Complete Me

Chapter 9

     ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

                                                                                    Copyright © 2021 Cassey9

RAIN

The slides progress fast as the professor explains each and every point at a time. The only sound apart from her voice is the rapid typing and shuffling of pages. I stretch my fingers which are cramped from all the keying and taking side notes. Today, our lecture was going at a faster pace than normal.

Vanessa pats my feet with drawing my attention to her. Her face is flushed with frustration, in a low voice she grumbles that everything was going too fast, my eyes wander to her own screen and see she has managed to only capture half a paragraph of everything since we started. She looks at my notebook and the one and a quarter page word document, “How can you get her?”

“Pay attention and maybe you’ll get something Van,” I reply getting back to my own work.

“Can you not be a b***h for a second… you are starting to sound like…” she gestures to the podium where Prof. Lakewood continued with our lesson. “Let me copy from you.”

“No. Stop bothering me,” I reply in a low voice my attention wavering between her and my projector, “Instead of whining why don’t copy your own notes for a change. You lazy piece of…”

Before I can utter the rest of the slur a sharp blow pummels my forearm and I let out a loud squeal due to the pain and the shock that sprang from the spot. Everything stops, all eyes in the hall on me. It was like a focus light shining on me. Vanessa excluded.

“Do you have a problem Ms. Stourton?” the voice cuts through the air like an arrow headed straight for the bull eyes. Her angry eyes make me gulp silently and push against the seat wishing to disappear.

“Um…No Prof. Lake…”

“Both of you pack your materials and leave!” my heart drops to my stomach and sickening feeling washes over me, “Your friend too.”

“I’m sorry Prof. Lakewood. It won’t happen again,” I implode trying to hold contact but falter. The stark storm swirling in her eyes was blinding. I register the low murmurs of protests around the classroom. “Please. Forgive us professor.”

“No! Leave my class!” she wasn’t budging from her stand that was obvious and the class wouldn’t continue until Van and I left, “If anyone else has a problem with that, you can follow them out. No is chained to their desks,” she says addressing the rest of the class.

“If you leave. Don’t come back,” the threat a reality, hangs around the room like a dark cloud. The dissent dies down replaced by shuffling of feet but no one moves to get up. I look towards Prof. Lakewood and she’s red with fury, deciding not to dig my grave further I quickly place everything in my backpack. My things in place, I walk down room heading for the door Vanessa behind me.

I smile in apology hopeful that she’d take it as a white flag. Vanessa and I walk side by side in silence opting to take the stairwell down the building. Pulling my phone out of the pocket of my sweater I look at the time. It was 11:05 Am, an hour and twenty five minutes before Prof. Lakewood’s before it ends. That was way too much time to lose out on her lesson.

“God…that was heated,” Vanessa comments, “What crawled up her ass today.”

“Can you stop! Please. You were a b***h. We were. Not her Van,” I yell exasperated stomping my food against the floor. “We interrupted her current lecture and it was well within Prof. Lakewood’s rights to send us away Vanessa!” I was livid. Since starting my schooling I had never been sent out of class for misbehavior. Now this.

“Come. Loosen up Rain! Prof. Lakewood could have let it slide…her reaction was uncalled-for. You’d think we had murdered her pet.”

“You did kill my good record…this is my first time being…God how embarrassing!”

“You’re embarrassed? I’m relieved she was going too fast,” Vanessa says, “It’s like we were keeping her from going somewhere. Skimming through her slides.”

“What if she bans us from ever returning to her class! You know what that means for us Van?”

“Relax…Prof. Lakewood never said that Rain.”

“You don’t know that…Thanks! Thanks very much Vanessa. Now I…”

“Neither do you. Jeez stop making a mountain out of a mole hill. Trust me by tomorrow she’d have forgotten about us. So chill,” she assures patting my pack.

“Trust you? Look where that got me Van,” I joke glaring at her.

“Low blow Rain. But since I’m in the spirit of forgiving I’ll let it slide.”

“I’d prefer you be in the spirit of shutting your mouth maybe we wouldn’t be here.”

“You shut the f**k up!” Vanessa says walking ahead of me. We had reached the bottom of the stairs. The canteen was lightly occupied by a few students, “Let’s have something. My treat.” Vanessa drags me to an open table, “Your usual tea?”

I nod my head getting comfortable as she walks en route for the counter.  I pull my phone out, our friends had texted us, most of the messages consist of fire and laughing emoji. Our predicament was something they found hilarious. I reply and pocket my phone when Vanessa approaches the table with a tray with drinks and our snacks

“Bought your favorite, a chocolate Tres leche cake,”

“Thanks Vanessa.”

“Afterwards we can head to the entertainment hall, had they were practicing some spoken word peace and dance too. Let’s go check them out,” Vanessa says perching down in front of me, “I’m sorry Rain. For this.”

“It’s okay. At least you are fending off my hunger.”

                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~

Van pulls out a dandelion from the side walk, were seated on one of the stone slabs chairs with fifteen minutes left to go to our evening class; Introduction to public relations, “Close your eyes and make a wish.”

