Chapter Seven
The next day in the Café Martine, 15 students were sitting in various tables throughout the café laughing and talking loudly. Peter was in a far corner of the café reading. He is looking more tired than usual with his dark circles under his reddish eyes. Jackie, Harry's new girlfriend, was sitting with her loud group of friends turned and looked at Peter who was trying to suppress a yawn. She looked at him, feeling a bit guilty that she did not recognize him when she visited his flat as being in her Calculus Three class in addition to snubbing him a few days ago in that same situation. She had it in her mind to talk to him to patch things up. Just then, Dr. Hanes walked into the Martine with a grin on his face.
"What a surprise! Everyone's here! Marvelous!" Then, Dr. Hanes abruptly became business-like. "Alright. I believe I told you this before, but I will repeat it. Dr. Simon is not entirely friendly. I had him for a professor and he never talked to me very kindly, so be warned. Try to say as little as possible. Let's go."
In a couple of minutes, they reached the grand house of Dr. Ham Simon, which the architecture resembles Roman style and southern plantation flair. As they headed toward the home, the butler opened the door and led them into the hallway. Peter was right behind Dr. Hanes, but now, he became part of the mass of students laughing and talking loudly. Jackie noticed that Peter looked like he was going to collapse and frowned in concern . He leaned his head against the doorframe, squeezing his eyes shut. Jackie left her friends unnoticed and walked right to him.
"You look really tired Peter." She went into her backpack and took out a sugar stick and handed it to Peter. "Here. I think this will keep you awake."
Peter looked at her with a smile of greeting and suspiciously fingered the sugar stick that she gave him and looked up. "What is it?"
Jackie smiled at him. Peter returned her smile with an extremely confused look. Jackie smiled again at his bewilderment. "It's basically a sugar stick; nothing more."
Peter looked at her with surprise, "Uh-thanks- but will it really help me to stay awake?"
Jackie nodding, "Yep, it works for me. So," Jackie said trying to continue the conversation. "- were you pulling an all-nighter or something?"
Peter looked at her in a deadpan fashion, "Not exactly. I was in a moosh pit for about an hour at the pub last night."
Jackie regarded his severe sarcasm and smiled, "Really? Was it fun? I have never been in a MOSH pit before."
Jackie and Peter smiled at each other in understanding. Peter, accordingly, tried to open the sugar stick with his mouth. He finally got into the stick and tasted his first sugar stick. Then abruptly, he started to cough.
"Nice, isn't it?" Jackie asked in between laughs.
"Yeah." Peter said amid coughs.
"Are you lethargic now?"
Peter smiled at her genuinely, "No, I can't say that I am."
Jackie placed her back next to the wall and pointed to the remains of the sugar stick in his hand. "The thing is that the sugar stick is only too strong when it is eaten all at once."
Peter smiled while he was still coughing. "That's good to know."
At that moment, the butler came back and ushered everyone into the main dining room.
***
It had been an hour since the meal started, and the dinner was coming to an end. However, Dr. Hanes did not expect his former teacher's behavior to his best students: Peter and Jackie. Dr. Simon, an old man in his nineties, was talking exclusively to Jackie and Peter. Peter was reservedly listening to Dr. Simon while Jackie engaged full-heartily into the conversation.
"I was very surprised by both of your thesis papers. Usually my seniors would not been able to do such a meticulous and pedantic work as both of you somehow accomplished. I enjoy having gifted students like you in class."
Jackie smiled at Dr. Simon's praise, "Thank you Dr. Simon. I really enjoy mathematics."
"Are you a math major?"
Jackie nodded, "Yes. I want to be a math professor."
Simon smiled as he lifted his fork in agreement, "Yes, that's the best job!" As he started to chuckle, he looked over at Peter who is sitting quietly with a nauseous expression on his face. Dr. Simon put in fork down in concern, "Mr. Parker? Are you alright? You look a little feeble-"
Unexpectedly at that precise moment, Pete fell off of his chair and landing hard on the ground. People who were dining with Dr. Simon leaned over and saw Peter getting up, rubbing his head. Dr. Simon leaned over.
"Peter?" Dr. Simon said in a worried tone, "Are you all right lad? You hit the ground pretty hard. Do you have Narcolepsy, Peter?"
Pete finally sat up, sitting on the ground with his legs out in front of him. His face was totally scarlet and full of embarrassment. "Oh, it's nothing. I didn't get much sleep last night."
Just then Peter noticed that the whole table was looking straight at him as though he had a disease. Much to Peter's relief, Dr. Hanes came and interrupted everyone from staring at him.
"I think you may need some fresh air." Dr. Hanes said as he gestured Peter outside. Hanes planned to stay with Peter, but Dr. Simon had other ideas.
'Hanes! Come in here! Let Mr. Parker be!"
Hanes sighed, "Alright!" He looked at Peter with concern, "Are you gonna be okay?"
Pete simply nodded and watched as Dr. Hanes unwillingly left him outside. The door shut and Pete stood there, looking out and trying to think of what to do next. Tears weld up in his eyes and he started to quietly weep. His face had just turned an unhealthy white and the signs of sleep deprivation seemed to take a heavy toll on his appearance. His eyes were red of agitation and worry and his face seemed to be permanently in an indifferent look. Then unpredictably, he passed out and fell on the cold ground.
