3. New lecturer

The same routine continued the following day. Dropping Adam school and then me going to college. Today, I was too early in the class, could hardly see 4-5 classmates. After 20 minutes Jacob entered and sat beside me.

"Hey." I waved at him.

"Hi." He leaned on the writing bench.

"Why so lethargic?" I asked.

"Oh! You don't know." He was saying something but stopped and asked: "Who was that 'red end hair' girl?"

Trying to change the subject.

"Someone is showing interest in girls," I smirked at him.

He rarely has an interest in girls. It's not like he is gay, I don't know whether he is or not.

"I am just curious to see you talk with someone besides me." He defended himself, looking elsewhere but me.

This shows he really is interested in her.

I stooped towards him and spoke in a low teasing voice. "Do you see your love for eternity in her?"

"I never said anything like that." He snapped and I chuckled.

The crowd increased as it's almost time for the class to begin.

A familiar figure entered with a chemistry book in his hand. He stood behind the table and placed the book on it.

"What?" I said loud enough to gain some glares from nearby people as well as 'him.'

I turned towards Jacob with a questioned face.

"Our new chemistry lecturer." He responded, without me questioning.

"Since when?" Hoping that today is the first day.

"Since yesterday." He replied. "BTW where were you yesterday?"

I ignored his question and was staring at him. His blue-green eyes were shining by the fall of the light. It's him, the one I bumped into yesterday. I averted my gaze the moment his eyes met mine.

"Page no. 57." He said.

Just page no. 57,  nothing like take out page no. so - so, nor any longer sentence.

A man of few words. As soon as I got to know he is a teacher. My mind changed him to a man from a boy.

"Second seat, black hair, a gray T-shirt and blank jeans." He said coldly.

I threw a glance at me, was he indicating me? Of course. You idiot.

I stood up.

His eyes met mine. "Out." He commanded.

What? Was the first word that came to my mind. "Why?" Is the word which I asked.

Yesterday's scene flashed through my mind, my rejection to attend his class. 'Oh no!'  Who

thought he would be a lecturer?

"I do have a concern with my class and it's students." He said, not looking towards me but to the book in his hand.

This recalled my yesterday's response towards him.

What should I do now? I had never been out of the class before. Should I go back home? Or stand out? Or what?

Instead, I defended myself.

"Making a college student stand out of the class is not appropriate."

I said in a calm voice, yet anger was boiling inside me. Who does such a thing? What is he? A KG teacher?

I thought to say it out loud but didn't.

Now his eyes met mine. "As long as you are in my class, you have to obey my commands."

My class my rule type. Phup!

What should I make up now? 
Think of a reply Levy...Think... Think...Think.

"By the way, why am I being punished?" I asked.

Yes exactly, I should have asked that before.

Of course, you don't have a particular reason to punish me. I thought and raised a victory flag in my head. It was hard to conceal the smile.

"As it's your first mistake, I forgive you." He said calmly not looking away from his book.

Forgive me? As if I made a mistake and no matter what, I'm not going to apologize.

He then turned to face the class. "Whoever has equated the yesterday's equations, may come and leave their worksheets on the table."

Everyone, literally everyone stood and did as he said. Even Jacob.

I turned towards him surprisingly. How can you?  Did chemistry become so easy within a day?

Noticing my reaction Jacob said. "He really explains well."

I was alone who haven't done this work. 
Our eyes met again. "Now what miss? It's your second mistake."

I can't even say I was absent, so I stayed quiet.

He looked at the sheets on the table and said. "Bring this to my office after class." He then continued his teaching.

Is that a punishment?  Or just a request?  No, not a request for sure.

Ignoring my thoughts, I concentrated on the class. His teaching was far better than Miss Sherley's yet weird. Hmm, being good at chemistry makes a person weird.

Class ended.

After class, I picked up the worksheets and noticed he already left. Neither I know his office nor his name. So, I asked Jacob his name and walked out of the class with the sheets in my hands.

I checked each teacher's cabin one after another and found one with the ajar door, where 'Loren Blake' was written on it. 

Hearing to my knock on the door, he raised his head from the book he was reading. A physics book huh? Strange. never mind.

"Oh! Come in. Miss?''

"Levy Trotsky." I walked in and kept the worksheets on the table. As I turned my heels to leave, he spoke.

"Who ask you could leave?"

"Excuse me?"

"You are not excused right now." He said while closing his book.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

He walked towards me with a sheet of paper in his hand and kept in on the table beside me. "Equate these equations. Now."

"Seriously?" I didn't intend to say it out loud, but it came out of my mouth without my permission.

"Does it look like a joke to you?" He sat again, taking those worksheets.

Yes, of course.

I quietly sat there. Yes, I sat quietly, doing nothing. I don't know how to do this.

Today he was wearing a black unbuttoned shirt with a black T-shirt inside it which fits him perfectly, exposing his toned muscles. Sleeves were folded in the same manner. Black trousers and black shoes.

Again black.

Time passed, I started playing with the pen. After complete 15 minutes, he stood again and walked towards me. His eyes shifted from my unanswered sheet and then to me.

"I don't know how to solve this," I said quickly before he could utter a word.

In response, he put his left hand on the back of the chair and stoop forward while taking the pen from my hand. We were too close that my little movement could make our heads collide. I stayed still staring at the paper while he was explaining.

"Equalize every chemical on either side of the equal sign." 

I could feel his warm breath against my cheek.

"Huh?" Confused I turned towards him. His cheek and my nose brushed on my action. With a swift movement, I straightened my head.

"Do you get it?" he asked.

"No."

He differentiated every element present in the equation.

"look." He said.

Obeying him, I looked down at the paper with full of concentration. Some strands of my hair were falling on it, I quickly tugged them back of my ear and re-concentrated.

"If there are 2 hydrogens on the right side then it is mandatory to have 2 hydrogens on the left side. Every chemical should present equally on either side." He supplied.

Surprisingly I understood what he explained.

"This thing is similar to maths," I exclaimed.

"Finally your thick head get it." He straightened himself.

Thick head? Why? Is it because you really got hit hard? I thought but didn't respond.

I continued equating equations. Within some minutes, I was done. Handing him my sheet, I was waiting for his command.

"You may leave now." He said while keeping my sheet along with the others.

Finally.

Yawning, I left his cabin, almost spend 35 minutes there which missed my language class.

I directly went to the next class which was physics and was 10 minutes earlier. Folding my hands on the writing bench, I rested my head on it. On hearing footsteps, I raised my head in the direction of the sound and saw Loren entering in the class.

Him again? 

He didn't react to my presence, was busy in arranging the books.  Within a couple of minutes, everyone entered and took their seats. I could see the same reaction on all the faces which

means

this is new to everyone.

When we all settled, Loren spoke. 
"Principal asked me to continue physics and maths along with chemistry to make it easier for you people."

A smile crept on everyone's faces; especially girls.

The class ended smoothly at 12' noon. I rushed out to pick Adam and bought some fried chicken and pancakes for him. After dropping him home, I was back to college.

This is exhausting, picking and dropping in the middle of the college. 
While thinking of this brother's words ranged in my mind.

I have things to do after college and  I am already tired.

Classes went on as usual and college ends.

                                                                              ••••••••••••••••••

H.LOCKHART.