Once Upon a December
Dancing bears,
Painted wings
Things I almost remember
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December
Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Far away, long ago
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart used to know,
Things it yearns to remember...
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was a bleak frigid winter morning in New York. A sheet of white covered the landscape of the vast college campus. The multitude of trees appeared naked and bare being far too late for the colorful leaves of the autumn and too early for the white blankets of snow that usually covered them in January. The wind blew menacingly on the frozen branches, threatening to uproot the trees. Although, now and then a few people could be seen bustling around, the general atmosphere was peaceful and quiet this early in the morning.
Professor Max Guerin arrived at the building carrying a suitcase of notes he had prepared the previous night for the day's lesson. He walked into the classroom with an innate grace and instilled confidence that was undoubtedly the result of years of formal dinner parties. As he passed, many heads turned, but he did not notice for Max was generally ignorant of the overall effect he seemed to have on the female population. As he entered the chemistry room, he felt that he was ready to counter anything that the day would bring. He had no idea how wrong he was.
At about the same time, a sleek black limousine arrived in front of the school campus. The chauffeur stepped out to open the door for the passenger in the plush back set. A petite young woman stepped out of the vehicle before exchanging a few polite words with the chauffeur as she gazed around to look at her surroundings and blushed at the curious looks that people outside were giving her. She quickly walked into the building away from the onlookers, disappointing the many males that looked her way hoping for a sign of interest from her.
Why are they staring at me? She thought as she hurried up the stairs to avoid the public's eye. I knew I shouldn't have come in the limo. I wouldn't have if mother wasn't so worried about my safety.
Little did she know that the spectators were not just staring because of the limousine she had arrived in but at the stunning girl that emitted a rare natural beauty. She was short, about 5'5" with luxurious chocolate brown locks which she always tucked nervously behind her ears. She wore jeans and a conservative but elegant light blue cashmere sweater completed by a small, matching designer bag.
Just breathe Liz. Liz said to herself as she willed herself to not get too nervous. It was the first time she had left her home for such an extended period of time since the visits to the Evans' during the summers of her early childhood. Max. Her mind wandered again as it frequently did to her childhood best friend and crush. How young and innocent they had been then in their childhood dreams and fantasies. News of his death had broken her heart into pieces never to be mended and still she wondered if it was somehow her fault. She shook the thoughts away she figured the exquisite silver necklace on her neck.
Liz was determined to focus on the beginning of her college life. It had taken her months of convincing for her parents to agree to send their precious, only daughter to a college in the States but Liz had been adamant. After all, Columbia was her dream school and in her opinion certainly worth giving up Oxford for. Finally her parents relented and allowed her to go to a place an ocean away on the condition that she would call and write a postcard everyday with a formal letter twice a month. They have been worried about her ever since the death of the Evans' only heir ten years ago.
Now all she wanted was to get through the day. Glancing at her schedule, she noted that her first class of the day was Organic Chemistry. Liz groaned. As proficient she was in the other areas of science, she was hopeless at organic chemistry. She disliked the endless rules regarding nomenclature and the element carbon altogether. The only hope she had of passing that class was perhaps studying for eight hours before each test like a girl she once knew that was determined to be the valedictorian of her class. Taking a deep breathe, she opened the door to the class room.
Quietly she walked in determined not to cause a scene on her first day as she glanced around at the faces of the few dedicated students that had already arrived before she turned to look at the teacher and she could literally feel her heart stopping in sync with time as her own chocolate brown eyes met the mysterious amber ones that had haunted her dreams. Liz found herself drawn into the dazzling pools that were almost overwhelming her in its sea of tumultuous emotion. It just couldn't be. She forced her eyes away as she mentally kicked herself for feeling something for a complete stranger that happened to look like someone she once knew. She willed herself to calm down and quickly found a seat. She could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head marking its possession, following her every move as she sat down and took out her notebooks.
