Chapter Sixteen

Tuesday;

Today is going to be absolutely dreadful. I should've been at the hospital, helping patients and nurses like I always do on my days off. Instead, I'm driving to campus, dreading what awaits me.

I pulled into the parking lot, cut the engine, and sat there for a moment, sighing deeply. Grabbing my backpack, I swung open the door and stepped out, nearly colliding with Lea, who was standing there with a puzzled look on her face.

"Aren't you supposed to be off today?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

Smiling faintly, I locked my car and started walking toward campus. "Yeah, I was supposed to be," I called back over my shoulder, "but I got assigned as Prof. Montgomery's TA."

Lea, intrigued, jogged a few steps to catch up to me. "Wait, that's why she wanted to see you? What happened to her other TA?"

I shrugged, adjusting the straps of my backpack. "No idea. But when I thanked her for the opportunity, she muttered something under her breath about being forced into it." I glanced at Lea, lowering my voice. "She didn't think I heard her, but I did."

Lea's eyes widened. "Forced? That sounds... shady."

"Tell me about it." I nodded, the unease settling in again as we continued walking. "I can't shake the feeling that I'll regret signing up for this."

Lea tossed me an energy bar and tore into one of her own. Grateful, I ripped the wrapper open and took a bite, the taste bland but somehow comforting. "I've got a feeling you two are going to clash a lot," she said through a mouthful of food. "You're all nice and cheerful, and then there's her—cold and arrogant."

I chuckled softly, shrugging. "I'll just keep my head down and do what she tells me. No drama, no problems." I took another bite, savoring the moment of calm before what was bound to be a long day.

Lea scoffed, shaking her head. "Yeah, right. You? Keeping quiet? You're going to snap eventually and go off on her. Then she'll probably murder you, hide your body, and pretend nothing happened."

I stopped mid-chew, eyes wide as I looked at her in horror. "You did not just say that. Now I'm imagining her actually killing me just because I annoyed her one too many times!"

Lea gasped dramatically, smacking her hand against her forehead. "Oh my gosh, what if that's what happened to her last TA?!"

"Okay, I'm walking away now," I blurted, picking up the pace and heading down the path, putting as much distance between me and her wild theories as possible.

"I'm serious!" Lea called after me, laughing. "That's totally what happened!"

Shaking my head, I tried to suppress a smile, but her ridiculousness somehow made me feel a little lighter—though I still didn't want to picture myself becoming Prof. Montgomery's next victim.

I hesitated for a moment outside her office door, then knocked softly. A few seconds passed, and I was starting to wonder if she wasn't there when I heard her sharp voice from inside, "Come in."

Pushing open the door, I stepped in carefully. "Good morning, professor," I greeted her politely, trying to keep my tone professional. But before I could say more, she shot me a withering glare and lifted a hand, signaling for me to be silent. She was on the phone, her expression hard as steel.

"No, I paid you to do one specific thing, and you couldn't even get that right," she barked into the receiver, her voice dripping with irritation. There was a pause as she listened, her knuckles tightening around the phone. "I don't care. Fix it, or I'll come down there and shove it right up your ass."

Before the person on the other end could respond, she slammed the phone down with a force that made me flinch. The silence that followed was tense, and I suddenly felt very small standing near the door, unsure of whether to sit or flee.

She finally looked up at me with an arched brow, her gaze cool and unbothered by the fiery exchange she'd just had. "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you capable of taking a seat?"

Her voice was laced with impatience, and I quickly moved to the chair in front of her desk, my heart pounding a little faster.

She sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose as if trying to fend off a headache. Without a word, she grabbed a thick stack of papers and dropped them onto the desk in front of me with a dull thud. "These are quizzes from the first-year students. I need you to mark them." Her tone was curt as she handed me a page filled with answers and a red pen.

I stared at the pile, then at the empty desk space, unsure if she expected me to do it right there. It felt strange, marking papers at her desk. I was about to ask where she preferred I do the task, but before the words could form, she shot me a warning glance, her expression already exhausted.

"I don't have time for your stupid little questions," she snapped, shaking her head in irritation. "Just mark them while I go teach a lecture full of half-brained students."

Without waiting for a response, she gathered her things and strode out of the office, her heels clicking sharply on the floor as she disappeared down the hallway, leaving me in a tense silence.

I stared at the closed door for a moment before letting out a sigh. She hadn't given me much of a choice. Reluctantly, I pulled the first quiz from the pile and compared it with the answer sheet she'd provided. The red pen hovered above the paper as I started marking, my mind drifting between the task at hand and how surreal the situation felt.

The minutes flew by faster than I expected as I worked through the quizzes. The stack was shorter than I thought—simple questions like the ones Prof. Montgomery gave at the start of her lectures. Before I knew it, I was finished. I neatly stacked the quizzes on her desk and leaned back in the chair, stretching my stiff limbs. Not bad.

