She had heard stories about her professor circulating over the last semester. She didn't know much of Mr. Holmes besides what she had overheard in the libraries or hallways and she wasn't sure how she felt about him.
Zoe had spent the last four months trying to get used to her new campus, keeping to herself, studying and writing numerous papers. It wasn't the smartest move she had made, transferring on a whim in the middle of her college career, but she had to do something.
She waited outside the fourth floor classroom of the Humanities building along with her other classmates around the locked door. She kept glancing at her watch and along the hall for her professor. Two minutes until the start of lecture a tall man in a long dark coat swiftly strode down the hall muttering under his breath stopping once he reached their door.
"Damn Mycroft, not giving me the key," he growled pulling it out of his pocket, unlocking the door and throwing it open.
"In."
Students rushed forward taking seats in the tiny desks. Zoe was unsure where to sit, hesitating for a few moments. She didn't want to sit right up front, that would leave her a prime target and she didn't like full attention placed on her. She settled for a desk in the far left near the window in the second row and quietly sat. Still up close to see, but not directly in eyesight. A window to gather her thoughts at if lectures became too intense.
They jumped slightly when the door was slammed shut, eyes on their professor as he moved to lean against the front of his desk, refusing to remove his long coat. Zoe pulled her own tighter around herself and waited.
"This is an upper level creative writing capstone. Most of you will end up dropping, unable to deal with the course load and all that is expected from you. You are to write twenty to twenty five poems if you write poetry and thirty to thirty five pages for prose and non-fiction. You will write a proposal for what your project will cover. We will meet one on one where I will approve your semester project if I see fit. I will pass around a sign up sheet for conference times starting tomorrow morning until Friday. When you arrive your five page proposal will be due."
The dark haired man reached over into his bag pulling out a sheet of paper. Zoe snuck a peek around at her classmates and wasn't all that surprised to see a few get up and leave. She watched Mr. Holmes give a smirk when the door opened and closed before walking over and handing the paper to the student in front of her. She caught his eyes briefly before looking down into her bag to get a pen. Being the second person to sign up she didn't have much time to decide in advance what day to pick. She didn't want to wait until the last day and have him think she was lazy, but she didn't even know what she wanted her project to consist of.
"Excuse me, Miss.."
She jumped slightly looking up as her professor called her out.
"Hathaway, sorry sir."
"Just pick a date. It doesn't matter, and get on with it."
She chose that Wednesday, early in the morning and turned to give the paper to the person behind her who glared before snatching it out of her hand. Zoe remained silent and spent the remainder of the class half listening to the syllabus and looking out the window. When it came time for the lecture to end Zoe was stopped just outside the classroom door.
"I would appreciate it if you would pay attention in my classroom Miss Ryan and not stare out the window."
Zoe gripped her hand on her bag and turned to face her professor who was slinging his own bag over his shoulder.
"Sorry sir," she mumbled.
"American," he frowned.
Zoe glanced at her watch. "I'm sorry sir, but I'm going to be late for my next lecture."
He nodded, brushing past her, "Afternoon."
Relieved that the conversation had ended she followed him out the door not at all surprised to find he had already left the hall.