The Professor

The strobes of the lights danced in a dizzying pattern across the ceiling as the club patrons cheered and yelled in excitement over their drinks, sweaty bodies pressed against her but she didn't care, not when the adrenaline pumping through her veins made her feel alive.

"Woah!" Gabrielle cheered wildly, bouncing rhythmically on her feet as she moved to the music. Her wild curls stuck to her dark skin, sweat beading along them and sliding down her face.

"You're sweaty," Maya shouted, pointing to her friend's gleaming chest but the girl simply grinned, tossing her head back and closing her eyes,

"Sweetheart, everyone inside this goddamn club is," Her best friend slurred and Maya giggled. Gabrielle had a point, she could feel perspiration already rolling behind her ears.

"I need to get a drink," Maya flapped her arms around, either Gabrielle didn't hear her or was too consumed in the music to notice what she'd said, Maya wasn't sure but she walked away from her and headed to the bar.

Her legs trembled with each step she took and she bumped into several people as she wove in and out between the crowd.

"Hey! Watch where the fuck you're going!"

Someone snarled at her before pushing her roughly to the side. She stumbled backward for a moment but regained her balance quickly before looking up to see who had pushed her.

"Sssorry," She slurred at the fuming man, giving him a wide grin to show how sincere he was.

But he only stalked past her, bumping his shoulder into her as he muttered, "Bitch."

Maya rolled her eyes at him and swiveled in the direction of the bar. She apologized, didn't she?

Why was he so fucking rude about it?

Deciding she wouldn't let some nameless jerk ruin her night, she hurried to the bar, relieved to find an empty stool there.

She slid onto it and leaned over the counter,

"Harrryyy!" Maya called out, her voice sounding more like a child whining than a grown woman. The bartender whipped around, his eyes widening in recognition once he spotted her,

"I was beginning to think you left already." He chuckled as he made his way toward her.

Maya made a disgusted face, "It's not even past eleven yet."

He laughed again at that, "Yeah yeah, alright then. What'll it be?" He asked, turning towards the fridge.

"My usual," She said, humming a little tune as she drummed her fingers on the marble countertop. She briefly wondered if Gabrielle might want a drink too and decided to order for her, "And two glasses of martini."

"Coming right up, princess," He smiled at her, taking out a bottle of vodka and a glass,

She rolled her eyes at the pet name but didn't call him on it as he poured her a generous amount of vodka and handed her the cup. She threw her head back and downed the entire glass, savoring the burning sensation traveling down her throat and settling in her stomach as the alcohol warmed her system. She ordered two more glasses, to the bartender's surprise, and finished them in one gulp.

A delirious smile rose on her lips and she winked at Harry, "Now, the party's just getting started."

"You're gonna get a nasty hangover tomorrow," He told her, blue eyes twinkling in amusement.

Maya simply scoffed and jumped down from the stool. Her legs felt like jelly as she wobbled, but she managed to stand upright. She grabbed her drink off the bar counter and grinned at the cute bartender,

"I'm having fun. It's worth it," She slurred, heading towards the dance floor,

Harry shook his head fondly, "Alright then...enjoy yourself."

She gave him another grin and disappeared into the throngs of dancing adults. The DJ was playing something fast and upbeat, and she moved her waist to the music,

Maybe if she hadn't decided to close her eyes at that moment then she would've seen the three figures bounding toward the exit, but she was too busy swaying to notice. So when she bumped harshly into what she swore was a wall and toppled over, she screamed.

Her head banged against the person's nose and she heard a grunt as they landed on the floor. She groaned in pain, blinking rapidly as she looked up and finally realized what, or rather who, she'd run into.

Dark eyes.

That was the first thing she noticed about the man. He had eyes so dark, one would think they were black if you didn't look closely. His pitch-black hair was swept across his forehead but fell softly across his eyes, which looked bored despite their beauty, there was a scowl as he looked at her and she frowned at him,

If anyone was going to be angry, then it should be her! Maya had no clue where the martini glasses had gone and she was sure the refund was going to come out of her pockets. Yet, this stranger was looking at her like she was dirt on his fine clothes.

