After class ended, I stayed seated, glaring at everyone. Not that it changed anything, they all just smiled, chatting among themselves as they packed up and walked out.
"The perfect course rep," Austin teased from across the room, grinning as he slung his bag over his shoulder and followed the others out. To my surprise, Lily joined them.
"I've got a meeting with Professor Maverick," she said while stuffing her books into her tote. "I won't be back early, so you can eat without me. We'll meet in the lab."
She smiled and waved as she walked out.
Lab class wasn't until noon. It was only 9:10 a.m. What the hell was I supposed to do alone until then? I hadn't planned to, but maybe I should just go see Dr. Lucian. Who knows? We might even get a little alone time. You know what I mean.
Dr. Lucian's office was in the same building as our classrooms, along with those of other lecturers, so it wasn't a long walk. I climbed to the first floor and scanned the hallway until I spotted his door.
Finding it, I paused in front of his door, took a deep breath, and raised my hand to knock, only for the door to swing open before I could.
I froze, startled to see him standing there. Dr. Lucian. Up close. His hazel eyes locked onto mine, unreadable as always. It felt like we'd been this close before, his gaze so intense, almost too familiar. But no, that couldn't be right. It was probably just a dream.
"Come in," he said, stepping aside and holding the door open for me.
I entered quietly, the air already feeling heavy. He shut the door behind us and moved toward his desk, glancing at some documents. I turned slowly, watching him, unable to stop myself from stealing a quick glance.
His office was quite spacious, with a wide window behind his desk offering a view of the school grounds. A tall, dark shelf stood in one corner, filled with neatly arranged books. Everything, from the desk to the chairs was black. I guessed he'd changed the furniture when he moved in. Black was probably his favorite color.
Up close, he looked even more intimidating. Calm. Controlled. Like nothing in the world could shake him. And me? I was standing there, barely able to think straight, wondering what the worst thing that could possibly happen in this room might be. My gaze drifted to the wide table he stood in front of—and for a split second, I imagined him bending me over it.
"Selene Blackwood," he said, his voice steady as he looked up. "You're sitting on a 3.2 CGPA. That's quite poor for someone who's my class rep."
He stared directly into my soul, and my gaze not leaving his. "I never asked to be your class representative," I responded with a steady voice.
"If you never wanted to be, you wouldn't be here," he said, the tone of his words sharp and calculating.
"What!?" I scoffed, staring at him in disbelief, though deep down, he was probably right. That proud look was almost imperceptible on his face, but it was there. His expression barely changed—he always had that same calm, unreadable look. And his gaze? It could pierce straight through you. But I wasn't intimidated.
Thank God I wasn't Pinocchio.
My desire to storm out was battling with my bizarre urge to stay. There was something about his presence that rooted me to the spot. I couldn't quite explain it. I fought it, of course, because I'm proud like that. I turned to leave, grabbed the doorknob—and it didn't budge.
I turned back, angry.
"We need to work on your grades," he said, dropping the papers onto his desk before sinking into his chair—calm, composed, like he hadn't just locked me in.
"I can sort myself out," I snapped. "Alone!"
"I just finished speaking with Alfred"
"Alfred Collin?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," he confirmed. Alfred was the scholar with a perfect 5.0 GPA. Everyone in the department knew him.
"I've already spoken with him," he went on, his tone almost too casual. "He'll be happy to take you on. Seems like everyone here has a crush on you," he added with a small, barely noticeable smile. It was so small, it could've been a trick of the light.
"Not everyone," I retorted, my eyes narrowing as I pointedly referred to him.
"He's always in the library," Lucian continued, seemingly unfazed.
Yeah, always ignoring me.
"I don't need help," I shot back, crossing my arms. "I can study on my own."
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice."
I scoffed. "Give your damn representative position to someone else."
His expression didn't change. "From your records, you've been stuck at the same GPA or it's been going down. If it drops by even 0.1 point, or stays the same…"
"Then what?" I cut him off, a laugh escaping me. "You wouldn't let me graduate?"
He paused, lips pursed. "If your grades don't improve, I'll have to report to the faculty board. You could lose course privileges, access to labs, and your recommendation letter for grad school."
"You can't do that."
He merely shrugged, like it was just protocol. "Also, I need you to compile a list of everyone taking Chemical Kinetics and their respective departments."
"Let me out," I demanded, fuming.
He simply gestured toward the door with a nonchalant motion. "It's behind you."
I spun around and tried the door again. To my surprise, it opened easily. My frustration boiled over, and I slammed the door behind me as I stormed out of his office, down the hall, and into the parking lot. I couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Aaaaargh!" I screamed, releasing all the pent-up frustration that had been building up inside me. My hands shot up into the air as if trying to throw my anger into the sky. "Fuck you!"
I dropped onto the grass under a tree, seething.
"Rough day?" a voice broke through the silence a moment later.
I looked up to see Drey standing beside me. Why was I suddenly running into him everywhere? Is the universe trying to reward me or something? Definitely not for a good reason.
"How did you…?"
"Sorry, I was in my car when I saw you—y'know, screaming," he apologized with a laugh.
"Uh... yeah." I stood up quickly, brushing myself off. "Just… tired, I guess." I chuckled.
"I can understand," he laughed, looking at me with a genuine warmth. "You good though? In class, your friend mentioned—"
"Oh, don't mind Lily." I waved it off quickly, feeling embarrassed "I'm okay."
He nodded, his gaze drifting away. For a moment, I couldn't help but admire his handsome features. The perfect jawline and a slight dimple when he smiled. His messy hair had a kind of charm to it, the way it fell just slightly over his forehead.
"Wanna go for a drive outside campus?" he asked casually, breaking me from my thoughts.
I hesitated for a moment. I had lab class. But honestly? Screw lab class. Life doesn't hand out second chances every day. And double screw Dr. Lucian and his academic dictatorship. He can't control me.
"Yes," I smiled, my expression lighting up. "I'd love to."