Clarity

Have you ever had one of those days? One of those day's where something feels different than it did the other days, but you're not sure why? One of those days—when you feel anticipation, but there's nothing to anticipate? That was the kind of day I, Lily McBeth, was having when I pulled up to the grand building of Manchester University and parked my car in its usual place, with a loud pop from the back as I turned it off. Never did a day go by when I wasn't amazed by the splendor of the old fashion; castle like appearance of the structure. The first day I arrived here it took my breath away that such a building could withhold so much knowledge, and nearly half the amount of souls that lived in my origin city Doncaster. Yet, even with the familiar appearance of the building, something felt different. Maybe it was because of the unnatural weather we were having today, not to hot not to cold, which was odd late August. I decided to take it in stride though, because I needed an excuse to wear my band t-shirts a bit longer. Grabbing my bag, I kicked the car door open and jumped out; prior to shutting the door without locking it, because no one in their right mind would steal a trash can like this, and if they did it would be a blessing. Brushing a hand through my hair to fix it, I started the brief walk across the lot towards the University entrance. I hadn't chosen much to study this year as opposed to last year, just the necessities to complete my degree. I wanted to be a drama instructor. Figured it was a better fit for me then a stuffy office, and my last name was suitable for it. I think. "Hey McBeth!" An all too familiar voice then called out, and I glanced over my shoulder to see my friend Carson running across the lot to catch up with the likes of me. "Hey Car." I called back, as I pulled the bloke's head into headlock once he got close enough, and playfully he gave into it.   "Let go you twit." Carson grumbled, in pretend irritation before pulling away from me effortlessly, and kicking me in the bum. A move that earned the tosser a light punch in the gut. Carson and I had been best friends since primary school, so we had no issue rough housing with each other. Unlike our teachers who often had to separate us in class. Carson and I tend to bring out each other’s troublemaker sides and usually that ended up inconveniencing someone. Fortunately, we were able to dial it back in our college classes, but even then, we’ve both had a few incidents with professors. "I heard we have a new victim today." Carson commented as we shoved each other back and forth while walking through the glass doors of the University. "We?" I asked, getting a slight nod from Carson as we made our way into the crowded hallway. The ivory white, flawlessly polished halls of the University here were always packed with uni students, both leaving classes and arriving for them. Some people would stop in clusters on the sides of the hall to chat, which was irritating, because it made it harder to walk. That wasn’t what made me roll my eyes though. It was witnessing every lass in the blinding hallway turning their heads to check out Carson, then giggling when he acknowledged them with a wink or a mischievous smile. Predictable coming from a grade A playboy. "Some girls are so Catty." I muttered under my breath, and Carson nodded in agreement as we made our way towards our Theater History class. It was hard to blame them though. Between his good looks, charm, and brains Carson was a total package. Unlike me he was exceptionally smart, despite his player qualities, and studying to be a programmer. He decided to take the Theater History class with me though, so he could get a break from his strenuous technology classes and learn something new. He also worked with the school newspaper to be in the same vicinity as the good lookers. Or so he says. Sometimes it was difficult to search out Carson's real motives when he does something odd, like join clubs and classes he has no interest in. "Hi Ms. Stenson!" Carson called out when we brushed by a rather attractive young Professor, and she directed her attention to us for a moment to wave at him. "Hello Mr. Dale." She said, only turning to us for a moment before looking away. "I'm the only student she likes. As many of the professors do." He informed, a sense of pride in his tone, and I made sure to emphasize my eye roll as I gave him a sarcastic smile. I always found it funny how Carson would kiss up to the young teachers but hated the elders. I bet I could guess why she fancied him. I wouldn’t dare say though in the hall where someone could overhear. "What? You don't believe me?" He asked, pouting a bit as he began to walk in a circle around me, and I stopped walking. "Oh, I believe you Carson. Believe me." I assured, trying to trip him but he hopped over my foot. "You shouldn't let any of their favoritism go to your head, they only like you because you’re giving them something they need." Our friend Shailene called out as she then joined our trio and we continued walking again. Shailene was another friend I’ve had since primary and I enjoyed her company because unlike many other people I used to go to school with she was relatively peaceful, nice to nearly everyone, and was good at giving advice. At the moment she was studying to be a counselor, a career that was inspired by her mother and Doctor Phil. "Perhaps, but favoritism is favoritism. If you give the ladies what they want, they love you." Carson remarked smugly with a smirk. "Just make sure you wrap what they want and to give them the number of a licenses therapist." She teased, making Carson glare as I snickered.  