Chapter Twenty Three

Monday;

I can't believe it's already Monday. The weekend felt like it disappeared in a flash, though maybe that's because I spent most of yesterday nursing the pounding headache from Saturday night's chaotic adventure. The memory of it still seemed almost unreal—the chase, the adrenaline, the pole, and then the shock of actually breaking my nose.

When Lea dropped me off at home, I told her she didn't have to stay, but of course, she insisted. She always had that stubborn streak, and I knew arguing with her would be pointless.

The moment Aunt Grace opened the door, her eyes went wide with a mix of confusion and horror. I'll never forget her expression—one hand went to her mouth, her brows shot up, and for a solid moment, she looked completely speechless. I don't think I'd ever seen her that shocked in my life.

After the initial shock wore off, she demanded to know what had happened. And when I finally explained it to her—how Lea and I had egged someone's house, the chase, and the unfortunate collision with a pole—she stared at me for a beat before bursting into laughter. It was the kind of laughter that left tears streaming down her face, her shoulders shaking as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Of all the things I imagined you doing, Val, this wasn't even close to one of them!" she managed between laughs. I couldn't help but join in, even as my face throbbed from the pain. It was a ridiculous story, and the absurdity of it made it even funnier.

Eventually, Aunt Grace took me to the hospital to get patched up. My nose had a small fracture, nothing too severe, but it was enough to keep me wincing at the slightest movement. Lea, of course, took full advantage of the situation—snapping pictures of my disheveled, battered state every chance she got, giggling as she flipped through them.

"Gotta remember this moment," she kept saying with a grin. "This is going down in history."

Despite the soreness and embarrassment, I found myself smiling at her antics. There was something about Lea's carefree spirit that made even the worst moments bearable, even fun. It was hard to stay mad when she looked at me with that mischievous sparkle in her eyes, her laughter contagious.

I parked my car in the campus lot, turning off the ignition with a soft sigh. The day had barely begun, yet it already felt like it was dragging. I reached over to the passenger seat, grabbing my bag before stepping out, bracing myself for what was sure to be a series of awkward stares and concerned questions.

As I walked across the lot, the curious glances of students followed me, some eyes widening, others whispering as they passed by. I knew I looked ridiculous—my nose was still swollen, and the deep purple bruises under my eyes made it seem like I'd gone a few rounds in a boxing ring. I tried to ignore them, keeping my gaze forward, focusing on getting to my first lecture of the day, Mathematical Physics.

When I walked through the door, I barely had a moment to get my bearings before I heard a soft gasp from the front of the room.

"My goodness!" Prof. Vargas exclaimed, her eyes widening as they landed on me. She stood from behind her desk, her expression shifting from shock to deep concern. "Valentina, what happened to you?"

I forced a chuckle, though the movement sent a dull throb through my face. "I had a little accident," I replied, attempting to sound casual.

Prof. Vargas took a step closer, her brows knitting together, eyes examining the bruising and the bandage. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice softer, more maternal.

I gave her a reassuring nod, though my smile was tight. "It hurts, but other than that, I'm good." I could see her worry linger, her gaze scanning my injuries as if to determine if I was being entirely honest.

After a moment, she sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Alright, just take care of yourself, okay?" she said, her voice gentle but firm. I gave her another nod, murmuring a quick thanks before making my way to an empty seat near the middle of the room.

As I settled in, I could still feel a few pairs of eyes on me—classmates glancing in my direction, some with curiosity, others with concern. I avoided meeting any of their gazes, pretending to busy myself with getting my notebook and pen from my bag. The last thing I wanted was to answer more questions.

I stared at my notebook, the clean white page staring back at me, and I couldn't help but let out a small sigh. Hopefully, once Prof. Vargas started the lecture, everyone's attention would shift back to where it should be—anywhere other than on my battered face.

The lecture ended quicker than I expected, and I followed the crowd of students filing out of the room. I had hoped to avoid my teaching assistant duties today, but a quick check of my phone crushed that hope—Prof. Montgomery had sent me an email insisting I report to her office.

