Chapter Eighteen

Wednesday;

After the lecture—one where, for once, I actually paid attention—I trudged toward Prof. Montgomery's office. My mind buzzed with everything she covered, determined not to repeat that embarrassing quiz performance. But as I neared her office, the last thing I wanted was to stand there waiting, feeling like some lost student hovering outside her door.

I veered off toward the restroom, not because I needed to, but because it gave me a few more minutes to pass. The thought of arriving before her and awkwardly waiting in the hallway made my skin crawl. Once in the stall, I lowered the toilet lid—after thoroughly layering it with toilet paper, because germs—and sat down, mindlessly scrolling through my phone. A few TikToks later, I glanced at the time. Ten minutes had passed. It was probably safe to head back now.

I exited the restroom and made my way to her office, hoping she'd be back by now. But of course, when I arrived, her door was still closed. Great. I sighed, glancing around the empty hallway. Now, I'd be standing there like some lost puppy, waiting awkwardly for her to arrive. Just what I wanted to avoid.

I wandered aimlessly in small circles, glancing at my phone every few seconds, wondering when Prof. Montgomery would show up. Should I just leave? Maybe she had another lecture or something, and I was standing here like an idiot for no reason.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, the distinct click of heels echoed down the hallway. I looked up and spotted her, eyes glued to her phone as she approached. She didn't even notice me at first. When she finally lifted her gaze, she gave me a look—half confused, half annoyed.

Without missing a beat, she opened the door and said, "It's unlocked," before striding into her office like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Seriously? I felt my face flush. How did I not even think to try the door? Was I really that dumb? Embarrassment washed over me as I followed her inside, trying to compose myself.

I dropped into the chair, pulling out my laptop, grumbling internally. If she had just let me leave it here earlier, I'd already be back to working on the lesson plan. But nooo, now I had to waste time setting everything up again.

I had just settled back into working when, out of nowhere, Prof. Montgomery rose from her chair and strode over to my desk. I instinctively stiffened as she hovered behind me, leaning in to get a closer look at my screen.

"Let me see what you've done so far," she said, her tone curt as she grabbed the mouse and began clicking through the slides. Her eyes scanned each one, and I couldn't help but sit there, frozen, trying to gauge her reaction. But her face—stone-cold, unreadable—gave away nothing.

Seconds dragged on, and the silence felt unbearable. I could feel my heart thudding in my chest as I mentally braced for the worst. She's definitely going to tell me it's terrible and that I have to start over, I thought. The wait was excruciating.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she straightened up and nodded. "You're not as incompetent as I thought," she said nonchalantly, then turned and walked back to her desk as if she hadn't just delivered the most unexpected verdict.

Wait, was that a compliment? I blinked, processing her words. Did she just say I did a good job? A grin spread across my face despite myself. "Wow! I'm glad you approve of what I've done so far," I said, maybe a bit too enthusiastically.

She scoffed, cutting me off before I could revel in my tiny victory. "Yeah, I don't need an essay on why you're glad I approve. You did a half-decent job—don't let it go to your head."

And just like that, reality came crashing back down. Aaand we're back. For a fleeting moment, I thought I'd made progress with her, but nope. Back to square one.

Suppressing an eye roll, I redirected my focus to my laptop, determined to make some more progress on the lesson plan. I had just over twenty slides so far—not bad, but nowhere near halfway done. The faint tapping of my keyboard filled the silence, the only sound between us.

Suddenly, Prof. Montgomery's phone rang, shattering the quiet. I jolted slightly in my seat, startled. She glanced at the caller ID and let out an exasperated sigh before answering.

"It was supposed to be fixed yesterday!" she groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as she listened to the person on the other end. Her voice was clipped, frustration evident in every word. "I don't care what your boss says, my car has been there for over a week, and I want it back."

Ah, a mechanic. I remembered overhearing her phone call yesterday. Wasn't this the same caller she threatened to shove her car up their ass? A small, unintentional scoff escaped me at the memory. The absurdity of that threat still made me laugh.

Prof. Montgomery's eyes darted toward me, narrowing as she caught the sound. I quickly looked away, shrugging it off, pretending like nothing had happened.

Still, the mental image lingered. Shoving a car up someone's... well, you get the idea. The threat made sense if it was a phone or something small, but a whole car? That's not physically possible, not unless we're in a cartoon.

I decided to tune out her rant, refocusing on the PowerPoint. I still needed more images to break up the monotony of the slides. There's nothing worse than staring at endless blocks of text during a lecture. The images, even just a few, make the information feel lighter, more manageable.

As I scrolled through potential pictures, Prof. Montgomery practically slammed her phone onto the desk. The sharp sound made me glance up. She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples, visibly annoyed.

