ONE
1886 Words
“Hey!!! Watch where you are going!” Victoria shouted at the basketball player that ran into her.
“Sorry,” the guy apologized with a smirk. Victoria scoffed and walked away obviously irritated by him.
He ran after her and pulled up in front of her effectively halting her fast steps, “Let me make it up to you.”
“What?”
“Let me make it up to you for ruining your morning. Lunch?”
Victoria scoffed and eyed the guy, he was the typical college bad boy. Nice hairline, strong stormy eyes, great body build, full lips and an awesome smile but sorry, she was not interested in boys. “Sorry, I don’t go out on lunch with guys that play basketball in hallways,” she replied and left him smirking at an empty space.
She continued walking to where she was meeting her friends. The weather had become chilly, winter was fast approaching. She didn’t mind the cold air, winter was her best season of the year, the beauty of everything becomes more proclaimed with snow. In her opinion, summer just makes for overcrowding and heat. On the other hand, there is a sense of peace in winter that just hovers around and she would choose peace of mind over bunch of people going crazy from the heat.
“What took you so long?” Amanda asked as she got to them.
“Got stopped by a jerk,” she answered then c****d her head to the side, “A handsome jerk.”
“How handsome?” asked Jennifer.
“Now that I think about it, really handsome.”
“But a jerk nonetheless,” Irene chipped in.
“Must you be a b***h? You didn’t even know what happened,” Jennifer scolded.
Irene smiled and twirled her hair, “I’m a redhead. I am allowed to be a b***h,” then laughed. They all joined in the laughter and continued walking to their classroom.
It was the first class of the semester for Victoria, she had transferred late in the year. The dean had asked her not to worry, said she’ll be alright. And truth be told, she did not worry. She wasn’t dumb or anything and with the help of her friends, she’ll be at the very top of the class in no time.
“So, tell me what happened,” Amanda probed.
Victoria told them. “He really asked you out for lunch?”
“I wouldn’t have thought twice before saying yes.”
“I agree with you Jennifer. A young handsome basketball player? He can have all my unborn babies if he wishes. Shame you didn’t learn his name.”
“b***h,” Amanda muttered under her breath but she was loud enough to be heard.
“I won’t give you a reply. You are just angry because you have a boyfriend and you are not allowed to ogle other guys like we do,’ Irene replied smacking her lips. They all laughed at Amanda’s speechless face.
“Okay, that’s enough on today’s episode of Morning,” she said sarcastically. They entered into the class and sat in the third row from the front.
“I heard they changed the teacher for this subject,” Victoria started when they’d all settled in.
“Yes, the former teacher died. He was a jolly good fellow, I’ll miss him,” Jennifer said a little sadly.
“Died? What killed him?”
“Stupidity.”
“Irene!!!” scolded Amanda.
“What?!” She put her phone down and faced them fully, “The rumor is that he went to Alaska. With his mistress. A woman that he could have birthed. Can you imagine what manner of things they would have been doing up there? And as you know, my rumors are always top-notch.”
“Well, this time, your rumor is wrong. Totally wrong. The professor had cancer and went to Alaska to meet his divorced family to spend the rest of his days. He had been divorced twelve years before he died. Apparently, the wife didn’t remarry.”
“Yes, what Jennifer said is correct. He was survived by three children, I saw the funeral pictures on the school website,” said Amanda.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. When is the new teacher coming?” Irene asked stretching her neck to see the entrance doors.
Victoria nudged her to see the young professor at the teaching podium, “There he is. Looks like today is for handsome males only.”
“Oh, my goodness, he’s handsome,” said Amanda in a singsong voice.
“And you have a boyfriend,” Victoria replied in the same tone.
“Spoilsport.”
The professor adjusted his glasses and spoke into the microphone, “Good day everyone. My name is Thomas Belford and I will be taking you Social Psychology from now-”
“Till when,” a student in the back row interrupted and the class burst into fits of laughter.
“Till I am asked not to do so,” he replied calmly after they had calmed down.
“His voice. Can you hear his voice, Vic?” whispered Jennifer.
