to, if not I wouldn't be happy with myself." He stood up and that was when Cyrene paid any attention to how tall he was. Her height was barely reaching his shoulder.
"Thank you for this," Cyrene said and turned to leave.
He avoided my question. He didn't answer me when asked if he knew who I was. Cyrene thought to herself as she contemplated pressing for a response.
She got to the door and gave him another vague smile before walking out.
She believed he was not being completely honest and the most painful part was the fact that she wasn't going to remember what happened the next day.
Her heart was going to retain the emotions, but her brain was going to make her forget. That was just how it had always been, the next day wasn't going to be any different. It's simply brand new each morning. Maybe a little too new for her liking.