"These mechanics are so idiotic!" she groaned, her voice laced with frustration. "I swear, my mother could do their job better and faster."

Her words hung in the air, but I kept my thoughts to myself, figuring she was more venting than expecting a response. The last thing I wanted was to comment and earn another withering glare. So, I stayed quiet, focusing back on my screen, hoping the images I chose would at least pass muster with her.

I had completely lost track of time, absorbed in creating slide after slide. My focus was interrupted by a buzzing in my pocket. At first, I tried to ignore it, but the incessant vibration made it impossible. With a sigh, I pulled out my phone and saw a string of messages from Lea, asking where I was and whether I planned on showing up for Prof. Martin's lecture.

I glanced at the time and felt a wave of panic wash over me—I was already fifteen minutes late.

"Oh crap!" I practically yelled, my hands flying to pack up my things in a flurry. My fingers fumbled, and in my rush, I knocked over Prof. Montgomery's pen holder, sending pens scattering across her desk.

"For fuck sake!" she snapped, her sharp tone cutting through my panic. "Just leave your stuff here and go."

I flashed her a grateful yet apologetic smile before darting out of the office, my heart pounding as I sprinted through the hallways, trying to make it to Prof. Martin's class as quickly as possible.

✿

Friday;

It was just after seven in the morning, and the early light was still stretching across the quiet campus. I trudged my way toward Prof. Montgomery's office, each step heavier than the last. It wasn't exhaustion that slowed me down—it was the dread of another day in that suffocating office. Sure, I had signed up for this teaching assistant gig, but nobody warned me it would be this tedious. Or this... unpleasant.

Pushing the door open, I tried to muster up some enthusiasm, plastering on a bright smile. "Morning, professor," I greeted as I walked in, moving quickly to the chair like it was the only safe place in the room.

Prof. Montgomery barely lifted her eyes from her stack of papers, giving me a quick, disinterested hum before returning to her work. The awkward silence hung between us like a heavy fog, making me fidget in my seat.

I shifted in my chair, trying to get comfortable. "What will I be doing today?" I asked, hoping for something other than more quizzes or another boring task.

Without looking up, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "How far along are you with the lesson plan?" she asked, finally glancing at me with a mixture of mild curiosity and impatience.

What does she mean? I distinctly remember telling her yesterday that I'd finished the lesson plan. I even emailed it to her! Confusion twisted my brow as I tried to make sense of her question. "I emailed it to you... yesterday?" I said, a little more hesitantly than I intended.

Prof. Montgomery paused, narrowing her eyes at me like I had just inconvenienced her entire morning. Without a word, she turned her attention to her computer, her fingers tapping briskly on the keyboard as she scrolled through her emails.

"Ah," she muttered, her voice flat and dismissive. Without further comment, she got up from her chair and made her way over to the bookshelf. I watched as she pulled down a box, her fingers rummaging carelessly through the contents. After a moment, she grabbed a hefty stack of papers and unceremoniously dropped them in front of me with a thud.

"These need to be marked," she said lazily, gesturing at the pile without even bothering to look up from her work.

I stared at the towering stack of papers in front of me, biting back a groan. Well, there goes my morning. I'd rather plan an entire week of lessons than slog through these ridiculous quizzes. But, of course, Prof. Montgomery had made her decision.

The room settled into an awkward silence—awkward for me, at least. I scribbled through the first quiz, my mind drifting. Every so often, I glanced at Prof. Montgomery, buried in her work across the desk. Should I try to break the ice? No. Definitely not.

But before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "What's your favorite color?" Oh crap. Why did I do that? I mentally facepalmed, knowing this was a terrible idea.

Without even looking up, she replied, "Burgundy."

"Nice," I smiled, trying to salvage the moment. "Mine's blue. You know, like the sky... not too light, not too dark." I trailed off as her eyes flicked up from her work, a withering look in them.

"I didn't ask," she scoffed, her tone icy.

My shoulders slumped slightly, my attempt at small talk crashing and burning. How is she always this cold? It doesn't matter, I told myself, recalling the advice my aunt had given me last night, Keep being nice, even if Prof. Montgomery ices you out. She'll eventually feel guilty and soften up.

"I know you didn't," I managed an awkward smile, "I was just trying to make conversation."

Prof. Montgomery let out a loud sigh, rubbing her temples. "I don't want to have a conversation with you. Just mark the damn quizzes or I'll find someone else who will."

Her words hit like a slap, but I forced a tight-lipped smile and turned my focus back to the papers. No point arguing with someone this cold. Maybe my aunt was wrong.

It was just past eight when I finally finished marking the last quiz. I let out a sigh of relief, neatly stacking the papers together and sliding them across the desk, eager to be done with them.

Leaning back in the chair, I stretched my legs, feeling the tension ease for a moment. Prof. Montgomery glanced up from her computer, her eyes shifting from the stack to me. "Finished?" she asked, her voice flat.

