I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream
Monday had regretfully arrived with scarce recollection of the past six hours. Nadia hadn't drank as much as Esmeralda, which was good news ; it meant she was the brains of the operation, which prevented Esmeralda from attempting anything stupid.
After getting ready, the girls met at the dining hall for some coffee and bagels. They were still recovering from their hangovers as they prodded their breakfast. Esmeralda's stomach churned painfully, threatening to expel anything she intended to consume. She surrendered, pushing the bagel aside and pulling the cup of coffee closer. The steam rose languidly, caressing her face as she basked in its heat.
"Any exams for today?" Nadia's tired voice inquired from across the table.
"Two, actually," Esmeralda replied. "Both of my classes have essays due."
"Dang," Nadia drawled. She dropped her bagel and ran her fingertips in circles against her temples. She cursed under her breath.
Esmeralda squeezed her eyes shut as they began to ache. The light from the dining hall seemed too harsh. She rubbed away the pain with a knuckle. She sighed, opening her bloodshot gaze to look upon Nadia, who suddenly chuckled, reminiscing.
"What?" Esmeralda asked between quick sips of coffee.
"I still can't believe you called your professor." she chuckled again. "You've always been so fearless!"
A few seconds of silence passed and Esmeralda didn't respond. Nadia glanced up from her breakfast to study her suddenly reticent peer. She found the girl transfixed, a glint of light shining across her face. Her pupils were pinpoints, and the green of her irises was more vivid than ever, locked in the brilliance of the sunshine. She was looking across the large cafe into the streets outside where the refraction originated.
Nadia followed the line of sight and eyed the passing foot traffic, but nothing appeared abnormal. She looked back to Esmeralda, still muted and dazed, and reached across the table and snapped her fingers.
Ground Control to Major Tom, Esmeralda heard faintly, like a whisper at the end of a tunnel. The smile she had began to slip from her lips as the trance took hold. A flickering had riffed across the room, snaring Esmeralda's attention. She sat fixed and motionless as her eyes unfocused and the sound around her faded. In her head the images unfolded...
She was back in the sunny courtyard of her dream with the cold cobblestone beneath her feet. A glint refracted from the stained panels of glass. She winced, turning away from the glare. It's provenance that of a massive cathedral. The air was warm and rained bits of ribbon and colored paper. She was on a stage, in someone's lap, writhing against them. They felt warm and firm. Their hands were clutching the armrest with pale, jeweled claws. She sank against them, wiggling in the dredge of their lap. Though she was aware of her actions, she had no control over them.
She moved her eyes around, felt the straining of a smile playing her lips as she jumped up. Her shoulders were bare, the sleeves of her scarlet tunic had been drawn down. As quickly as she rubbed against the stranger beneath the shadow of the awning, she moved.
Her long legs pirouetted, flaring the dress at her ankles like a flourishing inferno. Her orbit slowed until she sank to the wooden stage, breathless and glistening with sweat.
When she lifted her gaze she saw him. Fuming under the shadows from whence she came was a man, the figure from the fireplace. His sullen features marked by knitted brows and a malice set of the mouth. Through the bitterness he exuded towards her, her body recalled the thickening length she felt against her bottom. She smiled and so did he;
Maliciously.
Somewhere in the room, someone was singing David Bowie's Space Oddity. Esmeralda blinked and she was back in the dining hall of Notre Dame.
"Nadia," she said with confusion, slowly becoming aware of what had just transpired. "The weirdest thing just happened."
"Yeah, no kidding." Nadia spat, "I thought I'd lost you there."
Claude was gathering the last bit of supplies before his following lecture. He was still within the Golden Dome, buttoning his peacoat and re-adjusting the scarf about his pale neck. The walk was going to be frigid and Claude hated that. Snapping his briefcase closed, he shut off his desk lamp and grabbed his office keys. As he headed out the door, he palmed the cellphone resting deep in his pocket. It'd been an odd start for the professor, beginning with the proverbial missed phone call during the ripe hours of the night. Thank God his phone was on silent, or a student would have been reprimanded thoroughly. Moreover, the caller, a girl, had left a voice mail that left him questioning his awareness. It was a confession, more or less, on her thoughts she conjured in his favor. By the throaty laughter she produced and the occasional slurring, he knew she was inebriated.