Max was writing some notes on the whiteboard when he heard the door of the classroom open. He had never believed in the power of psychics but if he was honest with himself, he always believed that people could intuitively know anything on some subconscious level though he always thought Transcendentalism was a bit bizarre. He felt suddenly drawn to the new presence in the room and needed to turn around. What he found would change his life forever - the familiar chocolate brown eyes that he had tried to forget. As Max gazed into the eyes that currently held confusion, apprehension, and above all a sense of recognition, he felt the heart that had been frozen for ten years thaw gently as if a new spring had descended in his world. All that he kept locked away for ten years began to flood back in a great inundation. He was compelled to drown in the eyes that now seemed to possess his entire being, his soul. Suddenly, the moment was lost as she glanced away, breaking their intense non-physical contact.
Max couldn't help but feel disappointed but he knew that his eyes were drawn to her, to her alone. They trailed from her shiny tresses that curled perfectly down her back to the simple yet eloquent outfit that seems to highlight her curves. He watched her take a seat and could not take his eyes off of her. She was the essence of beauty. She was elegance. She was, in a word, perfection. Max abruptly ended his thoughts and willed himself to regain his focus.
Liz sat stiffly in the chair of the lecture hall, trying to no avail to keep her mind off the man in the front. Around her she could hear pieces of conversation, most of which related to the "staring contest" in which she had just partaken in. Choosing to ignore those around her, she walked to the table in the front and took a syllabus to discover what the semester had to offer. Suddenly, a skimpily dressed girl with ridiculously high platforms bumped into her. Needless to say, the collision made the blonde girl to grab sharply at the next guy in front of her as she glared venomously at Liz.
"Who do you think you are, bitch?" the blonde screamed in the shrilly voice that made everyone cover their ears. "Have you any idea who I am?"
"No. Why, should I?" replied Liz in a cautious tone. She was angered at the girl's comment which was totally was uncalled for in her opinion.
"Do you live in a cave? I'm Pam Troy. My father is Jonathan Troy, CEO of WorldCom," Pam said haughtily, flicking her platinum blonde hair in a fake matter.
Something inside Liz snapped. She was accustomed to pretentious individuals, but not openly offensive ones. Her annoyance was noted in her retort. "Well, the erudite refer to it as Great Britain, but I would not expect one so uncultured and devoid of any class to know of the place."
"Why I." Pam began to respond in the extremely irritating voice of hers when she was interrupted.
Max was shocked at the protectiveness he felt to a girl who he had just met. When Pam affronted the petite brunette, he had the urge to run over and shield her from the insults that he felt was obviously incorrect. He would have been highly amused by the latter's response that is if he had not been preoccupied with her eyes seemed to flame up in anger with a scorching look that could kill or at least maim. Finally, he decided to end the open dispute and start the class.
"Good morning all, I'm Professor Maxwell Guerin. You all may refer to me as Professor Guerin or Max if you would like since I not that much older than any of you."
As he began, anyone especially all the girls could not help but feel captivated by his sonorous voice and gave him their full attention. They did not notice gasp from the petite brunette in the back.
Liz was shocked that the mystery man who she had found so familiar was the professor. She had not expected that someone just a few years older would be knowledgeable enough at the field to teach at such a prestigious school. Furthermore, it was such a coincidence that his man with his captivating voice and mesmerizing eyes would have the same name as her first and only love.
As the class proceeded, the students found Max's teaching methods rather interesting. They had not thought that such a tedious class could be made to be appealing or in some cases, fun. However, no one could say that the class was not difficult and even the science nerds were having trouble grasping some of the information.
Finally, the class ended and students filed out chatting, leaving Liz and Max alone. Liz had stayed behind to introduce herself to her new professor. She had wanted to ask him to suggest a tutor for the subject. What is wrong with me. Liz thought as she wondered why suddenly there were butterflies in her stomach due to her apprehension. She blamed it on first day jitters and her long flight.
"Professor Guerin? Hi, I'm Liz Parker. I was wondering." Liz was rudely interrupted by the same shrilly voice that she had learned to hate.
"Max! Aren't you happy that you are having me again for third time? Now, why don't me go into your office and have a little 'tutoring session or I'll fail.'" Pam pouted what she thought was a sexy innuendo as she batted her eyelashes suggestively and then stopped abruptly. "Oh it's you," she said in disdain.
