Page 4 of His Dark Vices

The kids around me start to gather their things as the lecture comes to a close, and over the noise, the professor calls, "Stay behind, Mr. Green. I'd like to have a word with you."

I slouch in my seat and clench my jaw. I'm sure I know what he wants to talk about. But before that, I pull out my phone and look for the picture I took of that girl and me when we were last together. She was naked and lying on her stomach, looking back at me over her shoulder. I crack a grin and send her the photo, captioned, "Remember this?"

"Mr. Green, over here, please."

I sigh as I stand up and head over to the professor's desk at the head of the lecture hall. He's an older black man with a round stomach. There's nothing about him that's too annoying, just that he takes his job too seriously and wastes my time with these little pep talks he likes to drag me into.

"Feeling confident about the exam, I take it?" he starts.

"I'm not worried about it, no."

"I don't deny you do well on the assignments, but you should take the lectures more seriously. You're a scholarship student, aren't you?"

I bristle at the mention. "My scholarship isn't in jeopardy," I reply shortly.

"Yes. But if you keep slacking off during my lectures, it will be."

"If I have any questions about the lecture, I'll be sure to let you know," I say, trying to cut this conversation short.

"And if you lose your scholarship because you can't be bothered to focus in class, what will your parents say?"

I stiffen. I want to tell him that my parents are dead, but that's just wishful thinking. They're very much alive, even if they're in prison. They have been for years. But I don't need him asking questions or pitying me.

"Maybe I can't get you to worry about your grades, but at least refrain from distracting the other students," Professor Perry continues.

"I will," I promise flatly. And I'm serious.

Can't be a nuisance to others if I'm not even in class.

He continues on for a while, talking my ear off, and by the time I leave the lecture hall, I'm annoyed. My phone is blowing up, but it's probably just the girl from class, either bitching me out for sending that picture or trying to set up a time and place to meet.

Either way, I'm not interested.

I ignore the buzzing phone and try to figure out what to do next. Class just got out for the morning, so in about two hours, I've got my first part-time job. The professor pissed me off, but maybe I was too hungry in the first place. Now that I think about it, I haven't eaten. Better take care of that while I have nothing better to do.

There are countless places to eat on campus, but I'm not feeling particular and would rather eat and ditch my bad mood as soon as possible. So I head over to the common cafeteria. It's bustling when I get there, and practically all the food is gone, save for a single muffin. The place is self-serve. Kids just walk right up to the merchandise—coffee and tea, baked goods, chilled drinks, whatever—and take their items to a checkout point, so I do the same, gunning for the muffin. I didn't feel how hungry I was until I saw it. As soon as I reach for it, though, my hand collides with a slender hand that beats me there.

"Excuse me!" the girl cries out, snatching her hand back.

I look her over from head to toe, letting her feel my gaze on every inch of her body. Now I'm hungry for something else.

She's a real cutie, a mixed girl with soft-looking light brown skin and a head of reddish brown curls messily piled into a bun on the top of her head. Her wide hazel eyes look up at meapologetically but soon cloud over once she notices me ogling her. I don't stop, either.

"Ahem." She clears her throat pointedly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to?—"

"That was my muffin, you know." I quickly grab it, then toss it in the air, leaning closer to her. I easily tower over her curvy frame. The girl has wide hips, and I bet she's hiding a plump ass.

"Your—" She closes her eyes and doesn't finish. She shakes her head and gestures for me to have it. "By all means."

"Did you want it? I can let you have it."

"No, that's okay." She brushes me off, looking over the other offerings.

"There's nothing else left, just this muffin. Unless you're on a liquid diet."

Perfectly timed, we both hear her stomach growl loudly. Her eyes widen again, this time in embarrassment, and she covers up her stomach. I raise my eyebrows at her.

"Sounds like you'd really like this muffin. I'll let you have it." I tilt it to her, and she eyes me warily.

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