I nodded, hoping this meant I'd get a break.

"Good. You can put them back in the box," she said, gesturing toward the box by the bookshelf. "There's another stack in there—make sure to grab those before you sit down."

Another stack? Seriously?

Suppressing a groan, I walked over to the box and rummaged through it. Sure enough, buried beneath pens and books was yet another pile of unmarked ones. I swapped them out, placing the completed stack neatly back where it belonged.

I'll just get through these quickly, I thought, settling back into the chair with a heavy sigh. Then maybe I'll reward myself with a break. An iced coffee from the café sounds perfect right about now.

These quizzes were definitely from the second-year students. I recognized some of the material, which at least made the marking process a little smoother. Still, my hand was starting to cramp. I set the pen down and began cracking my knuckles, the soft pops breaking the otherwise quiet atmosphere of the office.

The sound made Prof. Montgomery glance up briefly from her work, her eyes flickering with mild curiosity before quickly dismissing me and returning to her papers. She didn't seem to care much, which I guess was a good thing. No scolding today.

With my hand slightly less stiff, I went back to the task at hand, making decent progress as the stack of quizzes slowly dwindled.

A few minutes later, Prof. Montgomery glanced at her phone. "I have a lecture in ten minutes," she said abruptly, standing and gathering a few books. "Take a break." Her tone was neutral, but the suggestion of a break was like music to my ears.

"Alright, thank you, professor," I replied, offering her a warm smile as I watched her move toward the door. She paused and looked over her shoulder.

"When you're done marking the quizzes, you're free to leave for the day," she added, her voice clipped but clear. And with that, she was out the door, leaving the office in complete silence.

Finally, a little light at the end of the tunnel. I told myself I'd do one more quiz before taking a well-deserved break, but, as always, one turned into two, and two turned into six. Before I knew it, I had finished marking the entire stack.

Feeling oddly proud of myself, I neatly stacked the quizzes together, aligning the papers before placing them back in the box. I took a moment to tidy up my workspace, putting everything back in its place. No way was I going to leave the office in a mess for Prof. Montgomery to walk back into.

With a final glance around, I walked out of her office, pulling the door shut behind me with a soft click.

Now, time for a treat. My stomach rumbled at the thought. Iced coffee and a slice of cake from Midnight Mocha were definitely calling my name.

I was making my way toward the parking lot when I spotted Lea leaning casually against a tree, a cigarette between her fingers. A thin trail of smoke curled lazily into the air above her head. "Hey," I called out as I approached, waving slightly.

Lea turned her head, meeting my gaze with a lazy smile. She took another drag, exhaling slowly before responding. "Yo, how's your day been?" she asked, her voice relaxed, almost bored.

"Not too bad," I replied with a small grin. "Yours?"

She pushed herself off the tree, flicking the cigarette toward the trash can with a practiced motion before stretching her arms overhead. "Boring," she said with a sigh, "I'm starving, though. I need food."

"Wanna hit the café? I could use a pick-me-up," I suggested, nodding toward Midnight Mocha down the road.

Lea's eyes lit up, and she gave an eager nod. "Hell yeah."

We agreed to take my car, no point in using two vehicles since we were headed to the same place and planned to come right back afterward. It was a good excuse to get away for a bit.

Lea and I sat in comfortable silence, savoring our slices of cake and sipping on iced coffee. Sure, cake wasn't exactly a proper meal, but if it filled me up, who was I to argue? The delicious flavour paired perfectly with the icy sweetness of my drink, and for a moment, I let myself relax, forgetting about everything else.

We had BioPhysics in about an hour, but I wasn't too stressed. We'd finished the research project yesterday, after my TA duties were done for the day. Lea had handled most of the heavy lifting on the project, which was why I'd insisted on treating her to this little café break.

"What are your plans for the weekend?" Lea asked between bites of her chocolate cake, her fork pausing midair before she took another mouthful.

I shrugged, stirring my coffee absentmindedly. "Probably study a bit, and then head to the hospital to help out." I hadn't been able to volunteer as much recently, thanks to my new obligations in Prof. Montgomery's office. Tuesdays were out, but at least I still had weekends to make up for it.

Lea nodded slowly, considering my response before leaning in a little. "You should come to the club with me," she said, her voice teasing. "I swear it's not as bad as you think."

I chuckled, shaking my head as I set down my cup. "Yeah, no thanks," I replied, amused by how quickly she perked up at the idea of dragging me to some late-night party.

Her shoulders drooped slightly in defeat, but she still mustered a hopeful smile. "One day, you'll say yes."

I smiled back, knowing full well I wouldn't, but I let her hold on to that belief. Sometimes, it's just easier to let her dream.