CHAPTER TWO

In order to get in 9n time, I have to walk really fast through the corridor passing my fellow late comers rushing to their lecture halls. Even though I am late, I would never run to class. So, I am just here walking as fast as my feet can step.

Oh God! I hate morning classes. I scold myself for being this late when my phone vibrates inside my jacket pocket.

There's a missed call notification on the phone. The number isn't saved but I know who called because of the Truecaller ID. These are numbers that only calls me through the iPhone locked in the drawer back at the apartment. Because I do not always carry the phone with me, I diverted the calls to my usual phone in case of emergency. I make a note to call back as soon as I arrive at the apartment.

"Ouch, damn it! Sorry!"

I look up to see the person I just bumped into and almost chokes on my breath when meet the muscled figure towering me. Sometimes I forget how small I look until I am looked down on even by average hight people like my Creative Writing lecturer, Mr Adams.

"Oh, Sir...I am sorry. I shouldn't be texting while walking." Quickly shifting my gaze, I apologize and turn to reach for the door.

"Yeah, you shouldn't. Especially when you're late to class." Hearing the irritated tone of his voice, I stop right at the slightly opened double doors and turn to look at him, then lift up my hand holding the phone to look at the time.

"Uhm, by the looks of it, I am not the only one late." I eye him from head to toe, seeing that he is still holding his car keys and laptop back hung on his shoulder. My jacket sleeve gets pulled down when I show the phone to his face so he can see the time too. He is staring at something with a confused frown. I realize he is staring at my exposed wrist, so I quickly lower my arm.

"Ahem! Your…" he doesn't finish his sentence but looks me in the eye with a serious face. I take that as my cue to rush in and find a seat in the hall full of students. With no time to search everywhere I sit at the empty sit next to a girl in reading glasses and subconsciously greet her. She greets me back and I hear another girl next to her snorting while tapping her phone dramatically with her colorful long nails.

"Ahemm! Good morning. I hope we are all present, today and no one is busy nursing their hangover." Mr Adams speaks from the podium in his all seriousness, taking off his overcoat jacket.

Some girls giggle while others clear their throats in irritatingly.

"Becca, your crush looks hot today." The girl who snorted whispers to the shy girl in reading glasses next to me, and she blushes. I don't know if she is charmed, or embarrassed and hoping that no one else heard what her friend just said. Hearing her name, I now notice the familiar faces next to me.

The lecture goes on with Mr Adams awkwardly exchanging gazes with me. I try to look away and pretend to be taking notes, but he keeps stopping right in front of me making himself hard to ignore, not to mention directly asking me a question in class for the first time since last year. I am grateful he doesn't know my name and hope he does not ask for it.

I have a record of ditching over half of my classes in the past year until recently. I am not about to be known by a whole bunch of classmates today just because of this arrogant teacher.

"Don't forget to email your assignments by Monday before the next class. That would be your last assessment and last class for the semester. I will let you know if we will have a revision class next week for your exam. For now, class is dismissed."

With that, everyone gets up from their seats cheering loudly and rushing for the door. They are probably happy that the class only took an hour or celebrating the end of semester lessons for this module. Just as I am about to stand up, a figure stops in front of me and tap on the desk. I look up expectantly wondering what Mr Adams wants with me.

"See me in my office, now." He speaks and turn to walk towards his office door.

There is that familiar snort and when I turn to look at the people next to me, I see everyone looking at me awkwardly. Becca's jaw is almost falling off while her wide eyes look even bigger through the reading glasses. The girl who just snorted looks at me like I just stole her playboy. Choosing to ignore the gawking, I pick up my bag and head for the exit door.