Carson wasn't the type to settle down, and that led to much heartbreak. Tragedies I had to hear about from complete strangers or him, himself. "What are you inferring?" Carson inquired, and Shailene shared a playful smile with me. "That you'd be a terrible father Carson Dale, and lack interest in commitment so try to be a bit more chase," She said, making Carson groan louder. "Not this argument ag-" He started, but I interrupted the brewing quarrel with a cough. "Carson, what were you saying earlier about a new victim, and such?" I asked in hopes of changing the subject. "Didn't you hear?" He asked, quickly catching my full attention. By the tone he used I could tell this was going to be good. "If it's one of your affair stories, then yes we've heard," I said, to which he responded by sticking out his tongue. “Oh, come now Carson don't disrespect a lady by poking your tongue out at her." Shailene tisked, and he shook his head with a dramatic breath. "Well look what we have here, the sassy lassie's," He said in a chaff tone, making the two of us giggle. Back in our younger school years we both got dubbed with the name Sassy Lassie's, because we didn't hesitate to banter with our friends; or defend ourselves when it came down to it verbally. "Thank you for the recognition, now tell us the news," I said in a sweet, almost mocking tone, and Carson licked his lips. "You know Mrs. Jenkins?" He asked, naming our Theater History Professor, as the three of us stopped outside her classroom, and moved to the side. "Yes of course I do," I said. "She quit! She said us youth got on her last nerve and were driving her insane! I'm not sure if she retired though, I'm just repeating what I heard." He informed with too much enthusiasm, and I looked between them both before bursting into a fit of laughter. "Seriously? This History Professor?" I asked, pointing to the classroom. "Yup." Carson confirmed, and Shailene immediately gave him hawk eyes. "You both better give the new Professor an easy time, because I know you two are already plotting to drive this one off the deep end." She warned, and Carson held up his hands in protest. "Whoa Shai, what makes you think we're going to give this one a hard time?" He asked, and I looked down to hide my smile. Carson was famous for driving teachers crazy, and I was known for being a class clown. Together we both were a recipe for disaster. Though, if I'm being honest, it was usually Carson who got me in trouble. "I just do." She simply replied, checking the clock in the hallway. "As far as Carson goes, I think your right, but don't place any bets on me," I said, looking up, and Shailene shook her head as she hugged me goodbye. "Be good, I'll see you later," She said and when Carson held his arms open for a hug, she stuck her tongue out at him, before walking away. "That daft." Carson muttered under his breath, and I shook my head at him as I adjusted the pack on my shoulders. "Guess we better get in." I suggested, and Carson nodded running a hand through his hair. "Wouldn't want to disappoint the new Professor by being late," He said in a posh voice, making me laugh as he held open the heavy classroom door for me. "This should be fun." I responded, stepping inside the buzzing room with Carson at my heels. The number of students in this class were small compared to my other classes, so I found this a bit more of a stress reliever. Overall there were about ninety boys, and girls. Mostly girls. When I walked in, I made sure to keep my posture straight, and head held high because I was expecting to see the Professor at first glance, but we were both quietly disappointed to see no instructor. Just students. "No Professor yet?" I asked, glancing over at the nearest lad I knew, Marcus, and moistened my dry lips with my tongue. I had to write a reminder on my arm to buy chapstick. "Nope, it seems the new Professor is running late." He snickered, bunching up a piece of lined paper, and throwing it at Carson who threw it back playfully. "Too bad, I was in the mood to see a new face today." Carson tisked and I nodded as I allowed my eyes to briefly scan the Professors desk. It was a nice desk. Didn’t suit the sort of character Mrs. Jenkins was. I couldn't help, but then feel a bit excited to see this new Professor. Hopefully they would laugh at my jokes the way Mrs. Jenkins never did. She was a mean old Professor, with no sense of humor. Also, it was uncommon for Professors to quit, and to be replaced so fast; so, this person had to be good. Sighing, I elbowed Carson in the side, then walked through the frenzy of desks to get to my seat in the center of the room. I liked to witness all the action. After I took a seat, Carson sat next to me and we quietly observed the classroom. All around us, a few students here and there conversed but for the most part everyone was quiet and eagerly waiting to leave for the day. If this new professor didn’t show up soon, I was going to leave. Then, just as the clock struck a minute past the class’ start time, the door swung open and a young man with a suitcase in hang walked in. Bummer for the boys. "Good afternoon class." A deep, raspy voice called out, and a few people responded with murmurs of 'good afternoon'. I kept my lips sealed though and leaned back in my desk as an unsettling silence filled the room. He had a strong, intriguing presences, and I think that surprised us all. After he had given us his greeting, he shut the classroom door, walked over to his desk and placed his suitcase on it with a thud. The whole class remained silent, which was a bit odd, and he began to unpack a few things while we all watched him. I think he was whistling the theme song of a tv show. The whole time he kept his eyes on the ground as he opened and closed the draws of the desk. Placing various items in and taking some out. At some point of him doing this I shared a glance with Carson, and he shrugged as he pressed his lips together into a mischievous smile. After a few more awkward, silent moments, the male then sighed and stood up straight before looking directly at the class with a smile. "How is everyone today?" He asked, and from the corner of my eye I saw a few girls gawking once they got a good look at him. I couldn't lie. Even though I was completely against swooning over teachers, this guy was surprisingly attractive. He wasn't like abnormally attractive though. He was a cute fellow with his messy dirty blonde hair, observant green eyes, plump lips that were obviously gnawed at, and a decently structured body build that made mine look a bit pathetic. Very well, perhaps he was hotter than