Getting his papers in hand wasn't really that hard. The Scarecrow was a feared member of Gotham's underground (as you could have guessed). All he needed to do was flash a few needles in people's faces and everything came to you like a dog to its whistle.
"John Crowley?" The chancellor Stephan glanced up from his half moon spectacles and ruffled his bulky white mustache. Jonathan gave him a curt nod and kept a steely eye contact as the squat man looked over his papers.
"You realize this is extremely last minute, everything has been happening so quickly..."
It seemed the position of psychiatry professor had mysteriously been emptied recently. When Jon asked about it, the chancellor replied;
"I'm afraid the poor man had a heart attack. He's going to make it, wasn't that serious but it will keep him off his feet for this year."
"Did anyone tell you why he was suddenly taken ill?" Jonathan leaned forward in his chair, narrowing his eyes at the man.
The chancellor shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. "Apparently he was...quite scared."
"Rather unusual symptom to be seen in a beach cabin." Jon commented innocently. Stephen cleared his throat and turned paler than he had been, once more adjusting his weight in the chair.
"Y-yes well, anyway your identification is in order, we would be happy to offer you a place on our staff. There is however so little time until the new year begins, you'll have to rush." Indeed, the school year was supposed to start in less than two weeks, there was much to be done.
"Very well." Jonathan stood up abruptly, trying to not admit to himself how eager he was to get his teaching materials in order again.
"W-wait, you'll need a calendar and there's a very big dance at the end of the year teachers are encouraged to come-" The plump man ruffled about in his desk and brought out a pile of papers listing the dates of school events that Jon had to try hard not to roll his eyes at. He had never participated in any of the fundraisers or group activities last time, he had no intention of changing his ways the second time around. But he took them all just the same, mainly to keep Stephen happy.
With barely enough time to get his lessons together and plan everything out, Crane had to look over some of the last professor's notes he had recently attained from the man's study. Well you didn't think he had a heart attack of fear on his own, did you?
He looked towards the dresser mirror and glared at the reflection darkly. No one had ever really seen him with his glasses on, he hoped that had been enough to fool the chancellor and apparently, everyone was an idiot these days. A pair of glasses and a new hairstyle had them fooled.
From the dinghy apartment on the edge of campus we now go to the complete opposite side, to the dorm rooms where all the students were busy enjoying the last of their summer vacation.
All the students, except for a certain ginger digging through her belongings, preparing for another year at college.
"Becky! Becky, I have the books!" A petite oriental girl hustled into the room, lugging several bags of textbooks.
Becky threw her hair back, momentarily crossing her eyes to blow a very annoying strand out of her face.
"How much do I owe you?" She asked, straightening up and digging into the cheap plastic.
"About two hundred, since they're all used."
Becky grimaced and stacked them up on her bed, checking off the last few items on her list.
"I'll pay you back when I get the money." She sighed.
"Oh it's fine, why did you want to change your major anyway?" Anita picked up one of the books and peeled off a price sticker.
"Ah...I was intrigued." Becky blushed and hurried to stuff the books into her already bursting bag.
Anita stared at her pointedly and put the book down in her lap. "Intrigued? That's what you're calling it?"
The redhead glared right back at her until Anita seemed to get the hint and drop the subject.
"Well, all I have to say is that someone up there must like you to get in with another scholarship."
"Pure luck." Becky snapped.
"Are you sure you didn't slip the chancellor a few kisses?"
And so the bickering began. Anita was quite stubborn in her point that you could do anything if you just slept with the professors around here (Really now, this is Gotham!"). But Becky always argued that there was no one here worth sleeping with only for a grade (They're all old enough to be my grandparents!"). Of course the girls grew tired after a few hours and they both settled on that they would never need to anyway and turned in.
While Anita snored softly on the other side of the room, Becky lay awake. Not because of anything having to do with Anita, she sounded like a mouse. It was the people partying next door. They all needed to get it together, less time run out and they not be ready for school!
'They probably don't care about that.' she chided herself. 'They're probably worrying about who's dating who.' Boy was she glad to be excluded from that.
Since the pounding bass was right against her wall, she had nothing left to do but think to cover up the noise.
Becky grouped a pillow around her ears and scrunched her hazel eyes shut. It was no different from the first time around.
She had graduated already you see, but came back because of her peaking interest in a new major. Psychology. She knew what got her thinking about it of course, or rather, who.
After the Scarecrow's attack on her three years before, she had stewed on his offer much more than she would like to admit. Why did he think hitting back at the world was best? What allure did fears and phobias have to him? These questions are what drove her to send in another scholarship application and come back to the university. She just had to find more out about the way he thought!