“Yes, Jen. I can. So manly.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Amanda just shook her head at the three of them.
The professor continued, “Today, we will be learning ‘Environmental Causes of Crime’. This topic will give us more insight to her environments shape criminals and breeds crime…”
The lecture continued for fifty more minutes before the professor called a stop to it and asked for questions from the students.
“Yes. You, the one with the green shirt.”
“You discussed how most criminals get their idea of crimes mostly from the environment. What would you say about kids who are brought up in the upper classes and still come out to be murderers and rapists and all?”
“Well, I would say-” he spotted Victoria’s hand up, “Looks like she wants to answer your question.”
He beckoned to her and she stood up, “Committing a crime is more psychologically than physical. The problem with most people is how they think kids growing up in upper classes don’t get traumatic experiences like kids living as lower classes get.”
“If I may portray a scenario?” The guy asked.
She turned to face him and she saw that he was the basketball player and he was smirking. Smirking! What a t**t, she thought to herself. “Of course,” she answered him with a smile playing on her lips. Damn her if she would let him get the better of her.
“Let’s say Marcus. Marcus’ mom is an event planner and his father, a banker. They are not the neglecting parents’ type, they cared for their children, regulated what they watched and what they heard. One fateful night, the parents came back from a dinner party to find Marcus soaked in blood. He had killed his brother and baby sister with a knife. Profile Marcus.”
“Who did he kill first?”
“What?”
“Marcus. Who did he kill first?”
“The nanny? I don’t know, why should it matter? Just profile Marcus.”
“I can’t.”
“Why would you say you can’t? You just said that upper class kids-”
“I know what I said but you can’t ask me to profile somebody you just told me some lines about. I know neither his age nor his obsessions. I don’t know what school he attended or what district he lived in. I don’t know what type of attention his parents were giving him. Was it too strict or otherwise? I don’t know any of these and you want me to profile him?” It was nice to see the smirk fall off his face even if it was just a moment.
“Pfft. These things do not really-”
“She’s right,” came a male’s voice from beside him, supposedly his friend. “you can’t just profile based on some few lines.”
Prof Thomas shut him up before he could counter the statement, “Let’s end it now. Find out what happened to Marcus. Each and everyone of you should profile him in your way. Well done,” he said to the guy, “you have given us our fantasy character. See you next time, class,” and departed.
“What was that?” Jennifer asked with one brow up.
“That, was the basketball player, wasn’t it?” Irene asked giggling.
“Yes, he was the one that-”
“Excuse me?” The basketball player intruded in their conversation.
“Hi. I am Irene,” she struck her out and he shook it. “This is Victoria, Jennifer and Amanda.”
“Nice to meet you guys. I’m Mike. Mike Williams.”
“Yeah whatever. What do you want?” Victoria asked, she was annoyed with the way Irene was eyeing him so obviously.
“My lunch. You said you don’t have lunch with guys that play basketball in hallways and I’m not anymore.”
“He’s right, you know,” said Irene.
“You know what, we were just leaving,” Amanda said dragging the other two with her, “We will be at the cafeteria, Vic.”
“So?”
“You are a bold one, aren’t you? I’m not interested in going out with you,” she said as she packed her books and moved to leave the classroom.
Mike blocked her, “But I am interested in going out with you.”
“And I am of the opinion you should say yes, he won’t stop disturbing you,” said the voice that had backed her up earlier.
“And you are?”
“Mark,” he stretched out a hand and she took it. They looked alike, not strongly but there was something in their features that would make you suspect they are blood-related. It’s the eyes, both of them had gray stormy eyes and were about the same height. Mike was white but Mark seemed colored? She couldn’t wrap her head around it. The smiles were the same too, smirking full mouths.
“Brothers?”
“God, you’re smart. Yes, twin brothers. And as someone who has known the jerk for the past twenty years, I will advise to just say yes.”
“If I say I’ll think about it, will you leave me alone?”
“Yes sure. For about twelve hours though.”
“Okay then, I’ll think about it,” she said and left them in the classroom.
- Writer
