Chapter 6- The Professor
A/N: as a bonus, try to find the hidden Barney reference somewhere in this
-events set during "Definitions."-
It was a crisp morning in early September. The leaves had been starting to change, and the nights were getting cooler. I on the other hand, wasn't too happy.
"This is bullshit. Why do I have to take this again?"
Cindy shrugged. "Don't blame anyone, Ollie. The computer system screwed up your permanent record, and now you gotta retake a whole semester."
"Still, do I really deserve it? I hate this."
The three of us were headed to the first class of the semester at Columbia University. As Cindy had said, the computer system had glitched out. I was contacted a month ago by my old Econ professor, who told me that the glitch had removed the records of me showing up in several classes, as well as the record of me taking a few tests. If I wanted to keep my degree, I had to take an extra semester, and the tests again.
"Who knows, Ollie?" Said Juno. "New York may still be in need of a bartending economist."
"Look, you girls can laugh at it, but you're both still taking school here. I left almost 6 years ago. I didn't intend on another day here, let alone a semester."
"Well, you gotta take it if you want to keep the diploma." We entered the lecture hall, making our way around the furthest back row, to the far side.
"How about these ones?" Asked Juno. She pointed at three seats close to the back.
I nodded, and we sat down.
"So what's the plan now, Cindy?" I asked.
"Write my dissertation, and get my Phd."
"What jobs need you to have a Phd in Econ? I took it for 3 years, and I still don't know what the hell it is."
"Well there's..." Cindy paused, looking puzzled. "Or what about..."
"Yeah?" I asked.
"Funny. I can only think of jobs that you'd only need a simple degree in to get. There isn't a job that comes to mind that requires a Phd in this."
"Perfect. So I guess the only difference is the kind of money you can make in this field."
"I guess so. Oh! There's the professor. Better quiet down."
The professor walked down the steps of the lecture hall to the front of it, where he stood at the podium.
"Hang on. That looks like..." I said.
"Good Morning. S'up dudes! SILENCE!" Said the professor. "My names Professor Mosby, but you can call me Ted!"
I looked over at Juno, seeing if she was just as amazed as I was. But her eyes were fixated on Ted. There was no point in looking for a reaction, and no need either. She was just as freaked.
Ted continued to talk, thinking he was in the right class. He spent his time at the front giving me the most stupid 7 minutes of my life, looking at that guy act like a huge loser.
He kept refusing to take questions from the students, when it could have made his life a lot easier if one of them told him that this was Econ 305.
At one point, Ted then said something about there being an doubt that any of us don't want to go into architecture, then we should all leave. I'd say about 83 percent of the class got up to leave, but in the midst of it, a short African-American man with glasses walked in. I recognized him as Prof. Calzonetti, the professor who now taught Econ.
"Everyone," He said. "My name is Professor Calzonetti, this is Econ 305, and you may return to your seats."
Ted laughed. "Sorry, dude. This is Architecture 101."
"Young man," said Calzonetti, informatively. "For 28 years, Econ 305 has always been taught in this lecture hall. You're in the wrong room."
Ted looked at him in disbelief. "I'm sure 200 architecture students and their professor got the room wrong."
I then called out. "T-Dog! You're in the wrong room!"
Everyone laughed as Ted ran up the lecture hall steps with his stuff, and Calzonetti got up to the front.
"How much time did he waste?" He asked us.
"Just under 10 minutes, Professor."
"Alright. If you will open your books, we will begin."
"That was nuts." I said to Cindy and Juno when class ended.
"No kidding. Why is he teaching here now?" Said Cindy.
"I don't know, and I don't intend to find out."
Juno remained quiet, not saying a word to us, as she and Cindy headed off to the next class, while I headed to the front of the hall to the Professor.
I cleared my throat, and he looked up.
"Yes?" He said, emotionlessly. This was one of the many reasons I was so upset on returning to school. The professors are always so intimidating, that they practically take your entire ability to talk away from you. Finally, I found my voice.
"Great speech, Professor."
"Thank you. What do you want?" He said, getting straight to the point.
"I was told to see you by my old professor. My name is Oliver Blake."
"Ah. Yes, I was informed of your attendance. What are you here for?"
"I was told by my previous professor I'll need to check in and out every class. I'm just here to say I was in attendance."
"Thank you. You're free to leave."
He waved me out, and I headed out of the hall, my thoughts overflowing. Why was Ted here? It made no sense.