Sorry Professor, You Said You Are WHAT?

Episode12

KATHLEEN'S P.O.V.

The tension from earlier sticks to my skin like sweat, annoyingly uncomfortable. Especially after having noticed that Professor Dawson was watching me secretly, or not so secretly. When our eyes locked, I felt a shiver crawl down my spine. I couldn't decide whether it was from the cool breeze or from having him stare at me like that – so intensely. Or perhaps it was as a result of my earlier discovery of the letter. Perhaps it was a mixture of all. However, not too long after, Professor Dawson looked away. No reaction, nothing. This was exactly what made me slightly irritated and perhaps hurt. How could he go from being so free and relaxed – so much so that he asked me out on a date – only for him to ignore me? Take us back to being total strangers. For a moment, a slight, stupid and utterly preposterous moment, a thought crept into my mind.

What if it was him, Professor Dawson? What if he had slipped the note into my locker and pretended not to know anything about it? However, in the next moment, I killed the thought. Given his cold reaction, it was highly unlikely he would do such a thing. And besides, he didn't seem like someone who would do something so...petty?

Letting out a frustrated huff, I turned on my heels, heading out of campus and towards the bus station. Luckily for me, I didn't have to wait long before the bus arrived.

Shutting the door behind me, I let out a sigh of relief at the feeling of being home. My eyes flutter closed as I breathe softly, pushing myself off the door and rolling my shoulders. Tossing my keys on the table, I head over to the fridge, pouring myself a glass of cold milk. My phone pinged, a notification. Picking it up, I realised that Lexi had sent me a message, asking if I'd like to hang out.

"Thank God, just what I needed." I shot her a response, telling her that I'd love to, to which she suggested hanging out at her place, which was perfect for me. Shortly after, she sent me her address, so I quickly freshened up before heading out.

About an hour and a half later, we both lay side by side on her bed while talking about the most random things.

"Hey, I know this sounds crazy, but would you believe me if I said you aren't the only one who's had a crush on her teacher?" Lexi said lightly.

I looked at her with a raised brow, now lying on my side, my head supported by my palm.

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm, and that's not all." Her tone had turned mischievous, alongside her expression, as she also turned on her side to face me.

"We fucked." She smirked coyly.

My jaw dropped in surprise. No f*****g way. I mean, I knew she was bold, but I never knew she was that bold.

"No, shut up," I gasped, sitting up fully.

"I'm serious," she giggled, "and besides, it was fun at the time."

"And how long ago was this 'time'?"

Kissing her teeth, she pondered for a few seconds. "I was a senior in high school. Nothing serious." She shrugged casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"S-senior? High school? Lexi!" I gaped.

Her cheeks reddened slightly in embarrassment as she fell back onto the bed on her back, sliding her palms over her face. "Oh come on, don't make it sound so serious. It wasn't as though I was forced; we both liked each other, and I was already an adult." She mumbled.

I inhaled deeply, still in disbelief. But it was her choice; she was an adult, and besides, it was in the past. She turned to me, this time placing her head on my lap while I rested against the headrest.

"Which brings me back to you. Why are you running away from your feelings for him?"

I scrunched up my brows in confusion. "Running away from what feelings? From whom?"

She gave me a dumbfounded look. "You know who."

It suddenly clicked about who she was talking about; my cheeks heating up, I looked away.

"You're wrong. I don't have any feelings for him."

She scoffed, "Lies. That's a lie, and we both know it. You clearly have feelings for him, and from the look of things, he seems attracted to you too. Why don't you give it a shot?"

I snorted, "Now I'm sure you're definitely wrong. He does in no way have any feelings for me."

She raised an inquisitive brow. "How sure are you?"

"Oh, I'm very sure." Especially given his recent behaviour.

"Hmm, suit yourself." She shrugged. It fell quiet between us, with her scrolling through her phone while I played with her hair. I debated telling her about the note, but I wasn't so sure about how she'd react. Would she laugh it off like it was nothing? Would she think I was being silly and reading into things too much?

Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try. "Hey Lex?" She hummed in response, not taking her eyes off her phone.

"Have you ever had a stalker? I mean, what do you think about them and what they're capable of?" My question must have caught her off guard, as she lifts herself off my thighs, looking at me curiously.

"A stalker? No, I haven't. Why?"

"I...well, I just, you know...the thought just crossed my mind. That's all, nothing serious." I tried shrugging it off like it was nothing, but she saw right through me. She took my hands in hers, looking at me with concern.

"Hey, is everything alright? Is someone bothering you?" My heart warmed at her concern for me; I shook my head in response.

"No, no one's bothering me. Everything's fine. I just couldn't help but think about it." Her scrutinising gaze had me feeling small, so I looked away. I heard her breathe deeply but didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"Kat," she called softly. I looked at her, holding her gaze. "You know that you can tell me anything, right?" I smiled warmly, feeling lucky to have someone so supportive.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Much later in the evening, I return home only to find a rose and paper on the floor next to my door. My heart was beating hard and fast as I scanned my surroundings but found no one.

Picking them up carefully, I unlocked my door, stepped into my apartment and locked it hurriedly, making sure it was properly locked. After ensuring that I was the only one at home, I carefully opened the letter, which read,

"I apologise if I may have startled you earlier; I just couldn't help myself. I wanted to know you, to let you know that I see you. You're beautiful, Kathleen, and I hope we get to meet someday soon."

My heart thudded painfully in my chest as I read the contents of the letter, and not because the letter was sweet. Far from it, it was because I hadn't met anyone new in recent times; I barely had any friends.

This person knew me, my name, my apartment and God knows what else. And that in itself terrified me.