“I don’t think the world works that way Van,” I smile and still take the stem. Admiring the flower looking so frail between my fingers. How could something so fragile make a wish come true? I feel bad for it, blowing it spores would ruin its beauty. What a waste, Vanessa should have left it on the ground to grow.

“Not with attitude it won’t Rain,” Van insist smiling animatedly, “Why are you so hesitant. You love this corny shit.”

“Just do it!” Her feet bobbing up and down sharply draws my attention from the spores.

“What are you doing?”

“Waiting for you to make that damn wish,” she insists, “Come on do it before I pee myself Rain.”

“Seriously. I know you don’t believe in this Van anymore and I’m the corny one of the two of us,” I reply laughing, “besides I haven’t chained you to the ground. You are free to go to the toilet.”

“Way to quote that woman,” she mutters under her breath.

“It was a funny statement,” chuckling I shoo her away with my hand, “I give you permission to go to the toilet.”

“Not until you make a wish. You secretly enjoy doing this,” she insists, “Plus if I pee myself it will be on you.”

Laughing I close my eyes and take a deep breath, picturing what I wanted to come true. Opening up I lightly blow on the flower and watch the spores fly upwards. They look magnificent flowing upwards.

“Was it so hard,” She says grins, “You even look happier…younger.”

“Okay. Okay, you can go ahead. No need to pee your pants.”

I get up and stretch. Clutching my jacket I pull it on. Bella and Leon were waiting for us, it was a common unit that we had opted out of in our second year. The lecturer had been an uptight prick and kept shutting down the interview ideas we came up with in our group. Since the lecturers rotated each year, we dropped the unit to cover it later.

“Rain!” Looking up I have less time to prepare the tiny frame racing towards me. I effortlessly bend down and clutch him effortlessly. Killan’s arms wrap around my neck embracing me tightly. We twirl for a while my mind comes up to pace with the one am holding in my arms. It felt so surreal.

“Rain!” Nillan soon joins and grabs onto my leg. An unexpected greeting from him.

“Hey buddy,” I say breathlessly holding Killan tight my free hand ruffles Nillan’s head in greeting.

“What are you guys doing here?” I ask bending down to be on eye level, “Where is your mommy?”

“We are going home,” Nillan says embracing me too, “Mommy’s back there. We ran away from her when Killan saw you.”

My eyes leave the twins and look up to meet the wrathful stature walking towards us. I gulp nervously and stand up holding each of them close.

“Boys! What did I say about running off on your own,” Prof. Lakewood admonishes when she reaches the three of us. She doesn’t acknowledge me as she takes Nillan from me. “You could have fallen down and hut yourself badly. Don’t do that again.”

“Sorry Mommy,” Killan says smiling, “I just saw Rain and I wanted to say hi to her. I missed her mommy.”

“Me too. I wanted to say hi to Rain.”

The wariness that holds me captive is replaced by a warm smile, “Aw I missed you guys too. Hello Prof. Lakewood.”

“Ms. Stourton…”

“Rain can you take us home. Please,” Killan says pleadingly looking up at me, “Your car is really cool. Can we? Can we go with you? Can we?”

“Um…”

“I hate riding the taxis. They smell…Please Rain,” I stare at him pouting and pulling his lip forward pulling me forward.

“Killan sweetie, Ms. Stourton is a little busy. Maybe another day…”

“Yes Killan. Tomorrow, when you come I’ll take you for a long ride,” I say imitating a fast zooming car, “I’ll even bring my Lightning McQueen car.”

“You have one,” Nillan asks surprised and I nod in reply, “No way.”

“I do Nillan. But I’ll show you guys next time,” I smile kneeling down to face them, “Now give me hug will you? Oh god missed you.”

A cough makes me pull away from the boys. Prof. Lakewood gazes down at me impatiently, her body language speaking of how much I was eating into her time, “Now be good to mommy okay. And don’t ran off. Okay?”

“Yes,” Killan accepts simultaneously, I glance at Nillan and he nods in agreement too.

“Promise,” I say extending my pink which we bind on. “Bye guys.”

“Wait?” Killan says as when I start to walk away. My heart clenches at the thought of saying goodbye, I want to ditch my class and probably beg Prof. Lakewood to let me drive her and the boys home.  My eyes flicker to Vanessa who was heading our way engrossed in her phone. She had not spotted us yet.

“Killan?”

“Do you promise to drive us in your Lightning McQueen car?” he says extending his small pinky at me.

Binding our fingers together I look him in the eyes, “I promise Killan.”

“Bye then. See you tomorrow Rain,” he says skipping ahead. Nillan starts to walk away too.

“Have a great evening Prof. Lakewood,” I wave at her. This was my approach extending an olive branch which is bluntly rejected. She ignores my words and walks behind her sons. Taking hold of their hands. I watch them walk away until Vanessa reaches me, “Come on lets go, Mr. Maragiew’s class is about to start.”

“I think my wish just came true.”

“Huh?” Vanessa shrugs uninterested.

“It just did.”

“Well good for you Rain. Good for you.