The room’s temperature was getting low, with subdued city lights behind the big glass window. Yet, the hand against my skin felt colder, gently running up my waist, slowly climbing to my chest. I’m quite sure I let out a feeble moan and slowly opened my eyes, hovered by a tall woman on top of me while her right thigh is in between my legs. She has a long wavy hair on the loose… her ice-blue eyes intensely staring at me.
I know those eyes… “M-Ms. Rianne? –” I asked out of breath. I tried to move my arms but her left hand was already gripping my wrists above my head. She suddenly motioned her face down, touching her nose and forehead to mine, not breaking her gaze “Your eyes… they are beautiful, I want them mine” she whispered closing the gap between her lips and m—
I woke up, darted my eyes open with chills in my spine spreading around my body. I adjusted my vision to my room, while catching my breath and found no one else but the reflections from my lamp projector against the wall.
“Holy lord,” I said exhilarated. I rubbed my temple circularly and took a couple of deep breaths trying to recover from the dream. I turned to check the time from my digital clock telling, 04:45.
A dream like that about Ms. Rianne? I must be going insane.
It wasn’t just long ago when I first met her. A Monday morning in September, when I was at the back of the school to catch an undefiled breeze of air from its hordes of trees, stretching deep on the nature around the University Park. I like hanging out there for only a few couple of students have the interest to drop by. They like going out more to malls and shops in the city in their free time with their fancy cars and friends.
I couldn’t blame them for that. Our school is located far north in Yorkshire on a mountain top, called Radford Finnish University. It is under the Ivy League Organization—secretly. Unlike the universities under it, we are hidden from the public as most of the children who have royal bloodline are admitted here, mixed with the higher- and lower-classes who gained full scholarship from having ‘beyond’ the normal intelligence. But honestly, I think the principal reason was to train us on fitting-in with the unroyalties.
Going back, I was just sitting on that usual bench I settle myself every morning, sketching some squirrels eating peanuts that time. She came without a sound, standing at the back of the bench. I actually dismissed the idea that there was a presence behind me, not until she bent forward slightly from the back.
“You have to stroke darker on the edges so the image you are trying to draw will be emphasized, especially the lines where the shadow is paralleled on” she said, causing me to jolt a little. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I am afraid of people, I was just shocked by her sudden arrival.
“H-hi. Yeah, I was just doing the outlines first I guess, before I darken the edges of the squirrels?” I told her, clearing my throat. I swear, I lost words seeing her perfectly well shaped face.
She took a seat beside me, and I can’t help but notice her gorgeous eyes as she settled down. They were light-blue, almost the same color as painted ice—seems familiar. She looked like she is in her mid 20’s with really fair skin.
Perhaps a new student? She looks a little unfitting to be one though.
She was wearing a white tulle sleeve tucked in a black high-waist office trouser that compliments her curves very well, along with a peach stiletto—if you put those heels away, she would probably still be almost 6’ in height. She had wavy hair divided equally on each side of her shoulders, with silver single-strings earrings. Her pleasant smell all over me.
“Apologies, I don’t intend to startle you” I can hear the concern in her tone, probably because she noticed my shaky voice while answering her.
“Oh, No-no, just uhm, I think a bit?” I chuckled and saw that she smiled at me when I did.
She really looks so pretty…
From there, we talked about a little with a couple of ways for sketching. I was surprised by her knowledge of it, she even suggested specific pencils I could use to garner a better turnout. She asked me if she could take a look over my art journal and I was hesitant big time, since I have sketches in there that are more than just squirrels. I decided to show her the first few pages skipping the ones onward purposely.
She suddenly moved closer to me, putting her hand a few centimeters away from the back of my hip, her palms against the bench, to balance her weight and have a better view of my work, causing my cheeks to turn red as I continued to explain it. I was afraid she would notice it, thankfully the school bell rang and got me saved.
We walked back inside the campus and saw some students striding from the hallways on their way to their classrooms.
“I think it’s time for you to go to your class. You only have 15 minutes remaining before it starts” she told me, sounding lightly authoritative.
“Yes, uhm I think I should go, thank you for the… the talk about the sketches” I smiled at her. “Before you go, I’m also just a little curious, are you perhaps a new student?” I added.