"If you're done staring at me then I suggest you get up," His voice was sensually deep, causing a flurry of butterflies to erupt in her stomach, she couldn't help but shiver under his gaze,

"You have two seconds before I push you off of me." He said again but Maya couldn't stop staring at him,

It was almost like she was hypnotized.

"One."

Wait, What?

"Two."

She barely had time to react before he pushed her away from him, sending her tumbling sideways. She quickly grabbed the collar of his shirt tightly, ignoring the curse that flew from his lips, and pulled his heavy frame with her. Maya gritted her teeth as her back connected with the hard floor,

The guy stared down at her with an annoyed expression that somehow reminded her of a cat. A really mean-looking cat that had found its prey.

Maya glared back,

"No one throws me like a sack and gets away with it, cariño," She gave him a sickeningly sweet smile before pushing him to the side.

Maya dusted herself off before standing up, and that was when she noticed two people blinking at her, surprise clear in their gazes,

Her eyes scanned them quickly, she noticed the man had an arm wrapped protectively over the woman by his side. Maya cocked a brow at the large hat on the female's head, it was practically obscuring her face but she did not comment on it.

Not that she was going to say anything, she'd not only tripped and landed on their friend but also flipped him over simply because she was too busy ogling his face that she failed to heed his warning.

"Maya!" She knew that voice and was relieved to see Micah rushing toward her, he placed a large hand over her shoulder and tucked her to his side as he spoke to the couple in front of them,

"I don't know what she did but judging by the look on your faces, I'm sure it's something bad," Maya scrunched her nose at him, wasn't he supposed to defend her?

He ignored the look on her face and continued, "I apologize on her behalf, she has had too many drinks tonight."

The couple remained silent and after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, she watched the man open his mouth when another voice interrupted.

"I believe you should be apologizing to me instead." She turned her head, Micah repeating the action as well.

Dark eyes glared at them but Maya swore his gaze was directed at her,

"Excuse me?" Micah asked politely, scanning the stranger carefully.

"Your girlfriend," He spat, pointing angrily at her, "unceremoniously threw me to the ground."

She opened her mouth to tell him that she wasn't his girlfriend but Micah was quick to speak,

"I'm really sorry. She stumbles badly whenever she's drunk."

"Then maybe she should stop drinking so much." The guy snapped back.

Micah sighed, sending her a look of disapproval and she mouthed 'what' to him when he gave her a shake of his head.

So much for being a supportive friend.

Just wait till she told Gabrielle of this, Maya mused and chuckled quietly but dark eyes seemed to have heard because his eyes flitted to her form, an eyebrow arched questioningly,

She huffed but stayed quiet as Micah's grip on her tightened. "I'm sorry, I can pay for the dry cleaning."

The man chuckled darkly and shook his head, his gaze still pinned on Maya and she shifted uncomfortably.

He wasn't going to start a fight over this, was he?

"You-" He began to say when a voice cut him off, it was softer and had a light undertone to it.

"It's okay, we are also at fault. We should've seen your girlfriend coming at us."

Maya tried to tell them for the second time that night that she wasn't his girlfriend when the other guy spoke, his blue eyes reflecting a strange emotion,

"It's fine. Mistakes happen and besides you already apologized."

Micah grinned but tossed a weary look at the scowling man behind us, "Thank you! We'll be out of your hair now."

The two nodded but dark eyes simply ignored his words. As Micah steered her away from them, Maya couldn't help but look back one last time. His gaze remained locked onto hers and she saw something in them, something...dark.

She shuddered and looked away, praying that they would never cross paths again.

Maya woke with a migraine, she groaned loudly and turned to the side. She squinted her eyes at the brightness of the light streaming through the window. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock hung at the far side of the wall.

