Prologue

Few Weeks Earlier

Isa scanned the available classes being offered on her computer screen, dismayed at the fact all the interesting sounding courses were full or on waitlist. With classes starting in two weeks, she knew she couldn't risk not having enough credits this semester. At this point, she just needed to get into any of these classes to fulfill her requirements to graduate.

After all, it was her last semester of college. Isa's focus was solely on getting her diploma and finding a job. She knew her parents probably want a say in what kind of job. Despite not living at home anymore, the student's parents still managed to keep a grasp on the student's life. 

Realizing she'd have to settle for a less interesting sounding class, Isa hovered over CONSCI 1920: Consumer Problems and Perspectives. It sounded dreadfully boring but at the end of the day, she found economics - her major - to be boring as well. 

But then something caught her eye. 

PSYCH 2200: The Psychology of Deviant Behavior

The young student squinted at her screen, reading the class synopsis of what had just caught her eye. The class covered the definition of societal norms, how they're created, those who adhere to them, and those who disregard them. It also touched on the psychology of motivation; the drive for power and dominance in history and contemporary society. 

Isa felt a deep part of her mind peek in interest; a part that she had suppressed for years. She hated to be those individuals who self-imposed labels on themselves, saying that they're outcasts or different from the rest of society. Yet, Isa was aware that not everyone saw the scene of Disney's princess Jasmine shackled in the presence of her captor Jafar with arousal rather than fear in middle school. 

The student's eyes lowered to the name of the professor for the course. 

Theodore Ashford, PhD

Department of Psychology

Professor & Dean for College of Social Sciences

Isa let her hands glide over her keyboard for a quick G****e search. Something had to be off for a class like this to not be full yet.

What she found was a world-renowned psychologist with dozens of publications, two uploaded TedTalks, a New York Times interview, and...

To say the professor was just hot would be much less an understatement than a blatant insult. Through just the aggregates of pixels on her screen, Isa could sense the poise and presence the man carried with him. And, God, was the man attractive. 

The student scrolled through his library of published literature. It ranged from the psychology of trauma responses and the workings of cognitive neural networks, all the way to works on sadomasochism and deviant behavior in individuals versus social groups. 

The professor's appointment to Dean even made headlines due to his relatively young age for someone in academia. Isa figured he had to have finished his doctorate early, given the man already had a resume of professorships and chair positions at other Ivy League's, along with efforts working with global psychology associations and even conducting research for the federal government. 

Isa was intrigued. Very.

How in the world was this class not full yet? Skeptical, she skimmed through the searches for any student reviews. 

Isa quickly found out why the class had seats opened. It was rigorous beyond comprehension. The professor was known to never give out A's and assignments were a bombardment. 

She just needed the graduation requirement. She could easily take an easier class and get an A effortlessly. Yet, she felt drawn the other way regardless. 

After somewhat convincing herself that she wasn't taking the class for the hot professor, Isa settled on the course and enrolled in a few seconds. In her mind, it would be much less tortuous to struggle through a difficult yet engaging class than rot away in boredom. Isa was grappling on to any variation she could instill in her already mundane life. 

Eyeing up an attractive professor for three hours a week wouldn't hurt. Isa felt herself smile at the thought. If anything, maybe she'll learn a thing or two about herself. 

And Isa would... just not through textbooks and definitions.