I work alone. I eat alone, sleep alone, bathe alone, and believe it or not I also shit alone. That might be too much information, but the point comes across clearly. As long as he understands… I work alone.
“I see that look in your eyes Sonny, the decision is final. End of story, period.” Dean Morrison proclaimed.
Here I am 32 years old sitting in the dean's office twiddling my thumbs being ordered around as if I’m not a grown man with a respectable career. Maybe my handsome baby face makes people forget I’m an adult. That’s not a good thing is it? It does make sense though, I always have to show my ID when buying drinks, you’d think at 32 you start showing signs of being a bit older, old enough where you aren't having to show your ID all the time, not me I guess.
“So we’re on the same page now?” The dean asked curiously.
We stared at each other for a couple of seconds. The dean quickly realized we are not on the same page. How could I be? What he’s asking of me is nothing short of absolute absurdity. Though it was hard to pay attention to the topic in his office, his entire million dollar office made you feel as if you were having a meeting with some member of a secret hunting society. Deer heads mounted on the wall, a bear skin rug, and portraits of himself kneeling down by his slaughtered game. Maybe if I act like I’m knowledgeable about hunting he’ll lay off me a bit.
“Look I just don’t see the point in having a class co-taught. In fact I think it would have a negative impact on the students ability to learn.” I quickly explained.
The dean stood up from his desk, revealing his classic, professional brown suit. He leaned over with a curious expression, he was so close while eyeing me down I could feel his hot breath. Anyone that walked in right now would get the wrong impression of the scene in front of them.
“Why are you so against this?” The dean asked with an interrogating demeanor. Even though I knew the answer I couldn’t tell him my reasoning, I just have to keep trying to push my agenda. Even if it costs me my job.
“This will cost you your job Sonny.” Said the dean.
“Say what now?” I asked with a surprised look on my face. The dean laid it out for me, didn’t even have to spell it. I could tell he meant it too which was the worst part. There was no talking out of this.
I didn’t think he’d go there. I’m a pretty good teacher in my opinion. Firing me would cause an uproar in this community, students would riot in uncontrollable numbers. The school wouldn’t survive the outburst, destruction would be the campus's fate.
“Sonny, you have five students in your philosophy class, I can’t even call that a class. At that point it’s just five people choosing to waste thirty grand a year." Dean Morrison insultingly stated.
“Last year it was three, so five is something I should be getting praised for.” I pointed out. Five definitely doesn’t sound good when you say it out loud.
The dean sat back down, his left eyebrow was twitching all over the place, his face turned a bright red hue, he looked like a tomato that was about to pop. Now might actually be a good time to talk about hunting. The dean took a deep breath and the color on his face ended up fading away.
“As I said before the topic is not up for debate. Your class and room will be shared with your new partner.” The dean stated.
A knock on the door. A woman in a silver button up shirt and a black long skirt going down to the tip of her knees. As beautiful as she was it was her attractive facial features alone, she wasn’t lude or wore anything provocative, you could tell she’s in shape but she always dressed professionally. Even I dress to impress sometimes, but her sense of style was kept strictly business related.
The woman entered the room, her and I both exchanging heated glances at each other. Look deep in our eyes and you can see a past connected to each other by a fading string. Professor Jenny Simons and I share a past, and we despise each other for it.
“I can already tell you two are going to work great together.” The dean threw out to the both of us.
“Considering I’m saving his career I’m sure Professor Sonny will show nothing but appreciation like a hungry puppy who's just been fed.” Harsh words coming from a cat that claws at me all the time.
She stood beside me with a smirk on her face. She’d always felt smarter than me, sometimes I believe it, she is amazing. No that’s the enemy, the only thing she’s amazing at is ruining a good thing.
We shared another quick glance at each other, as if the fading string had been tugged on. We both began to blush to our surprise. I can’t let her get in my head.
“Why are your faces so red, you both look like teenagers that confessed your love to each other.” The dean broke the ice by saying so. Little did the dean know he wasn’t far off.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“Sorry sir, I’ve been holding my breath since Sonny’s pits stink so bad.” Jenny blurted out.
“Good because your breath reeks of tuna salad.” I returned with.
We both quickly smelt what was insulted. I got a nice whiff of my pits while she quickly got a sample of her breath. Neither one of us actually smelt bad, but we couldn’t help but make sure. In fact she actually smelt quite nice. All perfumes smell similar to me, some are fruity, some are sweet, but hers was one I enjoyed breathing in. It was refreshing.
“I’m inclined to inform you both that if you can’t sustain a productive number of attending students, I’ll have no choice but to fire the both of you. You have until the end of the school year to show me solid numbers.” The dean informed us.
Jenny and I both exchanged worried looks to one another.
“Jenny…” I tried to speak out.
“Professor.” Jenny quickly corrected me.
“Professor Simons and I appreciate the chance you’re giving us and will do our best.” I stated with doubt. I could see her rolling her eyes, we both know we’re screwed.