7:15

She yawned and tried to remember her schedule for today when her eyes ran over the digits on the clock again, and then it hit her,

"Shit!" She cursed, flying from the bed and making a mad dash to the bathroom, she hadn't even walked a few feet when her legs tangled with something and she tripped on the floor, smacking her nose against the wooden planks.

"Ow..." She winced, holding her nose as she sat up slowly. She heard grumbling and her eyes fell on Gabrielle lying comfortably on the floor.

"You bitch!" Maya yelled, smacking her friend hard on the ass, "Why the fuck are you even sleeping on the floor?"

The dark-skinned girl barely registered the hit, instead muttering, "I dunno."

She rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore her, and stood on her feet. When she got to the bathroom, she made quick work of undressing and doing her morning routine.

She rushed to her wardrobe, her eyes searching frantically for something suitable to wear, glancing at the clock, a frustrated groan ripped from her lips,

7:25

"What are you doing?" Gabrielle's drowsy voice piped, standing up from the floor to plop on top of the bed.

"I have a class." She answered, her hands grabbing a mini blue floral sundress with spaghetti straps, Maya took a denim jacket as a precaution, she didn't want to violate the school's dress conduct on her first day,

"So?" Her friend drawled again and Maya gave her an incredulous look.

"It's Psychology, Gab," She groaned tiredly, "Professor Davis' course!"

"Oh?"

"And I'm late!"

"Ah!"

"Fuck you!" Maya threw a book at the girl but she simply giggled waving a hand at her,

"Relax babe, you're fretting too much."

Maya groaned again, placing a hand on her forehead. Her head was pounding like crazy, she couldn't deal with Gabrielle's antics right now. She had bigger problems to worry over,

Like how the heck she was going to drive to school when she had a nasty hangover?

Maya debated on using the bus instead and groaned at the prospect, she could feel her headache getting worse as she picked up her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Bye Gab, I'll call you later. Have a good day," Maya shot her one last smile before exiting the room and strolling directly into the kitchen.

Their apartment wasn't big but it suited both of them well, and Maya enjoyed the small space between the rooms, especially since it granted her easy access to wherever she was going.

As she opened the fridge, a loud honk pierced the air, startling her enough to make her jump and slam the door shut, earning a sharp pain in her head.

"Bitchhh! You better come out right now, we're late as hell."

She had to resist rolling her eyes, even if she badly wanted to, and grabbed an apple from the counter. Maya raced to the front door, shutting it behind her when she was out and waving at her other best friend,

Jason didn't return the action, instead narrowing his eyes at her,

"You're practically a lifesaver, you know?" She jumped into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt, "I was about to take the bus."

Jason scoffed but didn't look at her, his blue eyes focused on the rearview mirror as he backed out of their driveway,

"I knew you would likely be suffering from a shitty hangover after last night, here," He handed her a styrofoam cup and she accepted it gladly, taking a large gulp, an action she instantly regretted,

Maya's face contorted in disgust, "Eww!" She grimaced, "What is that?!" She held it out from her reach and Jason laughed.

"It's green tea," He explained patiently, "It helps with the headache." Maya wrinkled her nose but sipped it anyways. It tasted disgusting, more like lukewarm sludge than tea.

"You missed out, by the way." She told him after gulping down half the cup.

"I doubt it," His face was still turned towards the road but she could see the shit-eating grin on his face and a gasp escaped from her mouth,

"You didn't!"

His smirk widened and she slapped his arm playfully, glaring at him when he chuckled devilishly,

"I thought you said it was only a date," She mimicked his voice and he smirked,

"We weren't exactly being coy," He drawled and she shook her head,

What did she expect from him? This was Jason after all.

"At least, tell me he was a good fuck." She told him, taking a generous bite out of her apple.

She saw his cheeks coloring and almost choked on the fruit when he responded,

"Oh, he was more than good."