“Do you see me as one?” she chuckled while staring straight at me. “No, fortunately, I am not. How about you, do you mind if you provide your name?” she asked while we face each other in parallel, our back facing towards different directions.
“I’m Hestia. Hestia Herondaile, BS Psychology, 4th year” I told her with a big smile before I proceeded along the other hallway. I turned around my head to take another look at her, and I then continued my own way to my first subject.
She must be a school visitor. I hope I can meet her again. I thought to myself.
15:00, Last Class
It was in my last subject when I remembered that there will be a new sub-professor that will join us this year. She walked behind the window entering the class with a black folder and a golden pen.
And there she is… the young lady I met earlier!
Oh, that’s why she knew the minutes before the classes started!
She introduced herself as our temporary Arts and Literature professor, her name was Rianne Isabelle Harrington, 28 years old, a graduate of Arts and Literature in Oxford University. Everyone was obviously stunned by the beauty she possesses, not to mention she look too young to be a professor. She is like 6 years older than me.
Wait, so this means she knows me already?!
She continued to discuss some important reminders on her subject and gave us notes on the units of her syllabus, while the class was just staring at her silently and astounded. After tackling everything she prepared, she called our names for an attendance. I was so distracted thinking I just hoped we could meet again and now she is in front of me, that I didn’t notice my name has been called. Claudia, my cousin who happened to be my seatmate, tapped me on the hand when I didn’t respond. It was already too late, because she already skipped it and continued to the next name.
Crap. What an actual dumb!
After finishing the roll call, she dismissed everyone except the students who did not respond and must come in front of her table—which basically directed only to me. Claudia nudged me on the arm and told me good luck before she took her leave, smirking and I glared at her.
“So, you are the one who didn’t answer when I was doing the roll call” she spoke after all my classmates were gone, imposing a cold stare. I can feel the room getting colder as well when there’s just the two of us alone. Maybe, because it’s located on the 5th floor of the Senior Building where you can see the back part of the school.
“I am really sorry, Ms.-uhm, how should… I address you, Miss?” I asked, not sure how to call her while I try to come up with an alibi as to why I wasn’t able to say ‘present’ a while ago.
“Is changing the topic your way of evading the situation, Hestia?” she asked, sounding elegantly serious while she walked in front of me. Her eyes fully fixated on my existence like I’m her prey. I gulped for my sake— and surprisingly find her hot right now.
Now is not the time for these thoughts’ you idiot! I scolded myself.
“I-I wasn’t changing the topic I just really don’t know how you’d like to be- addressed before I give out my explanation” I stuttered while trying to make eye contact as I didn’t expect her to be this intimidating. She took steps to close the interval between me and her, before responding back.
“Relax, I am just fooling around” she smirked and tapped my head gently making me blush. I closed my eyes and let out a big sigh of relief when she said that.
Damn it, I almost had a nervous breakdown
“Oh, you got me there, Prof—"
“Rianne, you can call me Ms. Rianne. Professor is a little unfitting for me, don’t you think?” She cut me off by giving her preference on how to be addressed.
“Y-Yes, I figured it too, Ms. Rianne. I am really sorry again for zoning out when you were doing a roll call…was just a little distracted” I explained, still feeling nervous.
“Distracted, because you didn’t expect me to be your professor? It doesn’t really say you” She laughed commenting that, making my cheeks turn red when she did. “Consequently, you will have to accompany me until the school hours end.” she said, looking at me waiting for my response.
“Oh. Sure, not a problem Miss, I would gladly make up for that little embarrassment” I told her while smiling through pressing my lips.
After the bell rang, ending the school hours, we went together to the parking lot. I bid farewell at her saying thank you for not making it a big deal. If it’s the other professors who have been with us for the entire college life, they would probably have sent us to their office and done some paperwork. She smiled at me and gestured I should go off first before her, authoritatively again and I did obediently.
That very day made a huge impression on me. How I thought she was a student or a school visitor just to find out she is my new Professor. Especially the way she can change her atmosphere so easily, like it’s her second nature. Aside from that, her presence is so intimidating yet stunning and I think I just developed an admiration towards Ms. Rianne.
