Office Hours

Between pages and Tables

Elara stared at the computer screen, wanting to check Ethan’s student profile . She hadn’t planned to check it, but curiosity got the better of her. His attendance was poor, his grades worse. “Yikes,” she whispers. She was nudged by the determination she always got to help people struggling academically. Maybe she could help him improve.

She checked for his email and sent a message to him.

“Wednesdays and Fridays, 4:30? at the library. We can start tomorrow.

Ethan saw it almost immediately, he squeaked like a little girl and spun around like he had been proposed to.

The next day, Ethan arrived at the library, a little nervous but composed. Elara had already arranged the table neatly with books and notes, “What’s up”she said with a welcoming smile.”I’m alright”, Ethan said as he sat down.

“Alright,” she said softly as he pushes a large text book with an already opened page towards him, “let’s start with this passage. Read it out loud.”

Ethan opened the book. He read, pausing awkwardly between phrases.

Elara smiled, gently shaking her head. “Stop, let the words flow. Don’t just read it blindly, try to understand it as your reading”. She said.

He tried again, to do as she said and just flow with it and emphasized where he felt to,

“See?” she said, her tone calm and encouraging. “That’s good. You’re a natural at this impact.”

Ethan glanced up. He admired her quietly, he perceives a whiff of her perfume, “she smells just like I imagined, amazing” he said in his mind. Noticing how she corrected him, guiding without dominating.

They worked through the passage, back and forth, until he really understood. She gave him a short quiz which he easily passed because of her guidance.

“Excellent,” she said, closing the book. “That’s enough for today. You’re making real progress.”

Ethan nodded, satisfied, feeling a small but meaningful sense of accomplishment.

“Next session, same time, Friday,” Elara reminded him. “Don’t be late, seriously though” she walked away.

He grinned lightly. “Yh I won’t” looking at her wavy hair swinging left and right.

Back in his dorm, Ethan’s two friends were in his room smiling as if they had been waiting for him.

“Why are you back this late?” Luca questioned like a nagging wife.

“And it concern you how?” Ethan said with a blush.

“Dude,” Jamal said, smirking, “why did I see you with Miss Elara in the library?”

He rolled his eyes. That’s what this is all about? He laughs, “She’s tutoring me”,I’m just taking my studies seriously this semester. You’ve been telling me to for months.”

“Yh…Yh okay studies like you ever listen to me” Luca said sarcastically, trying to hold his laugh.

“Our king is bacckkkkk babyyyyyy but with a lecturer broooo”, jemal says in excitement hugging Ethan like he had scored a goal.

What the hell guys that’s not it at all, she’s just tutoring me. I have a girlfriend! and she’s a staff for Christ sake,” Ethan says defensively.

Luca cracks a dirty joke about it.

“That’s enough what?!!, he laughs, “I have a date to go to”, he says changing his clothes.

“Who with Miss Elara? Jamal and Luca said simultaneously as they burst into laughter.

The teasing continued, laughter filling the room, until Sophie appeared. Her blonde hair perfectly styled, her dress, flattering her figure, she looked like she had stepped out of a magazine.

“Hey, boys,” she said, commanding their attention.

The friends said hi Sophie! and left, and Sophie turned to Ethan. “Babe, ready? while her hands were on his shoulders. Where going to that new Chinese restaurant downtown just opened. The Hunan House. It looks so cute on online!”

“Oh I thought you said we were just going to the arcade”, Ethan asked confused. Um sorry I just said that so you would wanna go, baby you know I’d never step foot in that kind of place ew”, Sophie said with a pout. A reluctant smile pulled at Ethans mouth.

They left, they drove out of the school in Ethan’s car. Sophie immediately started an i********: live. “Hi, everyone! We’re at the new Chinese place downtown! I promised you guys I was going to come here, look at how cute it is!” She says as she turns her phone around.

Ethan rolled his eyes subtly, knowing now she only wanted to go her because she promised her followers. Sophie continued showing the space and their food.

Across the restaurant, Ethan noticed Elara sitting with Mr. Dorian. She laughed softly at something he said, a bowl of steaming soup in front of her. Ethan’s jaw clenched, and he found himself staring. “How can someone just sit there, laugh and look so beautiful?” he thought, a pang of jealousy he didn’t fully understand.

Sophie nudged him. “Hey, Earth to Ethan. Say hi to the camera!”

He smiled, giving a small hand sign, then looked back to Elara. He noticed her waving, their eyes met for a brief moment, he returned her wave with a smile. Elara turned back to Mr Dorian, leaving Ethan’s attention.

Ethan snapped back to reality, looking at his girlfriend but his mind lingered for a second longer on Elara.Babe, feed me this sushi roll for a t****k trend,”she said, holding up a piece on her chopsticks,

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “For real?”

“For t****k! Come on, it’s cute,” Sophie insisted, pouting just enough to be persuasive.

He chuckled, and leaned in, gently feeding her the sushi while she giggled, looking the camera her while she lip synced to a sound. “See? Perfect content,” she said, beaming.

Ethan wondered why he preferred a tutor session over a date.

He gave a small, playful smirk.

Sophie’s had comments almost immediately with hearts. So cute! You guys are so perfect together!” one wrote.

Ethan rolled his eyes. Across the room, he couldn’t help but glance at Elara and Dorian already leaving.

“It’s getting dark, let’s go.”Ethan said.

Yh, Sophie said. They got in Ethan’s car.

Ethan drove back to school and dropped her off at the girls dorm.

He got to his room, laid on his bed thinking, “are Miss Elara and Mr Dorian dating or what ? he said to himself. He wonders why he cared so much that it didn’t let him sleep even when he’s tired.

He puts on his earpiece and plays a calming music to try to sleep, which he eventually does.