She sighed, suddenly feeling wistful, "Good for you, at least one of us is having their sexual fantasies fulfilled." She took an angry bite and Jason laughed,

"Oh Sweetie, I'm sure your dream guy is on his way," She huffed at that, "Maybe you aren't looking closely."

She waved his words away, "Whatever, I'm more worried about taking Professor Davis' class again."

As if a switch had been flipped, Jason's enthusiastic mood faded and his face hardened slightly,

"I still don't understand why we have to take psychology again this semester."

Maya shrugged, her fingers playing with the sleeves of her jacket, "I have a stinking feeling Davis is pulling this one so she can torture us once more."

Jason laughed at that, "Yeah, you have a point though." A groan escaped from his lips and he tightened his hold on the wheel, "I wish it wasn't a required course then I would've considered skipping her entire class."

"And show up during tests and exams only?"

"Yeah."

"You'd fail terribly."

They both chuckled at her comment, but there was also a somber tone to their laughter. Even Maya's mood began to change as they drove further downtown and she wondered, not for the first time, how they were going to survive Davis for another semester.

They arrived at the campus in a short while, the sun peeking above the horizon and illuminating its beauty. Few people were milling around outside. Maya guessed most of them had probably gone inside already, ready to get started on their classes.

Her thumb pressed the power button on her phone and the screen lit up, she scanned the time and swallowed tightly,

7:49

They had approximately two minutes before the lecture began and knowing the strict professor, she would probably be in the hall already, watching each student walk in with a haughty smile on her eagle-like face and Maya dreaded having her wrath directed towards the two of them.

"Let's go, babe." Jason gave her a quick smile before killing the engine.

"Let's go, babe." Jason gave her a quick smile before killing the engine.

She hadn't even noticed when he parked. They hurried out of the car, slammed the doors close simultaneously, and walked into the large building. The faculty of Psychology was the largest in the university, a huge white building that resembled a Greek temple, it consisted of a total of ten floors and a dome-like structure at the top which housed the professors' offices and meeting rooms. Maya had often wondered why the school spent so much money on a single building, it was only when she realized how reputed the school was for its psychology degree, that she understood.

They headed straight toward the entrance. The walk to the auditorium was short and soon, they were inside the hall. Maya frowned upon entering, she noticed two things; first, the hall wasn't packed with students, which wasn't strange at all, she wasn't the only one with a strong dislike for Davis. Speaking of the devil, she wasn't present in the hall,

Normally she would be occupying the office chair in front of the auditorium, casting everyone judgy looks as they shuffled through the hallway in search of seats, but today, it seemed like Davis had chosen to leave early. That or she didn't show up at all.

"Maybe her car broke down," Jason muttered, almost as if he was hearing her thoughts,

"Maybe." She repeated but doubted it. The professor was never late for any of her classes. There was a strong emphasis on the never,

"Let's go sit at the back, I'm afraid if she takes one look at my face, she would know I've been drinking."

Jason gave her an incredulous look but followed her, she ended up choosing the middle row and crossed her fingers that Davis wouldn't choose to patrol the hall today,

Jason took his seat next to Maya and she leaned her head onto his shoulder, her eyes scanning the crowd,

"They're less than normal." She pointed out and Jason hummed in agreement,

"Probably decided to indirectly flip the finger at Davis."

A smile pulled at her lips and she felt like shutting her eyes, Jason was right, the green tea had worked like magic. She could barely feel the pounding discomfort in her head, instead, it had dulled to a silent buzzing sound.

She'd almost closed her lids when a breathless voice called out,

"Is this seat taken?"

She felt Jason twist his head to the side and she did the same, eyeing the person who'd interrupted her rest,

Maya arched a brow when her gaze landed on the boy, he had chestnut brown hair falling messily over his forehead and piercing blue eyes. He was wearing faded blue jeans paired with a black t-shirt that looked two sizes too small, a black backpack hanging off his shoulders, and a grey beanie covering his head. His cheeks were rosy and Maya guessed he'd run all the way here,

"Of course, you can." Jason purred seductively and she turned to give him a questioning look,

'Seriously?' She mouthed.

