Damaged Beyond Repair by Kashmira Kamat (KittyKash) (best short books to read TXT) 📗

Chapter 4

I offered mono syllabi answers to Chez as he rattled on the entire way back to the dorm about being careful of the supposedly evil eye of the professor and blah blah yada yada. I told him off by telling him how much he'd humiliated me in front of the entire present study body. I even suggested Chez to apologize, but he had a full-blown up ego in his pants (some male pride), he snapped back at me, saying he hadn't done anything wrong.

Not how I pictured the end of my day.

It left me with no other choice than ringing Mr. Hot-shot-demon professor with a good heart. After endless hours of homework, I settled on my comfy bed with the phone cradled in my hands. I wasn't sure I could pull it off without getting yelled at or being hung up on. Numerous scenarios played as I contemplated my decision. What if he marked me a failing grade?

I was fine with those options except the latter one. I took a deep breath, bucked up some courage, and dialed his number, the one which he'd been kind and generous enough to write on the back of my study material copy in beautiful cursive handwriting. The time read 10:00 pm. I wondered if it was even alright for me to call my teacher at such an unusual time. Either way, I had no patience until the next day. I hit the call before I could chicken out.

It rang once and then twice.

Thrice. My heartbeat took pace with every ring.

He answered the phone on the fourth ring, "Hello?"

I could have a heart attack. "Yes?"

"Mr. Masters, it's me, Alana." I found my voice a second later.

"Alana, hey." He didn't sound mad which was my cue to sigh in relief.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you at this hour."

"No, don't worry about it. Tell me, is..." okay so he sounded worried, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, It's just that.." I sighed, "I'm really, really sorry about earlier. I mean, I wanted to sit until the end of the class, but…I apologize on behalf of Chez too. He doesn't understand the things that he says sometimes. I assure you we won't be repeating it."

I thought he had hung up since all I could hear were crickets outside my window. Then I heard a long intake of breath, "Its fine, Alana. I don't keep grudges over my students outside of class. So…we're cool."

"Either way I wanted to apologize, I thought it would be late until tomorrow and that's the reason I called." Great. Now I was blabbering. I added, "Hope I'm not causing any disturbance."

I heard a soft chuckle, "No you're not, and apology accepted."

That was a relief, "I will make sure Chez apologizes first thing in the morning."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Alana," I just loved how he would pronounce my name giving each word its own place. "Apologies are supposed to be genuine. If Chez understands his mistake, he will apologize, if not then..well, I don't force or intimidate my students. I never beg for apologies. Do you agree, Alana?"

"Yes sir, of course, I do."

"That's good."

There was a muffled disturbance in the background followed by a child's loud, helpless wail.

My breath hitched in my throat.

He whispered in the background which I couldn't make out, then he spoke to me, "Alana, I'll speak with you tomorrow, okay?" the child's pitch increased, "I'll be checking your homework, fail, and I will double it."

He hung up, leaving me to think about what I had just heard.

I kept changing sides throughout the night, unable to get an eye shut even for a second. Damn. I shouldn't have called on his cell phone in the first place. Who was that kid? Does that mean Mr. Masters the hot-shot was married? And what about the wailing child in the background? It could be his kid. What was the other explanation I could use to soothe my burning soul?

Something struck in my Alana detective brain. Could be his sibling, Ha!

A twenty-seven year old brothering a two year or three-year kid was highly unlikely unless of course, his parents had decided they wanted to have some fun.

Yeah, right!

My hand itched to grab the phone. I wanted my doubts clarified, though I refrained from doing so. I fell in a peaceful slumber when it was almost time for me to wake up, but I'd already checked my schedule a few hours ago and my classes didn't start until 10:30 am. I buried my face in the cushion.

*~*

The rest of the week passed in a bat of an eye, monotonous and boring with no entertainment in particular. Even Mr. Hot-shot demon professor with a good heart did not so much as pay me any attention even though I wore my best clothes, my new lip gloss, and the waterproof mascara.

Don't get me wrong, I'm usually never desperate for guy attention, but his lectures were making me do crazy things. I wouldn't deny the fact that he did look at me once in a while, but then again he glanced at other students in a similar fashion, then why did the feeling of being his favorite linger within me?

I tried to talk to him after class, but I couldn't reach him since he attracted a group of bitchy looking girls, who were all over him like freaking moths following a light bulb. I had a hard time enduring the jealously that boiled inside me. I convinced Chez to apologize to our professor. Chez didn't seem very thrilled by the idea, but he wasn't in a position to protest further as I bribed Chez into treating him with dinner later that night. That was enough to get his mouth to open.

During a late evening on a lazy Sunday, when I'd wrapped up my assignments and done some serious dusting of my dorm room, I decided to visit the nearby convenience store. I asked Chez to play the chaperone until I realized he was too busy sinking his teeth into the assignment he was supposed to give in months ago.

I shopped for a few things and made my way back slowly towards the dorm campus. The cool windy smacks on my face told me to rush back real quick--I hugged myself beneath the warmth of the thick fabric of the jacket. It was a relief I'd decided to grab it on short notice.

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