All Chapters of My Professor Lectured My Heart: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Ariel stirred against the pillow, her skin still clammy from the fever that had kept her curled up in bed last night. The small, damp cloth that had been resting on her forehead had become a little dry and slipped down as she slowly opened her eyes. The ceiling fan spun gently above, and for a moment, she forgot where she was… until the scent of coffee drifted into the room, mixed with the sound of someone humming softly. And then it all came back to her. She was in Luther’s apartment. The realization settled slowly, not in a bad way, but it still made her feel a little uneasy. She pushed herself up gently and rubbed her eyes, then frowned. “How did I not notice I had a fever?” she said quietly to herself, her voice sounding rough and scratchy. She gently touched the place on her forehead where the damp cloth had been lying. “Oh, this is just wonderful.” She continued, a hint of frustration in her tone. “Now I’m becoming more of a burden to him.” Glancing quickly at the time displa

Ariel stood outside Professor Julia’s office, completely still. The muffled sounds of their argument from behind the closed door felt like distant thunder, making her nerves jumpy. Her hand trembled slightly as she reached for the doorknob. She cleared her throat softly, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. Professor Luther Grayson was already walking quickly across the room, his face filled with anger. His jaw was clenched, and his eyebrows were pulled down low over his eyes. When he saw her, his expression changed just a little, softening for a brief moment… but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he walked past her. Ariel watched him leave, her heart feeling a mix of confusion and worry. She then turned her gaze towards the desk. Professor Julia was sitting there with a smile that seemed too perfect and fake. One leg was crossed over the other, and her eyes were impossible to read. “You’re late, again.” she said, even though it was only just past the beginning of the hour.

Ariel’s POV I woke up feeling sick the next morning. My head was hurting a lot, and my stomach felt twisted and upset. For several minutes, I just stayed lying in bed. I tried to get enough strength to sit up, but every time I moved, my body felt stiff and protested. My alarm clock was blinking its light because I had slept through the time it was supposed to wake me up. This was great. Just… great. Dragging myself out of bed, I stumbled to my feet, struggling to get ready. My arms and legs felt heavy, like they were made of stone. With trembling fingers, I managed to pull my hooded sweatshirt over my head, the fabric catching on my earring. No time for breakfast, or anything resembling self care. I snatched my bag from the floor and rushed out the door. By the time I made it to class, the lecture hall was silent. Everyone in the room turned their eyes to look at me when I carefully opened the door a little bit. Professor Grayson stood at the front of the room, arms folded across

Ariel arrived at cheerleading practice early the next day, her backpack slung low over her shoulder. Maybe throwing herself into routines and stunts could help clear the lingering ache in her chest, the weight of everything she didn’t understand… Luther, Ethan, her mother’s bakery... everything. The gym was mostly empty when she arrived. Only a few girls stretched lazily on the mats. Ariel set her bag down and joined them, silently tying her shoes tightly. As more girls slowly came into the gym, the captain of the cheerleading team told everyone it was time to start warming up. They ran quickly from one side to the other, did some exercises, and then started practicing cheerleading moves. These moves involved lifting each other up in the air, throwing them, and catching them safely. Ariel was so focused on the cheerleading practice that she didn’t see the look on Dana’s face. Dana was one of the older girls on the team, and she had never really liked Ariel. When the coach looked awa

The loud, piercing sound of sirens echoed from far away. Ariel’s fingers shook as she held her phone tightly against her ear. She kept saying the address again and again to the person who answered the emergency call. “Please hurry... he's bleeding a lot,” she choked out, glancing down at Daniel who lay motionless on the sidewalk. His once handsome face was so badly bruised that she could hardly recognize him. The hooded attackers had long disappeared into the night. Moments later, bright red and blue flashing lights illuminated the street, and paramedics hurried over to Daniel. “Miss, step back! We need space! Give us room to work!” one of them told Ariel. Ariel stumbled backward, her hands clenching tightly into fists at her sides. Tears blurred her vision as the paramedics carefully lifted Daniel onto a stretcher and quickly loaded him into the back of the ambulance. She followed them to the hospital. A few minutes later, she found herself standing under the harsh, bright ligh