Chapter 2 – Defending a Ladies Honor
Nikola silently fumed beside Helen. They walked in step with each other through the grounds at Oxford, his teeth gritted and fists clenched; Helen just as silent as he was.
"Unbelievable," he finally spat.
"It's nothing, Nikola," she said calmly.
"Did you not see how they were acting in there, those pompous, self-righteous, sexist…" he paced, his arms flailing wildly.
Helen smiled lightly at him and sat on the wooden bench. They had only met each other a few weeks ago, yet it felt like they had been childhood friends. He fully supported her right to be educated and become something other than housekeeping baby-making machine. And he despised anyone who said otherwise. Like today.
It was just another scientific lecture, they sat in the back, and Nikola pointed out all the flaws in the Professor's theory and she tried to take as many notes as she could while trying not to giggle.
She had to agree that this particular lecture was quite ridiculous, she hadn't even bothered to remember the subject, but she was attentive, a picture-perfect student. That is, until Nikola made an observation on the Professor's personal life that had set her in a fit of giggles.
Her light laughter had pulled the professor out of his little reverie with the other students, and he proceeded to tell her "Women should be seen, not heard, and certainly not in this classroom."
It was like a starting pistol for Nikola who in an instant deflated the man's credibility as a scientist, and disproved almost every point in the man's lecture.
The other student's amused by the display joined the Professors's side and began taunting him and Helen as the 'outsiders' and that they should "go back to where they came from."
Helen learned a long time ago when to pick her battles, but Nikola kept trying to fight every one.
She was grateful for his support, but she didn't need him to fight for her, that would defeat the purpose.
She looked up at her friend, still pacing. His face contorted with anger.
"It's alright Nikola, there are always going to be narrow minded people, not all of them are as open as you and me, we can't help it," she shrugged.
"Still, it's just so...infuriating!" he sat beside her.
"Why? It wasn't you they were making fun of, not really, you shouldn't be so upset," she put a hand gently on his shoulder.
"Helen, I may not be an Englishman, but I do have a sense of honor, and they have insulted yours," he growled under his breath.
"And you have brought it upon yourself to defend my honor?" she smiled at him.
"In this case, yes, you wouldn't have been so poorly mistreated if I hadn't given them a cause," he took out a handkerchief and wiped is hands compulsively.
"Well, what can you do about it? You can't change the world Nikola, as much as you'd like to believe it," she looked away watching the group of men from the class laughing and joking together heading to the pub nearby.
Nikola saw them too.
"I can't change them, no, but I can make show them that we're a force to be reckoned with," his devious smile curled right in front of her.
"What are you thinking about doing? " she asked with a mix of worry and curiosity.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt anybody…seriously," he stood up and waltzed into the Medical Theatre as casual as if he went in there everyday.
Helen kept her eyes fixed on the door, unsure of what he was up to, but still curious all the same.
He emerged moments later, just as casual, and strolled back to her.
"That was easy," he said to her as he sat next to her again.
"What did you do?" she asked very confused.
"Nothing yet, I just needed to acquire something," he pulled out of his pocket a rubber medical strap.
"What is that for?" she asked, she was even more confused.
"Elasticity, my dear Helen, rubber can be stretched but it will spring back, causing enertia, enough to send a pebble or a small stone flying at great distances, with the right skill, and a good target, it can cause lots of trouble," he smirked wider.
"You're going to throw stones at them. Do you realize how juvenile that is?" she gave him a funny look.
"Juvenile but effective!" he stood up quickly and went to a nearby tree and searched the ground beneath it.
"What are you doing now?" Helen followed him.
"A bow would be very ineffective if it was just a string," Nikola muttered cryptically.
"And soup would be very ineffective without a bowl, what is your point?" Helen quirked an eyebrow at him as he examined a twig then tossed it away.
"Leverage, my dear, leverage!" he exclaimed wildly suddenly and picked up a twig that made a distinct Y shape.
"A slingshot! That is your brilliant plan!" she huffed at him.
"Genius in its simplicity!" he dodged behind a bush and peaked over it.
"This is ridiculous, Nikola!" she followed and he dragged her to kneel behind the bush with him.
"If you want you can take the first shot," he smiled and handed her the homemade slingshot.
She sighed and took it.
"I don't know how!" she sighed exasperated.
"Come on, you've gone hunting before, with your father."
"Yes with a rifle, not with a slingshot!"
"It's the same thing, just a slightly different mechanism."
He came around behind her and covered her gloved hand with his.
"You line up your shot, pull back to just behind the ear and then release!" she let go of the rubber strap and the small stone went flying straight into the rear end of one of the men from that days lecture.
Helen let out a squeal of excitement and hid her face in the crook of Nikola's arm as she laughed.
They ducked behind the bush again.
"I did it!" she laughed out again, still holding on to Nikola.
"Yes, and may I say a very good shot, my dear," he smirked with her.
She bowed slightly in jest.
"Your turn, oh mastermind!" she giggled and he bowed graciously, making her giggle even more. "Where to, my dear? Rear, back, shoulder?"
"Shoulder," said Helen with anticipation, she had to admit, this juvenile game was quite satisfying.
"Piece of cake," muttered Nikola cockily and he aimed the shot and fired, but his target moved just in the nick of time and the pebble went smashing into the pub window.
Helen covered her mouth to stifle another laugh and Nikola scowled.
"Blast it! He moved!" Helen rolled her eyes at him.
"Yes, blame the target," she peaked her head over the bush and saw the bartender of the pub come out and yell at the group of men. "Well, it wasn't completely for naught."
Nikola peaked his head over the bush as well and saw the little tiff occur, obviously the bartender thought they had broken his window and was demanding payment, which the men refused.
"I think our work here is done," smirked Nikola.
"Not yet," she grabbed the slingshot and ran to another bush, Nikola followed even more amused.
She eyed the Professor walking through the grounds, his nose in a textbook.
"Helen, you're not serious, the professor?" Nikola whispered afraid of being seen, a childish prank on fellow students was nothing, but on a member of the staff? If they were caught it would be grounds for expulsion.
"Like you said, this is a question of honor and he insulted mine," smirked Helen and she pulled back on the slingshot.
"I've created a monster," Nikola laughed and the pebble hit its mark, sending the Professor's book flying and his head spinning around in confusion.
Helen ducked and grabbed Nikola's arm.
"Run!" she gasped and dragged him away from the crime scene and into the nearby park, when she reached the shade of the big willow tree she collapsed into the grass laughing.
Nikola fell beside her doing the same.
"Well, my dear, that is the last time I take out on a shooting spree," he laughed out.
"It was terribly exhilarating," she sighed contentedly.
"You could've gotten us kicked out of the school!" he laughed, poking her shoulder.
"Yes, but now my vengeance is complete," she said teasingly, sitting up and taking a deep breath as the noonday sun slowly drifted into an orange sky.
"Remind me never to get you angry, Miss Magnus," said Nikola as he sat up beside her and stared at the sun with her.
"I think that would be impossible," said Helen and she rested her head on his shoulder , and they watched the sun slowly set together.