Office Hours

Built on Reputation

Afternoon practice was always like this at court, few guys were practicing shots here and there, some stretching and running laps.

Practice wasn’t serious that day. There was no drills or coach yelling as us as usual.

Luca was beside me doing some free throws while I was taking a water break after running laps.

Then suddenly a ball hit my head. My bottle of water fell to the ground, spilling on me.

The hit wasn’t really hard enough to hurt me, but hard enough to annoy the hell out of me.

I turned and saw Asher grinning, hands on his hips like he was proud of himself.

“Just standing there sipping like a little princess huh?”Asher said with a smirk.

Before I could say anything, Luca moved, used his ball and threw it harder at Asher’s head

“Are you f*****g stupid?”Luca said walking up to him.

Asha shrugged. “Relax. I was just joking around.”

Luca stepped closer. “Yeah? Jokes are supposed to be funny, but I guess you’re too much of a dumbass to know that”. Luca said raising his voice.

There was a pause. Asher rolled his eyes and walked off.

Luca turned to me. “Ignore him, you know he had always been a jerk. He’s obviously just threatened by you because you’re back and you’re so much of a better player than him.”

You don’t have to defend me, you know? I said.

“What? Of course you I do bro, you’re basically my brother.”Luca said.

Ohh my knight in shining armor!, I said mimicking in a girly voice, my boyfriend, my love, gimme a kiss I said pouting my lips.

Luca scoffed and pushes my face lightly, “eww man! don’t say stuffs like that”. We both laughed.

Later, I was in class, so tired and sleepy after practice, but it was Miss Elara’s class so she can’t see me slacking off.

So I sat up trying not to fall asleep for the whole two hours of the class. It was kind of easy to keep my eye open because just looking at her, every gesture she made, made me easily stay awake.

During the lecture, she added, “there’s an Arts Department fashion showcase next week,” she said. The theme is medieval era. We’ll need volunteers to help with preparation and publicity.”

She waited.

No one answered.

She nodded like she expected that and continued with the lecture.

After class, I saw her pinning flyers on the board outside.

I hesitated, then spoke. Heyyy!

“Oh hello Ethan, tutoring session is 4:30 it’s still 1:45.she said while focusing on what she was doing.

Ohh not that, I wanted to volunteer to help for the uhhh fashion showcase?

She looked surprised. “You know you don’t have to right”.

“But I want to though”. I said.

She studied me for a second, then handed me a stack of flyers.

“Put these around campus, wait do you have followers on social media?

Yes a lot actually, big numbers, I said letting out an awkward chuckle.

“That’s great, forget the fliers then, just post on your story.”

Umm..We already have models and costume designers. We just need people to help advertise and a small team to setup some stuff on the day.”

I nodded. “Okay just let me know more of what I can do to help”

Later that day, I was in her office for tutoring. There were books open and pens on the desk. She was explaining a topic I didn’t understand.

We were halfway through when someone abruptly opened the door without knocking.

“Babe!” my girlfriend Sophie said as she stepped in. I’ve been looking everywhere for you, a course mate of yours just told me you headed this way”.

She looked at Miss Elara with a bad look, up and down like an inspector or something.

“What are you doing here?” Sophie said

“I’m being tutored,” I said.

She frowned. “I wanted us to do a t****k together.”

I said. “After this”

She sighed, “well hurry up”then smiled like she was disappointed. She kissed me and glanced at Miss Elara again like she was marking her territory.

Miss Elara didn’t smile.

“Can you step out?” she said, calm and firm. “We’re in a session.”

Sophie huffed. “Fine. Bye, babe.” She gave me another kiss. Then she was gone.

My face felt hot. “Uhh… sorry about that I said quickly.

Miss Elara didn’t look up from her notes. Of course she didn’t, she was calm like nothing had happened.

I shifted in my seat, looking around the room like I was searching for an escape. My stomach felt tight, my thoughts were scattered. Why did she have to show up right now ? and Why does it have to feel so… weird and awkward? I’m probably just over thinking it.

But why do I feel like I’d just screwed everything up and I had ruined a chance before it even started.

“Can we continue now.” She said.

“Yeah,” I said quickly. “Sorry.”

We continued like nothing happened.

It was a day before the fashion show, I arrived very early to set things up. But Miss Elara was there way before me.

The hall was empty, quiet and echoey. We set up chairs, straightened banners and checked the layout.

I stood there for a second, hands in my pockets, my heart beating faster than it needed to.

“Um… Miss Elara?” I said.

“Yes?” she replied, still adjusting one of the banners.

I hesitated, then forced the words out.

“Are you and Mr. Dorian uhhhh…dating?”

She stopped and looked at me. “What?”

Then she laughed lightly. “No. We’re just colleagues, why would you think that?” “Do other people think that?”she said as her eyes widened with a concerning look.

Oh no no I was kind of curious since I saw you both on a date a couple weeks ago I said.

Oh no no no no… No! We just happen to run into each other off campus and I was hungry so he escorted me for dinner that’s all.

I shrugged, trying to sound casual.

“Oh okay”

She nodded slowly, like she accepted that answer, then went back to what she was doing.

And besides he’s totally not my type, she added defensively.

Oh oh well then what’s your type? I asked desperately wanting to know.

She giggled and said, “that’s not relevant Ethan”.

Oh sorry I said.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you something”she said.

“Yeah?,” I replied.

She hesitated, then spoke carefully.

“I heard somethings about you. That you are… a troublemaker, bad news?.”

I let out a small laugh, but there was no humor in it.

“Of course you did.”

She turned to me. “I wanted to hear from you instead.”

I shook my head.

“But you believe it.”

“I didn’t say that,” she replied. “I’m just asking.”

I exhaled slowly.

“I guess you’ve already heard it all, then.”

She didn’t push. She just waited.

After a moment, I sighed.

“But It’s true,” I said quietly. “But they don’t actually know why.”

I leaned back against one of the tables.

“My dad died last year.”

Her expression softened, but she didn’t interrupt.

“He had pneumonia,” I continued. “He smoked for years. My mom begged him to stop. He said he would… but he didn’t. And it made his pneumonia a lot worse.”

I swallowed.

“He was still the best dad I could’ve asked for. We were really really close. He treated my mom like a queen. The smoking was the only thing she hated.”

I shook my head slightly.

“It always seemed harmless. Even when I caught him. I never thought it would lead to him dying.”

My voice dropped.

“After he died, my world just… fell apart. I started smoking too. I don’t even know why but somehow, It made me feel closer to him.”

I paused, then forced myself to keep going.

“Then I got caught up in drugs too which gave me a really bad temper. I got into a lot of fights, made some really bad decisions. I got caught and suspended

I laughed quietly again.

“I really put my mom through a lot. Every time the school called her… telling her how bad my grades are, and about my suspension, she was so worried about me. I didn’t ever think about her and how she’s also grieving.

“I was so devastated about losing my dad that I forgot my mom also lost the love of her life.”

There was silence.

“She pleaded with me to go to rehab which I did”I said. “I’m clean now. I still miss my dad, I always will. But I left that part of my life behind.”

I looked up at her, finally.

“So yeah. Whoever told you that… they weren’t lying. They just didn’t know the whole story.”

Miss Elara spoke softly.

“That must have been really hard for you, I’m so sorry Ethan”.

I nodded once.

“Yeah”.

Another pause.

Then she said, “You didn’t deserve any of that.”

I let out a breath.

“Thanks,” I murmured. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to dump all that on you.”

She shook her head.

“It’s okay.”

When we were done, I stepped back and looked around.

“I think we’re done here. It looks good.”

She nodded. “Yh It does.”