“Good, I look forward to it, once you both have stable numbers we can talk about dividing your classes back to normal again.”
The dean suggested we both get in tune with each other's teaching style. Which we agreed with surprisingly, because I can’t remember the last time we agreed on anything. Actually, we do strongly agree on our hate for one another. Despite our lack of good chemistry, making this co-teaching idea work was important for our careers. Don’t get confused Sonny, I only care about my career, not hers.
Jenny and I met up for coffee at a popular campus coffee shop called Wally’s. Campus kids of all sorts hung out here working on homework and hanging out, the place has always had a young vibe about it, it’s one of the places you have some sort of memory of being at in your past. Which in our case it’s where Jenny and I… First met.
I had been waiting for ten minutes until she had finally arrived. Jenny sat down, neither of us enthusiastic about our forced upon situation. I wouldn't have minded the co-teaching idea and I’m sure she wouldn’t either if it was with any other person in the world. I sat there sipping on my mildly warm cup of coffee with a bothered expression written all over my face.
“Making me wait, that’s nothing new.” I couldn’t help but share.
I was meeting with my lover.” She responded with. My eyebrows touched the edge of my hairline as I choked on my coffee. She was satisfied with my worried reaction. I regained my breath.
“I didn’t know you were capable of love.” I challenged. Now I felt satisfied seeing her bothered by my response.
She tossed a thick file with what seemed to be full of lectures and schedules teachings onto the table.
“I was grabbing my material for you to read, you’ll need most of it in order to keep up with what I’m teaching them.” She explained.
Work focused, it’s how she’s always been. While I use work as a means to have some sort of amusement in my life, she’s always taking it very seriously. She’s an adult that acts like a pro and I’m a child that somehow got a job. She shoved her material towards me and I shoved it back.
“What are you doing?” She asked.
“I like my material better, I think it would be best for the students we teach my material.” I protested.
She laughed as if I really tried telling a funny joke. There was no joke. Her and I share very different philosophies, we both like different philosophers, so figuring out who’s material we go off of would be difficult.
“Your philosophy is idiotic, a real joke.” She said with a spiteful look in her eye.
Her light brown eyes, such a basic eye color yet sometimes you meet a person that has brown eyes that are just a little different from everyone else’s. At the end of the day to everyone across the world that person's special brown eyes are really just regular brown eyes.
I slapped both of my cheeks with my hands trying to snap myself out of my lost thoughts, thoughts she triggers. She just insulted your lessons and you’re thinking about her brown eyes. How pathetic.
“Your teachings make students afraid to move forward, while I encourage them to move on towards the purpose in life they create for themselves.” I lectured her.
She didn’t like being lectured compared to lecturing, unless it was someone she fully believed was more intelligent than her. I could never tell if she really listened to me. Sometimes she seems engaged in my vanilla words, other times she’d look at the floor twiddling her hair between her fingers in infinite loops.
“Ironic that you teach students to move on, yet you have me meet you where we first met. Have you moved on?” She has me there.
I don’t even know what to say at this point. I could tell her there’s no meaning behind it, but there’s meaning behind everything when it comes to philosophy. She wouldn’t believe me. She’d start gloating around the place telling everyone in the room I miss her… I don’t.
“It’s a popular coffee spot, that’s all.” I had explained.
Once again she slid her material towards me, this time I obliged and placed it in my backpack. It relieved her that I finally bent down to her will. Not like it matters, I know I won’t read it anyways.
“Our first class is tomorrow, try not to interrupt my lecture, oh I’m sorry I meant our lecture.” She taunted as she got up and made her way to the exit.
For a moment I could see her stop at the door and glance at a booth in the far corner of the room. I wondered what was going through her mind while staring at that booth. A lonely booth that our past sits inside of.
After a long day of bickering I made my way back to my apartment. It’s a nice apartment on campus that houses mainly students, and one awesome philosophy professor. I get a good deal on the place so I don’t mind the constant partying and puke in the parking lot, it’s usually hosed away in the morning, though at times the smell lingers in the air for a while.
On the ledge directly across from my door was a beer can precipitating onto the concrete. The students leave a little gift at my front door sometimes, I think it’s their way of saying sorry for the loud parties. I pocketed the beer and faced my door.
I wouldn’t mind a roommate honestly, it can get lonely sometimes. You go outside and see all these college kids with their friends and here I am by myself. I wasn’t always by myself though, there was a small period of time I had a roommate you could say.
Keys in hand I unlocked the door and entered inside. I slipped out of my shoes and set my bag to the side, for a moment I reconsidered if I wanted to read the material… Nah… I pulled the material out of my bag and tossed it in my trash. If I read that I’d only be making her feel that much more satisfied about herself, I can’t let her win.
I pulled the beer from my pocket, and cracked it open while plopping down onto my cheap brown leather couch. The beer sang a refreshing, sizzling song. Just the sound alone would make you feel refreshed. I needed this, because of tomorrow. Tomorrows gonna suck.