Having never experienced such an ordeal, Claude summoned the guidance of his adopted son who, despite his ill-favored appearance, sewn many a great relations with the female creatures Claude knew so little about. Initially, he had reduced the encounter as a mere prank. It certainly wasn't the first phone call he had received during his teachings at Notre Dame. Most were cackling boys yawping obscenities into the speaker and bellowing quotes upon mocking tongues. But this, this he had never received, a melody of a sweet voice; especially one offering thoughts on affection for his behalf. After a thought, he was elated, awestruck that a man such as he could be for once the recipient, but alas, insecurity and doubt reared an ugly head, striking him with the cold reality that a callous man such as he could never elicit ardor from another.
After he indulged his current oppression to the boy who, in turn, gave rather a queer approach; call her back and see what she had to say. Claude decided it was best to just ignore it entirely. Yes, that will do, he thought. Besides, she was probably a hideous, unsightly thing, which he had no desire in entertaining.
Claude turned and locked his office door with a gloved hand.
"Dr. Frollo, you always looks so sharp." a woman's voice uttered from behind.
Claude straightened and eyed the woman with a scrutinizing look. Was she toying with him? He rarely received compliments. When she offered a genuine smile, he curtly thanked her and hurried towards the staircase. Today was getting odder by the hour.
Claude reached the innards of his auditorium where a full class awaited him. He had prepared the lesson the night before, coming to the campus from his home and inscribing a message upon the white board. A prompt had been provided, asking the students to summarize what they believed Theology meant, and why it was important to become well-rounded in the metaphysical means.
Much to his delight, most students began right away. Their heads were bent over their papers as they worked their pens diligently. Claude sat his briefcase down and removed his winter layers. He draped the jacket upon his chair and retrieved his phone from its depths. He wanted to hear her voice again, though he had no idea what beautiful mouth it derived from.
He checked the class with a fleeting glance as he headed out the door. He left it cracked in case they began to question his whereabouts. Tapping the call button, he rang his voice mail and a few seconds later, her voice flowed from the device into his ear.
"Professor Claude Frollo," she breathed drunkenly, the same riff of music repeating in the background. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you. I'm always thinking about you." She laughed and he revelled in the intoxicating sound. He pictured the figure of a beautiful woman at his side, imploring him to find the mystery that she so quickly became.
"My God, where do I begin with you?" Her voice continued, "You're not my type, but suddenly, you are? Maybe you've always been, I don't know. I don't know anything anymore."
Though they were incoherent bouts of rambling, she was trying to tell him something. Was she honestly crushing? Somewhere among the student body, a female had developed an infatuation. This troubled as well as excited him. He'd been at the University of Notre Dame for sixteen years and not once did this happen.
The message ended and he was left alone in the corridor. He ended the call and checked his previous log. Her number was still there, logged at 1:45 in the morning. She was evidently one of his pupils, though he had numerous classes, ranging from opening Theology to the more advanced lectures. A thought struck him then as he review the call log. His thumb hovered over the button and without a second thought, he tapped the screen. The call opened and began dialing her number. He lifted the device and pressed it into his ear.
It began to ring.
He waited there with one arm crossed while the other rested against it. He glanced into the crack of the door, eyeing his students as they worked. Someone stirred, near the front row, a girl. Her hair was obsidian and her skin the color of caramel.
His stomach dropped as the air went out from his lungs.
Could it be?
Transfixed, Claude watched through the narrow opening as the phone continued to ring. He could hear it now, the constant vibration deep in the belly of her book bag. He lowered his phone from his ear as she tore it open, her brown arm disappearing into its folds. When she retrieved her phone, her expression fell alarmed. A hand shot up to catch the gasp that slipped from her full lips. She lifted her head and Claude tried to move away, but fell short. He faltered, spellbound by her gaze. His heart began to pound as his lung starved for air. They held each other there, hypnotized, or at least Claude was.
A shrill sounded erupted his trance. He snapped to, startled at the screaming volume of his phone. He looked down, tearing his gaze away and saw the call was from his adopted son. Without another glance, he moved away from the door and answered.
[A/N]: I'm so excited you guys are into this Fresme student/teacher mess. Song is Lana Del Rey's 'Once Upon a Dream.' R&R!