Liz could not believe her ears. She had not expected that a professor would have relations with a student, least of all Pam. "I'm sorry for bothering you two," Liz said quickly as she turned to leave. She gathered her stuff and practically run out of the lecture hall in disbelief and perhaps, heartbreak.
The only thing that stopped Max from chasing after Liz - aside from Pam, who was in his way - was his initial shock at her name. At that instant, a thousand emotions and questions surged into Max. It was like a dream come true for him to realize that his lost love was standing in front of him within his reach. Oh, how she has changed! He thought. The once innocent girl had transformed into a gorgeous woman in the span of ten years. His heart had realized it was her from the moment he saw her standing in the doorway and all it took to substantiate this to his brain was some evidence as provided by her name.
When the shock wore off, Max was filled with horror and anger. He lost his temper and was impelled to strangle Pam, even though most unfortunately she was his student once again. He felt the thousand words that he had suppressed threaten to flood out.
"Pam, as I had informed you numerous times before. I am not at all interested in you or anything you would have to offer. In the future, do not mention any further falsehoods regarding our relationship, or lack thereof." Max said in a strained, yet commanding voice.
Pam pouted and tried to appear to be hurt. "But Max, you know you love me."
"That's absolutely ridiculous! You of all people cannot possibly grasp with 'love' is. Pam, try your best to pass this semester or I'll be forced to recommend some another instructor for your special case." Max said as he walked into his office and slammed the door behind him. Tomorrow, tomorrow I would set everything right. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he had not seen the blonde's determined and devious smirk as he left.
So, he wants to be hard to get. He shouldn't be that much of a challenge for me, after all, no man can resist my charm. Pam thought as she took out her cell phone from her purse and strived out of the lecture hall.
"Hello Jules, dig up everything on Professor Maxwell Guerin that you can find. I don't care how many laws you have to break, just do it." She snapped and nodded at the voice at the other line. Pam Troy never loses and always gets what she wants. This time, she was determined to make the handsome professor hers no matter the cost and no mousy little girl was going to stop her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: The song is from the Disney movie, Anastasia, and it is called Once Upon a December as the chapter title has already implied. If anyone here is reading my other fanfic, Learning to Live, I will try to update that within the next two days.
Dancing bears,
Painted wings
Things I almost remember
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December
Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Far away, long ago
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart used to know,
Things it yearns to remember...
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was a bleak frigid winter morning in New York. A sheet of white covered the landscape of the vast college campus. The multitude of trees appeared naked and bare being far too late for the colorful leaves of the autumn and too early for the white blankets of snow that usually covered them in January. The wind blew menacingly on the frozen branches, threatening to uproot the trees. Although, now and then a few people could be seen bustling around, the general atmosphere was peaceful and quiet this early in the morning.
Professor Max Guerin arrived at the building carrying a suitcase of notes he had prepared the previous night for the day's lesson. He walked into the classroom with an innate grace and instilled confidence that was undoubtedly the result of years of formal dinner parties. As he passed, many heads turned, but he did not notice for Max was generally ignorant of the overall effect he seemed to have on the female population. As he entered the chemistry room, he felt that he was ready to counter anything that the day would bring. He had no idea how wrong he was.
At about the same time, a sleek black limousine arrived in front of the school campus. The chauffeur stepped out to open the door for the passenger in the plush back set. A petite young woman stepped out of the vehicle before exchanging a few polite words with the chauffeur as she gazed around to look at her surroundings and blushed at the curious looks that people outside were giving her. She quickly walked into the building away from the onlookers, disappointing the many males that looked her way hoping for a sign of interest from her.
Why are they staring at me? She thought as she hurried up the stairs to avoid the public's eye. I knew I shouldn't have come in the limo. I wouldn't have if mother wasn't so worried about my safety.
Little did she know that the spectators were not just staring because of the limousine she had arrived in but at the stunning girl that emitted a rare natural beauty. She was short, about 5'5" with luxurious chocolate brown locks which she always tucked nervously behind her ears. She wore jeans and a conservative but elegant light blue cashmere sweater completed by a small, matching designer bag.
