CHAPTER-5
975 Words
The White Coat
Wednesday, 7:42 A.M.
For the first time in history...
Ara Mitchell was early.
She stood outside the Biomedical Sciences Building with a coffee in one hand and her phone in the other, staring suspiciously at the entrance.
Mia arrived moments later and stopped in front of her.
"... Who are you?"
Ara looked up.
"What?"
"You've never been early."
"I know."
"I'm concerned."
"I'm experimenting."
Mia narrowed her eyes.
"With?"
"Punctuality."
"I don't like this version of you."
Ara laughed.
"Relax. It'll probably pass."
Just then, Noah and Logan joined them.
Logan glanced at his watch.
"Seven forty-three."
He looked at Ara.
"Did the Earth change direction overnight?"
"I resent that."
"You should."
Noah pointed toward the science building.
"So... are we here because you suddenly love molecular biology?"
Ara took another sip of coffee.
"No."
"Then?"
"I refuse to let Dr. Sterling win."
Mia sighed.
"You know this isn't a competition."
Ara smiled.
"He doesn't."
Inside Room B-204, students slowly settled into their seats.
Ryan was already complaining.
"If I survive this semester, I deserve an honorary degree."
Ethan continued reading without looking up.
"You've survived three lectures."
"They've been emotionally exhausting."
The classroom door opened.
Dr. Nicholas Sterling entered exactly at eight.
This time, no one was surprised by the silence that followed him.
He placed a slim folder on the desk and looked around the room.
"Good morning."
The class responded together.
"Good morning, Professor."
Ryan whispered,
"I think we're being trained."
Noah muttered,
"Like laboratory mice."
Ara heard him and smirked.
Nicholas picked up a marker instead of chalk.
"Today's lecture has changed."
Thirty-eight confused faces looked back at him.
"We'll be using Laboratory Three."
A quiet wave of excitement moved through the room.
"The laboratory?"
Ryan whispered.
"Finally!"
"I was beginning to think we'd only ever see equations."
Nicholas closed the folder.
"Bring your notebooks."
"And leave unnecessary conversations outside."
The biomedical laboratory was unlike any room Ara had ever entered.
Bright white walls reflected the morning light pouring through tall windows.
Rows of spotless workstations stretched across the room.
Microscopes stood perfectly aligned.
Glass cabinets displayed scientific models, preserved specimens, and carefully labeled equipment.
Everything looked...
Expensive.
Ryan leaned toward Ethan.
"If I break something..."
"You'll cry."
"I was going to say I'll sell my kidney."
"That too."
Laughter rippled quietly through the group.
Nicholas stood at the front, now wearing a white laboratory coat over his suit.
For a brief moment, even Ara forgot to blink.
He looked less like a lecturer...
And more like the scientist everyone had been talking about.
Noah whispered,
"Now I understand why everyone's obsessed with his research."
Ara nudged him with her elbow.
"Focus."
"I'm trying."
Nicholas adjusted a pair of protective glasses.
"Today, you'll learn one rule before touching any equipment."
He paused.
"Science rewards curiosity."
Another pause.
"But punishes carelessness."
His voice echoed through the laboratory.
"This room is built on precision."
"One careless mistake can ruin weeks of work."
The students listened carefully.
Even Ryan looked serious.
Nicholas divided the class into pairs.
Immediately, chaos erupted.
"I call Ethan!"
"No, I was here first!"
"I refuse to work with Ryan."
"That's fair."
Ara folded her arms.
"So..."
"Who's unlucky enough to get me?"
Nicholas glanced at the list in his hand.
"Ara Mitchell."
She looked up.
"You'll work alone."
The laboratory became silent.
Ryan whispered,
"She's definitely in trouble."
Ara raised an eyebrow.
"Working alone?"
Nicholas met her gaze.
"I prefer to evaluate your abilities without distractions."
For a second, she wasn't sure whether it was a compliment...
Or another challenge.
She simply nodded.
"Fine."
The practical session began.
Students carefully adjusted microscopes.
Some immediately forgot the instructions.
Ryan somehow managed to wear one glove inside out.
"I didn't even know that was possible," Ethan muttered.
Ara laughed quietly.
Across the room, Nicholas moved from bench to bench, correcting techniques with calm precision.
He never raised his voice.
He never embarrassed anyone.
He simply explained, demonstrated, and moved on.
When he reached Ara's workstation, he noticed she had arranged every instrument exactly as instructed.
"You followed the protocol."
She didn't look up.
"I do read instructions."
"When I feel like it."
A faint pause.
"Interesting."
It was only one word.
But it was the first time Nicholas had responded with something other than a rule.
Ara couldn't help smiling.
By the end of the session, students packed away their equipment.
Ryan stretched dramatically.
"I survived."
Noah looked at him.
"You observed onion cells."
"It was emotionally demanding."
As everyone laughed, Nicholas made one final announcement.
"Next Friday, the department will host its annual Science Exhibition."
A projector lit up behind him, displaying a poster.
"Attendance is optional."
Ryan whispered,
"Great."
Nicholas continued.
"Participation is not."
The classroom groaned in unison.
"You'll work in teams to design a scientific presentation or experiment. The best project will represent Blackwood University at the National Undergraduate Research Summit."
Suddenly, the mood changed.
This wasn't just another assignment.
It was a competition.
Ara exchanged a quick glance with Mia.
Noah rubbed his hands together.
Logan smiled.
Ryan looked horrified.
"Oh no."
Nicholas closed the projector.
"You'll receive your team assignments tomorrow."
He looked around the room one last time.
"Class dismissed."
As students poured into the corridor, conversations exploded.
"What are you building?"
"I hope we don't get stuck with Ryan."
"I heard the winners get internships."
Ara walked beside Mia, already thinking ahead.
She didn't notice Nicholas watching the class leave—not with suspicion, not with admiration, but as a professor quietly observing a room full of different personalities.
Some students followed instructions.
Some questioned them.
And a few...
Might surprise him.
The semester had only just begun.
Yet the first challenge outside the classroom was already waiting.
And for the first time...
Everyone at Blackwood wanted to win.
- Writer