The next day in the Café Martine, 15 students were sitting in various tables throughout the café laughing and talking loudly. Peter was in a far corner of the café reading. He is looking more tired than usual with his dark circles under his reddish eyes. Jackie, Harry's new girlfriend, was sitting with her loud group of friends turned and looked at Peter who was trying to suppress a yawn. She looked at him, feeling a bit guilty that she did not recognize him when she visited his flat as being in her Calculus Three class in addition to snubbing him a few days ago in that same situation. She had it in her mind to talk to him to patch things up. Just then, Dr. Hanes walked into the Martine with a grin on his face.
"What a surprise! Everyone's here! Marvelous!" Then, Dr. Hanes abruptly became business-like. "Alright. I believe I told you this before, but I will repeat it. Dr. Simon is not entirely friendly. I had him for a professor and he never talked to me very kindly, so be warned. Try to say as little as possible. Let's go."
In a couple of minutes, they reached the grand house of Dr. Ham Simon, which the architecture resembles Roman style and southern plantation flair. As they headed toward the home, the butler opened the door and led them into the hallway. Peter was right behind Dr. Hanes, but now, he became part of the mass of students laughing and talking loudly. Jackie noticed that Peter looked like he was going to collapse and frowned in concern . He leaned his head against the doorframe, squeezing his eyes shut. Jackie left her friends unnoticed and walked right to him.
"You look really tired Peter." She went into her backpack and took out a sugar stick and handed it to Peter. "Here. I think this will keep you awake."
Peter looked at her with a smile of greeting and suspiciously fingered the sugar stick that she gave him and looked up. "What is it?"
Jackie smiled at him. Peter returned her smile with an extremely confused look. Jackie smiled again at his bewilderment. "It's basically a sugar stick; nothing more."
Peter looked at her with surprise, "Uh-thanks- but will it really help me to stay awake?"
Jackie nodding, "Yep, it works for me. So," Jackie said trying to continue the conversation. "- were you pulling an all-nighter or something?"
Peter looked at her in a deadpan fashion, "Not exactly. I was in a moosh pit for about an hour at the pub last night."
Jackie regarded his severe sarcasm and smiled, "Really? Was it fun? I have never been in a MOSH pit before."
Jackie and Peter smiled at each other in understanding. Peter, accordingly, tried to open the sugar stick with his mouth. He finally got into the stick and tasted his first sugar stick. Then abruptly, he started to cough.
"Nice, isn't it?" Jackie asked in between laughs.
"Yeah." Peter said amid coughs.
"Are you lethargic now?"
Peter smiled at her genuinely, "No, I can't say that I am."
Jackie placed her back next to the wall and pointed to the remains of the sugar stick in his hand. "The thing is that the sugar stick is only too strong when it is eaten all at once."
Peter smiled while he was still coughing. "That's good to know."
At that moment, the butler came back and ushered everyone into the main dining room.
***
It had been an hour since the meal started, and the dinner was coming to an end. However, Dr. Hanes did not expect his former teacher's behavior to his best students: Peter and Jackie. Dr. Simon, an old man in his nineties, was talking exclusively to Jackie and Peter. Peter was reservedly listening to Dr. Simon while Jackie engaged full-heartily into the conversation.
"I was very surprised by both of your thesis papers. Usually my seniors would not been able to do such a meticulous and pedantic work as both of you somehow accomplished. I enjoy having gifted students like you in class."
Jackie smiled at Dr. Simon's praise, "Thank you Dr. Simon. I really enjoy mathematics."
"Are you a math major?"
Jackie nodded, "Yes. I want to be a math professor."
Simon smiled as he lifted his fork in agreement, "Yes, that's the best job!" As he started to chuckle, he looked over at Peter who is sitting quietly with a nauseous expression on his face. Dr. Simon put in fork down in concern, "Mr. Parker? Are you alright? You look a little feeble-"
Unexpectedly at that precise moment, Pete fell off of his chair and landing hard on the ground. People who were dining with Dr. Simon leaned over and saw Peter getting up, rubbing his head. Dr. Simon leaned over.
"Peter?" Dr. Simon said in a worried tone, "Are you all right lad? You hit the ground pretty hard. Do you have Narcolepsy, Peter?"
Pete finally sat up, sitting on the ground with his legs out in front of him. His face was totally scarlet and full of embarrassment. "Oh, it's nothing. I didn't get much sleep last night."
Just then Peter noticed that the whole table was looking straight at him as though he had a disease. Much to Peter's relief, Dr. Hanes came and interrupted everyone from staring at him.
"I think you may need some fresh air." Dr. Hanes said as he gestured Peter outside. Hanes planned to stay with Peter, but Dr. Simon had other ideas.
'Hanes! Come in here! Let Mr. Parker be!"
Hanes sighed, "Alright!" He looked at Peter with concern, "Are you gonna be okay?"
Pete simply nodded and watched as Dr. Hanes unwillingly left him outside. The door shut and Pete stood there, looking out and trying to think of what to do next. Tears weld up in his eyes and he started to quietly weep. His face had just turned an unhealthy white and the signs of sleep deprivation seemed to take a heavy toll on his appearance. His eyes were red of agitation and worry and his face seemed to be permanently in an indifferent look. Then unpredictably, he passed out and fell on the cold ground.