But now what? I glanced around the empty office, realizing I had nothing to do but wait. Clicking my tongue in frustration, I stood up, craving fresh air. I should've brought something to occupy my time.

Just as my hand reached for the door, it swung open violently, nearly smacking me in the face. I jerked back, my heart jumping into my throat as I stumbled away from the swinging door.

Prof. Montgomery stormed in, her expression as indifferent as ever, completely unaware—or unconcerned—that she'd almost knocked me out. She gave me a look of pure confusion.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, her tone sharp.

I blinked, still processing the near-miss. Was she serious? She nearly slammed the door into my face!

"N-nothing," I stammered, stepping aside awkwardly as she strode past me like nothing had happened.

She didn't even glance my way as she approached the stack of quizzes, flipping through the pages with quick, dismissive motions. "Are they done?" Her voice was flat, uninterested. I nodded mutely, still trying to calm my racing heart.

Professor Montgomery lifted her gaze from the stack of quizzes, her sharp eyes settling on me with an expectant look. "Use your words, Ms. Wilson," she said, her voice clipped.

"Yes, I finished them," I replied, nodding a bit too eagerly.

She hummed in response, a noncommittal sound, and moved to her chair, sitting with a practiced grace. "Get some air," she said, already dismissing me with a wave of her hand. "But be back in half an hour. No later."

Not wanting to linger any longer than necessary, I turned and left her office, letting the door shut behind me with a soft click. The tension seemed to melt from my shoulders the farther I walked, my pace quickening toward the familiar fountain on campus.

To my surprise, Lea was already there, lounging on the bench with a cigarette dangling lazily between her fingers. A faint trail of smoke curled up into the morning sky. When she spotted me, her face lit up with mock shock.

"Dude!" she gasped dramatically, springing up from the bench and flicking her cigarette away. "You're still alive?"

I laughed, shaking my head as I dropped onto the bench next to her. "Well, duh," I said, though I could feel the lingering tension in my muscles slowly loosening.

Lea plopped down beside me again, her expression mischievous as she turned to face me. "To be fair, it was only the first meeting or whatever," she pointed out, her tone teasing. "There's still plenty of time for her to kill you."

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence. Really uplifting."

She grinned, leaning back and crossing her arms. "Hey, I'm just saying—don't get too comfortable. You never know when she might snap."

I chuckled, shaking my head in disbelief at Lea's wild imagination. Leaning back against the cool surface of the bench, I let out a long sigh, the weight of the day pressing on me. "I have to be back in like twenty minutes," I groaned, glancing at the time.

Lea leaned back too, stretching out her legs and propping her elbows on the bench. "That's not even enough time for you to grab a coffee at the café," she pointed out, her voice laced with sympathy. She was right. The thought of a fresh, steaming coffee sounded like heaven right now.

Noticing my defeat, Lea started rummaging through her bag, which was slouched beside her feet. After a second of digging, she triumphantly pulled out a can of Monster energy drink and held it toward me. "Here, take this."

I wrinkled my nose, shaking my head immediately. "You know I don't drink that stuff."

She rolled her eyes and gave me a playful shove. "I know, but you're gonna need it if you want to survive the rest of the day with Prof. Montgrumpy." She smirked, clearly pleased with herself for coming up with the nickname.

I snorted at the new name. "Montgrumpy, really?" It was kind of hilarious, actually.

"Yep," she said with a grin, wiggling the can in my direction.

"Fine," I groaned, finally giving in and taking the drink from her hand. "Thank you." I popped the tab open, knowing she had a point. If I was going to survive another round with Montgomery, I might need more than just caffeine—I'd need all the help I could get.

When it was time to head back, I said a quick goodbye to Lea and reluctantly made my way back to Professor Montgomery's office. The door was slightly ajar, so I stepped inside without knocking. She was already sitting at her desk, flipping through the quizzes I had marked earlier. My stomach twisted slightly—was she double-checking my work?

"I already went through them to make sure everything was marked correctly," I said, plopping down in the chair opposite her, trying to keep my voice steady.

Without even looking up, she continued skimming through the pages, her eyes scanning every red mark I had made. "I already had one incompetent TA. I just want to make sure I didn't get another," she said, her voice as cold as ever.

I clenched my teeth but stayed silent, watching her flick through the papers with calculated precision. I waited, hoping she'd find nothing wrong and give me something else to do. The minutes dragged on, and I could hear the faint ticking of the clock in the background. Finally, she placed the quizzes into her drawer and, without a word, pulled out another stack of papers.

With a thud, she dropped them in front of me. "These too," she said curtly, her eyes locking with mine for a brief moment before returning to her own work.

Great. Another stack. I sighed quietly, picking up the red pen again.

The silence stretched out between us, heavy and awkward—well, awkward for me. I couldn't tell if it bothered her at all. She seemed completely absorbed in whatever she was typing, her fingers flying across the keyboard with precision.