cute. Not that I was checking him out. Just observing. On second thought he wasn't that good looking. Those girls were probably only gawking because he was a young male and they were dehydrated. "Fine sir, just fine." One of the girls purred, and Carson choked as the older lad smiled. "Well that's good." He remarked as he began to gaze over each, and every individual person seated in this room, his eyes bearing an empty expression. Yet, once his gaze fell on me, I couldn't help but notice it lingered a little longer than necessary, and his eyes flickered with a peculiar seeming emotion. An observation that made me shift uneasily in my seat as our eyes locked briefly, and immediately I got the impression he wasn't one to mess with. Just his presences alone had begun to make my heartbeat speed up, and stomach tighten as if I had already pushed boundaries. I wonder if it was the sharp jawline making me nervous, or those knowing eyes. Yet, I knew in the long run I'd figure him out before the end of the week, because I'm just that sort of person. "I'm your new Professor Mr. Knight," He finally said, finally pulling his eyes away to my relief as he extracted a pile of worksheets from his suitcase. While he did this, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Hi Mr. Knight!" Another one of his swooners called out, and he gave her a polite smile that didn't seem as real as it could've been. "I presume you all will behave," He said, completely unaware everyone's current good behavior was a temporary thing. Poor guy, I'm not sure how other classes went for him, but I knew this one wouldn't be as pleasant. I then cleared my throat deciding to speak up, just to voice a friendly warning. "Would you like me to dig your grave now? Because you're going to need it." My tone was carefree, and obnoxiously loud. Immediately his new fan club shot me a death glare upon hearing my cheeky voice. He then looked up with a surprised look in his green eyes. "Excuse me?" He said the lighthearted, professional tone instantly gone, replaced with a stern one. At that I should've just shut my mouth, but I decided to fire back a remark, because I felt insulted, he'd use such a tone with me. Especially when I was kidding, a fact that should’ve been obvious to the naked eye.  "You're excused." I said in my saucy way, prior to giving him a small smile. All the while Carson tried to contain boiling laughter by gripping the sides of the desk. I wasn't aware I was being funny. Then again Carson laughed at the stupidest things. I was surprised how immediate the Professor's vexed reaction was. Usually my instructors would laugh comments like that off and move on. Sometimes even give a cheeky response back to make everyone laugh. I didn't even mean to come off rude at first or insult him; it was just a playful warning. Mr. Knight then nodded as he leaned back against his desk and folded his arms. Man, he must be warm with sleeves like that. Who wears a lounge suit in August anyways?  "What's your name?" He asked, making it clear he expected an answer. "Lily McBeth." I replied, and he nodded as he stood up straight. "And tell me Ms. McBeth do we have a problem?" He asked, and half the class shifted in their seats to look between the two of us. "Time will tell," I said nonchalantly, and he narrowed his eyes at me before turning away to grab the worksheets. Was this guy for real? We didn't have a problem five minutes ago, until he decided to take my friendly warning as an ill-mannered greeting. "Good comeback." Carson whispered, holding up his fist, and I bumped it briefly as Mr. Knight gave me a wary glance from the front of the room. I don't think him, and I were going to be skipping through meadows anytime soon. I could tell he had a proud personality, that wouldn't probably wouldn’t suit mine. Why else would he be so sensitive to an innocent comment if he wasn't proud? Sighing I glanced at the Professor as he began to walk through the room, handing a sheet of paper to each member of the class with a friendly smile; one that faded instantly when he got to me. Did I forget to mention this guy was tall? "You listen here Ms. McBeth," He said in a low grating voice, and immediately my reaction was to scoot away. However, he caught onto my intentions quickly, and slipped a slender finger through my belt loop to hold me in place as he lowered his face down to mine. "We will not under any circumstances, have any problems. I expect my students, especially ones that are adults, to behave." He whispered with an exhale of hot minty breath, as I fought the urge to flick him on his creased forehead. "Or...?" I asked, managing to keep my tone neutral. "Or else." He warned as he slapped my worksheet on my desk, and he released me before moving on as I stared at him in surprised. Normally the teachers, or Professors, would threaten to write me up or file a complaint if I got them angry, but this guy took teaching to a whole new level. Also, not to mention Mrs. Jenkins would've laughed at my joke, not get mad at me because it was true. I was only warning him about the characteristics of this class in my own special way. It was official now; I didn't like him. He was everything I disliked in a guy and had good looks to top it off. There was no way he was going to get away with treating me, an innocent student, like that. "He should learn to take a joke," Carson said, leaning back as he looked towards me, and I nodded in agreement. "He really should." I added as Mr. Knight walked to the front of the room and tapped the board. "Today class you will fill out a worksheet called 'About Me' so I can learn a few things about you and ambitions this class will help you with in your future careers." He informed as I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Great now the guy was going to have a whole paper about me? This wasn't Primary school. Slouching in my seat I picked up the limp paper and read the first question. If you had three wishes what would you wish for? A new Theater History Professor, because if this tension remained between us this was going to be a long semester, and we were only on the second week.