Just breathe Liz. Liz said to herself as she willed herself to not get too nervous. It was the first time she had left her home for such an extended period of time since the visits to the Evans' during the summers of her early childhood. Max. Her mind wandered again as it frequently did to her childhood best friend and crush. How young and innocent they had been then in their childhood dreams and fantasies. News of his death had broken her heart into pieces never to be mended and still she wondered if it was somehow her fault. She shook the thoughts away she figured the exquisite silver necklace on her neck.
Liz was determined to focus on the beginning of her college life. It had taken her months of convincing for her parents to agree to send their precious, only daughter to a college in the States but Liz had been adamant. After all, Columbia was her dream school and in her opinion certainly worth giving up Oxford for. Finally her parents relented and allowed her to go to a place an ocean away on the condition that she would call and write a postcard everyday with a formal letter twice a month. They have been worried about her ever since the death of the Evans' only heir ten years ago.
Now all she wanted was to get through the day. Glancing at her schedule, she noted that her first class of the day was Organic Chemistry. Liz groaned. As proficient she was in the other areas of science, she was hopeless at organic chemistry. She disliked the endless rules regarding nomenclature and the element carbon altogether. The only hope she had of passing that class was perhaps studying for eight hours before each test like a girl she once knew that was determined to be the valedictorian of her class. Taking a deep breathe, she opened the door to the class room.
Quietly she walked in determined not to cause a scene on her first day as she glanced around at the faces of the few dedicated students that had already arrived before she turned to look at the teacher and she could literally feel her heart stopping in sync with time as her own chocolate brown eyes met the mysterious amber ones that had haunted her dreams. Liz found herself drawn into the dazzling pools that were almost overwhelming her in its sea of tumultuous emotion. It just couldn't be. She forced her eyes away as she mentally kicked herself for feeling something for a complete stranger that happened to look like someone she once knew. She willed herself to calm down and quickly found a seat. She could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head marking its possession, following her every move as she sat down and took out her notebooks.
Max was writing some notes on the whiteboard when he heard the door of the classroom open. He had never believed in the power of psychics but if he was honest with himself, he always believed that people could intuitively know anything on some subconscious level though he always thought Transcendentalism was a bit bizarre. He felt suddenly drawn to the new presence in the room and needed to turn around. What he found would change his life forever - the familiar chocolate brown eyes that he had tried to forget. As Max gazed into the eyes that currently held confusion, apprehension, and above all a sense of recognition, he felt the heart that had been frozen for ten years thaw gently as if a new spring had descended in his world. All that he kept locked away for ten years began to flood back in a great inundation. He was compelled to drown in the eyes that now seemed to possess his entire being, his soul. Suddenly, the moment was lost as she glanced away, breaking their intense non-physical contact.
Max couldn't help but feel disappointed but he knew that his eyes were drawn to her, to her alone. They trailed from her shiny tresses that curled perfectly down her back to the simple yet eloquent outfit that seems to highlight her curves. He watched her take a seat and could not take his eyes off of her. She was the essence of beauty. She was elegance. She was, in a word, perfection. Max abruptly ended his thoughts and willed himself to regain his focus.
Liz sat stiffly in the chair of the lecture hall, trying to no avail to keep her mind off the man in the front. Around her she could hear pieces of conversation, most of which related to the "staring contest" in which she had just partaken in. Choosing to ignore those around her, she walked to the table in the front and took a syllabus to discover what the semester had to offer. Suddenly, a skimpily dressed girl with ridiculously high platforms bumped into her. Needless to say, the collision made the blonde girl to grab sharply at the next guy in front of her as she glared venomously at Liz.
"Who do you think you are, bitch?" the blonde screamed in the shrilly voice that made everyone cover their ears. "Have you any idea who I am?"
"No. Why, should I?" replied Liz in a cautious tone. She was angered at the girl's comment which was totally was uncalled for in her opinion.
"Do you live in a cave? I'm Pam Troy. My father is Jonathan Troy, CEO of WorldCom," Pam said haughtily, flicking her platinum blonde hair in a fake matter.
Something inside Liz snapped. She was accustomed to pretentious individuals, but not openly offensive ones. Her annoyance was noted in her retort. "Well, the erudite refer to it as Great Britain, but I would not expect one so uncultured and devoid of any class to know of the place."
"Why I." Pam began to respond in the extremely irritating voice of hers when she was interrupted.