I glanced up at her, curious, but the second my eyes lingered, she stopped typing and looked directly at me. Our eyes locked for a split second, my breath catching in my throat, before I quickly dropped my gaze back to the quizzes. It felt like she could see right through me, and it made my skin prickle.

The rhythmic clack of her typing resumed, filling the quiet office. It was the only sound, a mechanical backdrop to the steady scratch of my pen as I worked through the quizzes. Surprisingly, it didn't take long to finish.

Once I'd completed the last one, I stacked the papers neatly and slid them across her desk. "I'm done," I said softly, half expecting her to scrutinize them like she had before. But without a word, she grabbed the pile and tucked them away in her drawer, not even sparing a glance this time.

A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips—she hadn't even bothered to check my work this time. That had to mean I was doing a good job. For the first time today, I felt a bit of pride well up inside me, a sense of accomplishment.

I sat there for a moment, waiting for her to assign me something else, but the silence continued as she kept typing away on her computer, completely absorbed in her work. I cleared my throat, hesitant to interrupt her, "Professor, would it be okay if I swung by Midnight Mocha for a coffee?"

Without even looking up, she waved her hand dismissively, a silent 'yes' in her own abrupt way. I grabbed my phone and wallet, leaving my backpack behind since there was no point in hauling it around for a quick coffee run.

At Midnight Mocha, I ordered my usual Iced Coffee, the cold condensation already beading up on the cup in the warm air. As I waited for my order, I found myself debating something risky. Against my better judgment, I asked for a second Iced Coffee. It wasn't like I expected her to thank me, but I just wanted to show her that, despite how she might view me, I wasn't a bad person.

Coffee in hand, I started back toward her office, wondering if this gesture would soften her, even just a little.

Back at the office, I quietly slipped in and placed the iced coffee on her desk, positioning it within her line of sight. She glanced at the cup, then her gaze flicked up to meet mine, her brows knitting together. "What's this?" she asked, her voice edged with suspicion.

I forced a bright smile, hoping it would cut through her usual frostiness. "Iced coffee. I thought you might need a little pick-me-up."

Her expression didn't soften, in fact, it didn't change at all. She eyed the drink like it was something offensive, and with a flick of her pen, she pushed it to the side. "Yeah, I don't drink iced coffee," she said, her tone matter-of-fact. "But feel free to enjoy it yourself."

My shoulders slumped a little, the sting of rejection more bitter than the coffee. So much for trying to be thoughtful. Still, I quickly reminded myself of my aunt's advice—kill them with kindness. I straightened my back and smiled again, refusing to let her cold demeanor get to me.

"My apologies," I said cheerfully, reaching for the cup. "I'll make sure to get it right next time."

I waited, hoping she'd tell me what she preferred, but instead, she handed me another stack of quizzes, her eyes already back on her computer. No hint of warmth, no further acknowledgment of my gesture. I sighed inwardly, taking the pile and sitting down to work, trying to ignore the icy atmosphere in the room.

About ten minutes had passed when I heard the creak of a chair in front of me. I glanced up to see Prof. Montgomery standing, gathering a few books and her handbag. Her sharp movements didn't hold any urgency, but she seemed purposeful, heading straight for the door.

"I have another lecture," she announced without even looking back. Her hand paused on the doorknob for a second, as if confirming something to herself.

"When you're done marking, you can leave," she added, her voice clipped and devoid of emotion, before slipping out of the office and leaving me once again in the eerie stillness of her workspace.

The room suddenly felt a lot bigger without her looming presence. I glanced at the stack of quizzes in front of me, the sheer monotony of it almost making my head spin. This—grading endless assignments—is exactly why I never wanted to become a teacher. I could feel my patience fraying just at the thought of doing this day in and day out, trapped in the cycle of marking, lecturing, and dealing with students. Honestly, I'd probably rip my hair out if I had to grade quizzes every day like this.

With a resigned sigh, I hunched over the stack and got back to work. The minutes ticked by, each one feeling longer than the last. I pushed myself to grade quickly but carefully, making sure I didn't rush and miss any details. After about forty minutes, I was finally done, a neat stack of graded quizzes sitting in front of me like a small victory.

Once I finished the last quiz, I stacked the papers neatly, aligning the edges with precision, and placed them in front of her keyboard. The pen I'd used went back into the pen holder with a soft clink. My gaze shifted to the ring of moisture on the desk, where condensation from my iced coffee had pooled. Grabbing a few tissues from my bag, I quickly wiped the surface clean, ensuring no trace of my drink remained.

Satisfied, I slung my bag over my shoulder and gave the chair a gentle nudge, tucking it neatly against the desk. I paused for a moment, scanning the room to make sure everything was in order. The desk was spotless, the quizzes were stacked, and nothing was out of place.

With a soft exhale, I walked to the door, closing it behind me with a quiet click. All in all, the day wasn't as bad as I'd expected. Sure, Prof. Montgomery hadn't been thrilled with the coffee, but I wasn't going to let that get to me. Maybe tomorrow she'd be in a better mood.

At least, I hoped she would be.