4.
Declan paced the lecture room, relating a story to his students, trying to
get his point across. He paused in the middle of the room and looked up at
the rows of young adults expectantly. He frowned as he spotted a lone
student dozing up the back.
"Jordan!"
The young man jumped in his seat and blinked a few times, trying to determine where he was. A sheepish grin escaped his lips when he realised and he mumbled a sorry, hurriedly flicking through his notes in an attempt to look like he was paying attention.
"Handout number two, page five, paragraph three," Declan directed the student.
Jordan nodded his thanks, turning to the correct page of information. Declan sighed and tuned back in to the rest of the class, noting a student was trying to get his attention. He nodded at the young woman with her hand raised, hoping for a question that would prove someone had been paying attention.
"Is this going to be on the test next week?"
Declan inwardly groaned and shook his head. Checking his watch, he almost leapt for joy, noting that the lecture was to finish in five.
"Ok people, to save us all from falling asleep - class dismissed. Enjoy your extra five minutes of freedom. Oh, and Kasei? No, the topics covered in this lecture will not be on the test. I think it's in everyone's best interest if it wasn't," he joked grimly.
Some class members laughed, noting the professor's dry witted comment as they scattered from the room. Declan removed his glasses and tiredly and sat down, cleaning them with the corner of his shirt as he relaxed into the chair. He jumped as an object was placed onto his desk and looked up, noting the large red apple and a hand extended from it, holding it in place on the desk. Declan felt his face flush as he looked up at the young woman expectantly, questioning how he had gotten himself into this situation in the first place.
***
Miranda sighed and slowly peeled off her clothes, anxious to be able to relax for a short while before attacking a physics assignment that wasn't cooperating. She smiled and slowly stepped into the steaming bath, giving her body a moment to get used to the heat of the water before gradually sliding into the soothingly warm liquid.
She slowly relaxed as she lay, only her head resting above the surface of the water and bubbles. She pondered Declan's current odd behaviour but just smiled at the strange professor's antics, concluding she'd soon find out what was causing him to act more awkward than usual. Almost dozing off in her relaxed state, Miranda groaned as the phone rang and slowly rose from the bath, wrapping a robe around her soaked body before padding out into the living room to see who was so intent on ruining her time of relaxation with a phone call.
"Miranda speaking."
"Hi Miranda, sorry to disturb you but Declan and I were planning to see a movie later this evening and I thought I'd see if you'd like to join us? I'm supposed to be picking Declan up from the University in around an hour and could swing by your place on the way," Peggy explained.
Miranda smiled, instantly forgiving her friend for the interruption.
"Thanks for the thought Peggy, but I'll have to decline. I've got an assignment that needs my attention for this evening. Perhaps another time."
Peggy smiled from her end of the line.
"Sure, no problem. I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. Talk to you later."
"Bye."
Miranda hung up the phone, ruefully thinking that the bath water would now be cold and it wasn't worth going back to it. She headed back to the bathroom to empty the tub, noting that it would be a good idea to get another phone - perhaps a cordless so she wouldn't have to resort to getting out of the bath to answer calls.
Emerging from the bathroom, Miranda paused in the hallway, stopping her course to the bedroom as she heard a noise. Frowning, she pulled the robe tighter around her body and headed out to the living room once more, pausing as she heard someone at the door of her apartment. Her eyes widened as the door physically shook. She could only guess that someone was trying to get in.
Indecisive, she stood in the hallway and stared at the door as someone on the other side fumbled with the lock and finally succeeding, opened the door to her home. Miranda watched with shock as a young man fumbled with the key, now trying to remove it from the lock in the door. When he finally managed to extract it from the door, he looked into the apartment and gaped at what he saw.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?"
She stared back and looked around for something to use as a weapon if need be. Spotting something within reach, Miranda addressed the shocked male, trying to appear confident.
"I could ask you the same thing."
"Jordan!"
The young man jumped in his seat and blinked a few times, trying to determine where he was. A sheepish grin escaped his lips when he realised and he mumbled a sorry, hurriedly flicking through his notes in an attempt to look like he was paying attention.
"Handout number two, page five, paragraph three," Declan directed the student.
Jordan nodded his thanks, turning to the correct page of information. Declan sighed and tuned back in to the rest of the class, noting a student was trying to get his attention. He nodded at the young woman with her hand raised, hoping for a question that would prove someone had been paying attention.
"Is this going to be on the test next week?"
Declan inwardly groaned and shook his head. Checking his watch, he almost leapt for joy, noting that the lecture was to finish in five.
"Ok people, to save us all from falling asleep - class dismissed. Enjoy your extra five minutes of freedom. Oh, and Kasei? No, the topics covered in this lecture will not be on the test. I think it's in everyone's best interest if it wasn't," he joked grimly.
Some class members laughed, noting the professor's dry witted comment as they scattered from the room. Declan removed his glasses and tiredly and sat down, cleaning them with the corner of his shirt as he relaxed into the chair. He jumped as an object was placed onto his desk and looked up, noting the large red apple and a hand extended from it, holding it in place on the desk. Declan felt his face flush as he looked up at the young woman expectantly, questioning how he had gotten himself into this situation in the first place.
***
Miranda sighed and slowly peeled off her clothes, anxious to be able to relax for a short while before attacking a physics assignment that wasn't cooperating. She smiled and slowly stepped into the steaming bath, giving her body a moment to get used to the heat of the water before gradually sliding into the soothingly warm liquid.
She slowly relaxed as she lay, only her head resting above the surface of the water and bubbles. She pondered Declan's current odd behaviour but just smiled at the strange professor's antics, concluding she'd soon find out what was causing him to act more awkward than usual. Almost dozing off in her relaxed state, Miranda groaned as the phone rang and slowly rose from the bath, wrapping a robe around her soaked body before padding out into the living room to see who was so intent on ruining her time of relaxation with a phone call.
"Miranda speaking."
"Hi Miranda, sorry to disturb you but Declan and I were planning to see a movie later this evening and I thought I'd see if you'd like to join us? I'm supposed to be picking Declan up from the University in around an hour and could swing by your place on the way," Peggy explained.
Miranda smiled, instantly forgiving her friend for the interruption.
"Thanks for the thought Peggy, but I'll have to decline. I've got an assignment that needs my attention for this evening. Perhaps another time."
Peggy smiled from her end of the line.
"Sure, no problem. I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. Talk to you later."
"Bye."
Miranda hung up the phone, ruefully thinking that the bath water would now be cold and it wasn't worth going back to it. She headed back to the bathroom to empty the tub, noting that it would be a good idea to get another phone - perhaps a cordless so she wouldn't have to resort to getting out of the bath to answer calls.
Emerging from the bathroom, Miranda paused in the hallway, stopping her course to the bedroom as she heard a noise. Frowning, she pulled the robe tighter around her body and headed out to the living room once more, pausing as she heard someone at the door of her apartment. Her eyes widened as the door physically shook. She could only guess that someone was trying to get in.
Indecisive, she stood in the hallway and stared at the door as someone on the other side fumbled with the lock and finally succeeding, opened the door to her home. Miranda watched with shock as a young man fumbled with the key, now trying to remove it from the lock in the door. When he finally managed to extract it from the door, he looked into the apartment and gaped at what he saw.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?"
She stared back and looked around for something to use as a weapon if need be. Spotting something within reach, Miranda addressed the shocked male, trying to appear confident.
"I could ask you the same thing."