Max was shocked at the protectiveness he felt to a girl who he had just met. When Pam affronted the petite brunette, he had the urge to run over and shield her from the insults that he felt was obviously incorrect. He would have been highly amused by the latter's response that is if he had not been preoccupied with her eyes seemed to flame up in anger with a scorching look that could kill or at least maim. Finally, he decided to end the open dispute and start the class.
"Good morning all, I'm Professor Maxwell Guerin. You all may refer to me as Professor Guerin or Max if you would like since I not that much older than any of you."
As he began, anyone especially all the girls could not help but feel captivated by his sonorous voice and gave him their full attention. They did not notice gasp from the petite brunette in the back.
Liz was shocked that the mystery man who she had found so familiar was the professor. She had not expected that someone just a few years older would be knowledgeable enough at the field to teach at such a prestigious school. Furthermore, it was such a coincidence that his man with his captivating voice and mesmerizing eyes would have the same name as her first and only love.
As the class proceeded, the students found Max's teaching methods rather interesting. They had not thought that such a tedious class could be made to be appealing or in some cases, fun. However, no one could say that the class was not difficult and even the science nerds were having trouble grasping some of the information.
Finally, the class ended and students filed out chatting, leaving Liz and Max alone. Liz had stayed behind to introduce herself to her new professor. She had wanted to ask him to suggest a tutor for the subject. What is wrong with me. Liz thought as she wondered why suddenly there were butterflies in her stomach due to her apprehension. She blamed it on first day jitters and her long flight.
"Professor Guerin? Hi, I'm Liz Parker. I was wondering." Liz was rudely interrupted by the same shrilly voice that she had learned to hate.
"Max! Aren't you happy that you are having me again for third time? Now, why don't me go into your office and have a little 'tutoring session or I'll fail.'" Pam pouted what she thought was a sexy innuendo as she batted her eyelashes suggestively and then stopped abruptly. "Oh it's you," she said in disdain.
Liz could not believe her ears. She had not expected that a professor would have relations with a student, least of all Pam. "I'm sorry for bothering you two," Liz said quickly as she turned to leave. She gathered her stuff and practically run out of the lecture hall in disbelief and perhaps, heartbreak.
The only thing that stopped Max from chasing after Liz - aside from Pam, who was in his way - was his initial shock at her name. At that instant, a thousand emotions and questions surged into Max. It was like a dream come true for him to realize that his lost love was standing in front of him within his reach. Oh, how she has changed! He thought. The once innocent girl had transformed into a gorgeous woman in the span of ten years. His heart had realized it was her from the moment he saw her standing in the doorway and all it took to substantiate this to his brain was some evidence as provided by her name.
When the shock wore off, Max was filled with horror and anger. He lost his temper and was impelled to strangle Pam, even though most unfortunately she was his student once again. He felt the thousand words that he had suppressed threaten to flood out.
"Pam, as I had informed you numerous times before. I am not at all interested in you or anything you would have to offer. In the future, do not mention any further falsehoods regarding our relationship, or lack thereof." Max said in a strained, yet commanding voice.
Pam pouted and tried to appear to be hurt. "But Max, you know you love me."
"That's absolutely ridiculous! You of all people cannot possibly grasp with 'love' is. Pam, try your best to pass this semester or I'll be forced to recommend some another instructor for your special case." Max said as he walked into his office and slammed the door behind him. Tomorrow, tomorrow I would set everything right. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he had not seen the blonde's determined and devious smirk as he left.
So, he wants to be hard to get. He shouldn't be that much of a challenge for me, after all, no man can resist my charm. Pam thought as she took out her cell phone from her purse and strived out of the lecture hall.
"Hello Jules, dig up everything on Professor Maxwell Guerin that you can find. I don't care how many laws you have to break, just do it." She snapped and nodded at the voice at the other line. Pam Troy never loses and always gets what she wants. This time, she was determined to make the handsome professor hers no matter the cost and no mousy little girl was going to stop her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: The song is from the Disney movie, Anastasia, and it is called Once Upon a December as the chapter title has already implied. If anyone here is reading my other fanfic, Learning to Live, I will try to update that within the next two days.