'What? He's cute.' He mouthed back and she rolled her eyes and placed her head back on his shoulders.

From the corner of her eye, Maya watched as the blue-eyed stranger took out a laptop from his backpack and placed it on his lap. He looked over at her again and grinned before turning back to his device, a pen resting between his fingers.

She ignored his presence altogether, her eyes darting to the fall on the far corner of the room

It was exactly eight, which meant the professor was late.

Maya could already see some of the students' uneasiness as they waited, Jason had found a way to distract himself, his attention completely focused on the device in his hands and blue eyes, well he was scrolling on his laptop.

"I don't think Professor Davis' car broke down." She said loudly, gaining the attention of both boys seated by her side,

"Professor Davis?" Blue-eyes asked brows furrowing in what she suspected was confusion.

"Yeah, our psychology professor," Shd said slowly, giving the boy an incredulous look. He didn't even know the name of the professor of the course he was offering.

Students these days.

"Uh, No." The boy said, turning his laptop in her direction. "Our Professor is Doctor Grey," He pointed to the computer screen.

Maya's head shot up instantly and she grabbed the laptop from the boy's grasp, her eyes widening in shock when she saw that he was indeed saying the truth.

"Well, shit." She heard Jason mutter over her shoulder.

"Didn't you read the overview sent to you?" The boy asked curiously and she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.

The truth was, she didn't. Maya had assumed that it would be the same thing Davis sent to them last year and completely ignored it. It seemed she wasn't the only one, Jason had a regretful look on his face as well.

However, blue-eyes simply smiled at us, "Don't worry, there's really nothing to it. Just a brief description of who the professor is and what to expect in his class."

Jason grabbed the laptop from her, his eyes hastily scanning over the screen and he read aloud, "Doctor Alexander Grey, department of psychology, has a Ph.D. in clinical and Biopsychology." He let out a low whistle at that and even Maya raised an eyebrow,

He must be a fucking genius to have pursued courses that difficult, She theorized.

"Extremely thorough in his duties and research, previously taught at Stanford University and was recently offered a spot in UMass Amherst," Jason's eyes grew bigger and she tried to see what it was about, " You won't believe it but he's only thirty-three years."

"That's a lot of achievement for someone that young." Maya pointed out and both boys nodded in agreement.

"This only means one thing, though..." Jason said as he handed the laptop back to blue-eyes.

"What's that?" Blue-eyes asked.

"We're stuck with a grumpy bachelor for the rest of this semester."

She and blue-eyes chuckled and she eyed him curiously,

"Well, better he than Davis am I right?" He said, a small smile still on his lips.

Jason simply shrugged, "We'll see. I hope he's an eye candy, I'd hate to be stuck with someone boring."

"You took psychology in second year too?" Maya butted in, disregarding Jason's offended look.

Blue-eyes nodded smiling but she could tell it wasn't genuine this time, "You don't know me?"

She shook her head and his lips pulled into a frown.

"I'm Derek. Derek Chadwick."

She pretended to think about the name, it sounded familiar but she couldn't quite put a finger on it.

"It's fine," He said quickly when he noticed her hesitation, "You were never the type to pay attention to people anyways."

She winced at the statement and offered him an apologetic look, "I'm Maya." She said instead and he nodded,

"I know."

She couldn't help but feel like she'd disappointed him somewhat and the look on Jason's face wasn't helping either. So she took out her phone and began to scroll through her social media accounts, looking for something to distract herself from whatever awkward moment she'd caused for the pair sitting next to her.

About fifteen or so minutes passed and Doctor Grey was still absent, by this time, a few people had already begun to leave the hall while the others who stayed behind, were talking amongst themselves, some had plugged in their earphones and were bobbing their heads lightly, others were walking around aimlessly. Maya could practically feel the tension rising as the time ticked by.