Page 28 of Distortion
‘But I look okay?’ I say, changing tack.
‘More than okay, babe,’ she says with a smile.
‘Good.’
She fusses with my shirt a little and I let her, feeling less uncomfortable than when she got a little too tactile last time.
‘Bring your work clothes with you later and you can change in the back at Grinder.’
I copy the thumbs-up she gave me, and she grins.
We walk back to campus together, and I see that it’s only a few minutes until my class. When I check the paperwork, it looks like it’s in the falling-down building from yesterday, so I leave Lu at the coffee shop and make my way to the right place. I locate the room easily and find that my first ever class as a college student is in a lecture hall, just like in the movies.
With an excited smile, I sit about halfway down one of the rows and watch the room slowly fill up. The lights dim and the professor comes to stand at the front. He says his name and begins talking. I glance around and frown. Everyone has a laptop. I look down at my tiny and very empty desk.
I don’t have anything. I didn’t even think to bring a pen. I make a tiny noise of distress as I internally berate myself for my stupidity, and glance around me as if paper and something to write with will magically appear.
‘Forget your laptop?’
I turn my head to find a girl behind me.
I nod. ‘Yeah, totally slipped my mind.’
‘I’ve done that before,’ she commiserates. ‘Want some paper?’
‘Yes, please,’ I answer.
She hands a lined notebook and a pen and I smile my thanks. I begin taking notes from the screen at the front and try to figure out what the professor is talking about. But all I can really gather is that there was a pilgrimage a long time ago, and this guy wrote about it.
Two hours later when the lights come on and everyone begins to file out, I realize that I have no idea what this class is about. I didn’t understand what the professor was talking about, and when the person next to me let me look at their copy ofTheCanterbury Tales, I could barely understand what was written. When I said as much to them, they gave me a funny look, told me that it was Middle English, and said that surely someone with my accent should know that.
Guess they picked up on the Britishness.
I leave the lecture hall with the piece of paper that I ripped out of the notebook that was lent to me, feeling dazed and wondering why John enrolled me in English Lit when I know almost nothing about it. The very few classes I did on this subject at The Heath weren’t very interesting, and I found quickly that my aptitudes lay elsewhere. I thought it would be fine, that I’d be able to pick it up if I had to, but it might be more difficult than I thought. I’ll have to try harder. I can’t fail.
I walk slowly from the building, deep in thought.
‘You were supposed to wait for me,’ a voice nearby snarls.
Startled, I look up to find Mav staring down at me. He’s even taller than I remember, I think, as my eyes follow his body up and up to his face.
I count five seconds of eye contact before I move them away again.
I vaguely notice a couple of other guys that I don’t recognize with him, but I don’t look at them properly. I know I’m at the center of their attention, which makes me feel uncomfortable, so I try to ignore them.
‘I was meeting a friend before class,’ I explain, canting my head. ‘I thought you’d be happy you didn’t need to ...babysit.’
He moves closer, looming over me and making me feel even tinier. I take a step back, and he follows, stalking me to the edge to the path.
‘Were you eavesdropping last night, sweetheart?’
His voice is low. Dangerous.
I shake my head, wondering what he’s talking about.
‘If you were, you’ll be sorry.’
‘I wasn’t,’ I say, looking up at him with wide eyes. ‘I just meant that you don’t need to worry about me getting places.’ I pull my map out of my pocket. ‘See?’