With a heavy sigh, I adjusted the strap of my bag, feeling its weight dig into my shoulder as I dragged myself down the hallway. By the time I reached her office, the door was already ajar, so I walked in without a word, keeping my head down.

I dropped into the seat in front of her desk, slumping slightly, my eyes fixed on my lap. Maybe if I stayed quiet enough, she wouldn't bring it up—my ridiculous, bruised face that had already garnered enough attention for one day.

I heard her chair creak as she stood up, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. She crossed the small office, pulled a book from the shelf, and set it down on the desk in front of me with a decisive thud. I flinched at the sound, my eyes flicking up for a split second.

"I need you to do another lesson plan for me," she said briskly, her tone all business as she returned to her chair, settling down with a practiced elegance.

I nodded, the movement slight, barely lifting my eyes. "Any specifics you need?" I finally asked, my voice almost a mumble, breaking the silence.

Prof. Montgomery glanced up from the stack of quizzes she was grading, her eyes briefly meeting mine. "Just do it like the last two," she said, her voice flat as she refocused on her work. But a moment later, her gaze snapped back to me, narrowing slightly as her attention honed in on the bruising beneath my eyes.

Prof. Montgomery's brows knitted together in bemusement as she studied my face. "What the—did you run into a pole or something?" she asked, her tone void of any genuine concern.

I didn't respond, merely staring at her, but she took my silence as confirmation. Leaning back in her chair, she pressed her lips together, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "How do you expect me to trust you as my TA when you're this clumsy?" she remarked, her voice sharp and dismissive.

I blinked, taken aback by the bluntness. How could she have so little empathy? I felt frustration bubble up within me, and before I could stop myself, I scoffed, "You know, it costs nothing to be nice." The words slipped out with more bite than I intended. Here I was, sitting in front of her with a bruised and swollen face, and instead of even the slightest bit of concern, she questioned my competence.

Prof. Montgomery clasped her hands together, her eyes narrowing slightly as if assessing me. Then she let out a short, humorless chuckle. "Yeah, well," she said, her voice smooth and cutting, "it doesn't cost anything to be rude either."

Would it be considered rude if I jumped over this desk and tackled her out of that chair? Hmm, yeah, it probably would. But imagine it—Prof. Montgomery, with that smug look wiped off her face, sprawling to the ground. It would be a beautiful sight, wouldn't it?

"How old are you?" I asked, shifting in my seat, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm only asking because I don't see a ring on your finger, and at your age, shouldn't you have been married by now? Or do you scare every man away with that shitty attitude of yours?"

The words left my mouth before I could stop myself, and an instant wave of regret settled over me. Prof. Montgomery raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing as she tilted her head, studying me like a lioness sizing up her prey. Oh no, she's definitely plotting my murder right now. Why did I say that? I'm never rude—my mother and Aunt Grace taught me better than this. I swallowed hard, my heart pounding as silence filled the room.

"You're a peculiar woman," she finally said, her voice tinged with amusement, a small smirk curving her lips. She gestured toward the book she had placed in front of me earlier. "I need the lesson plan done by Wednesday."

And just like that, she dismissed me, returning her attention to the quizzes she was grading as if I hadn't said anything at all. I sat there for a moment, stunned by her calm reaction, then slowly nodded, even though she wasn't looking at me.

I pulled my laptop from my bag and placed it on the space I'd claimed on her desk. The book she'd given me was now open, and I skimmed through the marked pages, trying to make sense of what she wanted. Something wasn't clear, and I hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

"Excuse me, Professor." I glanced at her, my voice almost hesitant. "Can you please explain this—"

"No," she cut me off curtly. Her tone was dismissive, and her eyes never left the stack of papers in front of her. "You've already distracted me enough with that fucked up face of yours, so please, keep that mouth closed."

I blinked, pressing my lips together into a thin line, swallowing back my irritation. Well, that went well. If she doesn't want to help me, she can't exactly blame me if her lesson plan ends up being a mess.

I refocused on my laptop, typing in a slow rhythm at first, then picking up speed as I began pulling slides together. My annoyance gradually turned into a kind of grim determination—I'd prove her wrong, somehow. Yet, despite finding some rhythm, time slipped away faster than expected. Soon enough, it was almost time for my next lecture, which, to my utter dismay, happened to be with Prof. Montgomery herself.

The irony wasn't lost on me. I closed the laptop with a resigned sigh, my fingers brushing over the book one last time before I stuffed it into my bag. The atmosphere in the office still felt charged, her complete disregard and snide remarks hanging in the air like smoke. I rose from the chair, adjusting the strap of my bag over my shoulder as I prepared to face her again—but this time, in front of an entire class.

I gave her one last look as I walked to the door, her attention still glued to her papers, her pen moving methodically across the page. It felt as though I barely existed in her world, just another obstacle in her perfectly controlled day.

In the lecture hall, I made my way to my usual seat near the middle, keeping my head down to avoid the curious glances that seemed to follow me everywhere since this morning. Lea wasn't here yet, so I kept myself occupied, drumming my fingers lightly on the desk in a steady rhythm. The soft tapping echoed faintly in the large room, keeping my thoughts from drifting to my throbbing nose.

A few minutes later, Prof. Montgomery walked in. She wore her usual stern expression, her sharp eyes scanning the room before settling on the lectern. Once the clock struck 09:00, she wasted no time, launching into the lecture with her characteristic precision.

I noticed she hadn't mentioned the quiz we were supposed to take at the start of today's lesson—either she forgot, or she decided against it. Not that I was about to remind her. I'd take whatever small blessings I could get, especially with my head still feeling like it was stuffed with cotton from the aftermath of that pole incident.

Nearly twenty minutes into the lecture, there was a soft creak, and I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. Someone was sneaking into the room, moving cautiously along the row of seats to avoid drawing attention. I turned my head slightly, and a small smile crept onto my lips as I recognized Lea.

The only reason Prof. Montgomery hadn't noticed Lea yet was because her back was turned to us as she meticulously sketched out an equation on the board. Lea plopped down into the seat beside me, her shoulders sagging in relief as she whispered, "Easy peasy," a proud smirk playing on her lips.

I glanced over at her, unable to help the soft smile that spread across my face. She looked at me, her eyes zeroing in on my bruised nose and the purple smudges beneath my eyes. Her mouth opened, and I could see her struggling to hold back a laugh.

"Dude—" she managed to say, but a snort slipped out, and she couldn't continue. "You... you look—" she gasped, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter, her voice echoing through the lecture hall.

Prof. Montgomery stopped mid-sentence, her marker hovering above the board as she turned sharply to see who was causing the disruption. Silence fell over the room as everyone's eyes turned to Lea, who was still doubled over in laughter, completely oblivious to the attention she'd drawn.

What Lea didn't realize, in her fit of amusement, was that her body had shifted in her seat. She turned completely towards me, and when she leaned back as if to rest against the seat's backrest, there was nothing but empty air. With a yelp, Lea tumbled backward, her arms flailing for balance as gravity took over, and she fell off the seat, landing on the floor with a thud.

Gasps and muffled chuckles rippled through the lecture hall as she sprawled on the ground, her laughter momentarily interrupted by the shock of the fall. Even Prof. Montgomery's lips twitched, though she quickly pressed them into a thin line, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the scene before her.

I leaned over the edge of my seat, my expression torn between worry and amusement. "Lea, are you okay?" I whispered, trying not to let my own laughter escape.

Lea looked up at me from the floor, her face a mix of embarrassment and mirth, before she burst out laughing again, this time even louder. She sat up, waving her hand dismissively as if to tell everyone she was fine, and slowly got back on her feet.

Prof. Montgomery arched an eyebrow, her gaze sharp and unimpressed. "If you're quite finished," she said, her voice carrying an edge that silenced the room once more.

Lea raised her hands in defense, palms open towards Prof. Montgomery, trying to signal that she was done disrupting the class. But as her eyes shifted back to me and landed on my bruised, swollen nose and the dark circles beneath my eyes, she lost it again. Her laughter, barely stifled before, burst out anew, her shoulders shaking with the effort to hold it in.

Prof. Montgomery's eyes narrowed, her lips thinning into a stern line as her patience wore thin. Her expression could have soured milk. Lea must have sensed just how close the professor was to snapping because she quickly stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder with an apologetic shrug—although the amusement still danced in her eyes. She gave me a final, helpless look, her laughter still bubbling as she made her way to the exit.

She walked out of the room, her laughter echoing down the hallway, leaving a few scattered snickers from students behind. I watched her leave, my own face a mix of exasperation and embarrassment. Did I really look that bad?

As the door swung shut behind her, a silence settled back over the lecture hall. Prof. Montgomery let out an impatient sigh and cleared her throat, her gaze falling on me. She didn't bother to hide the irritation in her eyes, giving me a withering look as if somehow, this entire fiasco was my fault.

I kept my head down, trying to focus on the notes in front of me while heat crept up the back of my neck. The professor turned her attention back to the board, resuming the lecture without missing a beat. I could still feel the stares of some students around me, curiosity and amusement evident in their sideways glances.

Prof. Montgomery's voice droned on, but I found myself struggling to concentrate, my thoughts drifting back to Lea and her unapologetic laughter.

After the lecture, I made my way across the campus courtyard, weaving through clusters of students until the fountain came into view. As expected, there was Lea, lounging casually at the edge of the fountain. A cigarette hung lazily between her lips, smoke curling into the crisp air as she scrolled on her phone, oblivious to the world around her.

"Lea," I sighed as I approached, her head lifting at the sound of my voice. The faintest smile played on my lips, a mix of exasperation and amusement. "You can't keep disrupting Montgomery's lectures like that," I said, plopping down beside her with a groan of resignation.

She looked at me, her lips curving into an unapologetic grin. She plucked the cigarette from her mouth, blowing the smoke to the side, away from me. "I'm sorry, but your face made it impossible," she said, her chuckle turning into a full-blown laugh as her eyes swept over my bruised, swollen nose and the faint purple shadows beneath my eyes.

"You think this is funny?" I asked, arching an eyebrow, though my lips twitched with a smile.

Lea nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, absolutely. I think we need to go back and check on that pole—make sure it didn't get hurt as badly as you did." She couldn't hold back her laughter, and it bubbled out of her, carefree and loud.

I tried to laugh along, but a sharp pain radiated from my nose, cutting it short as I winced. "Ow, ow," I muttered, touching the bridge of my nose gently. "I'm really gonna have to take a break from laughing," I grumbled, shaking my head.

Lea shot me an exaggeratedly sympathetic look, her eyes wide and her bottom lip jutting out. "Aw, poor Valentina," she teased, giving me a light shove. "You know, you're kind of a champ for showing up to class today, looking like that. I'd probably have stayed in bed for a week."

I sighed, leaning back on my hands, my gaze drifting to the water of the fountain, shimmering in the afternoon light. "I just want this to heal quickly," I said, my voice softer now. "I can't take all the staring anymore. It's like I've got a neon sign on my forehead."

Lea shook her head, her grin softening. She flicked the ash off her cigarette, taking another puff before she spoke. "Hey, don't worry about it. Soon enough, everyone will forget all about it. And besides," she nudged me gently with her elbow, "you've got a good story out of it. You survived the great pole of Maple Street."

Despite myself, a smile tugged at my lips. "Yeah, I guess so," I said, glancing at her. "But next time we decide to do something stupid, you're the one going first."

Lea laughed, a carefree sound that seemed to chase away the heaviness of the morning. "Deal." She held up her pinky, and I hooked mine around it, sealing the promise.

We sat there for a while longer, the sound of the fountain mixing with the low chatter of students passing by. And for the first time since the accident, I felt a little less self-conscious, a little less weighed down by the stares and whispers. Because with Lea by my side, somehow, everything felt a little easier to handle.