Page 33 of Plaything

I sat in the back of the class like I always did. The class was almost full; students were still pouring in. Niko’s’ back was turned as he wrote the agenda for the lesson on the board. I admired his back muscles for a second before pulling my notebook out.

When I looked back up, his eyes were already on me. He smiled, looking away and around at the other students. He clapped. “Did everyone have a good weekend?” He asked. He always started the class with something interactive that captured everyone’s attention. This was why I’d stuck with him as an instructor for so many years. He was really good at his job; another great reason why I should just stop.

A few students shared about their weekends before he started instructing.

It was so strange, knowing him as a person and knowing him as my professor. It was still Niko, just in an incredibly different world. The man smiling and eagerly answering any questions in the front of this room wasn’t the same one who told me he wanted me last night.

I just wish he’d stop sneaking glances at me. He had never looked at me before, and now his eyes kept meeting mine. It was making me nervous.

Was he thinking about what he heard last night? Did he like what he heard last night?

I pushed my eyebrows together, looking back down at my notes. That doesn’t matter. You’re not doing this. I chanted in my mind.

My actions didn’t match my thoughts as I found myself looking at him in a way a student shouldn’t be looking at their professor. This had been the longest class ever, the clock moving by painfully slowly.

Even from across the room, his eyes on my skin were burning.

Remember, he’s a freak. Remember, he’s a freak. But he’s so yummy...

The class was finally over after an hour of secret lustful looks and watching his charming smile. Without looking back, I bolted out the door, needing to breathe fresh air that wasn’t polluted by our filth.

I went to my other two classes, managing to focus and get some work done. It wasn’t until the end of my Trigonometry class that I was approached by a professor.

Only it wasn’t one of my professors; it was my geriatric, overweight trigonometry professor. He was a nice guy, from what I’d seen. Like most of my teachers, I’d never spoken to him directly before. He asked me to stay after for a moment, and I was nervous that I bombed an assignment.

“Odette,” Mr. Ridley smiled. “I have an opportunity for extra credit,” he started, and I relaxed. “Would you be interested in coming into my office in about an hour?” He raised his eyebrows like he was suggesting something exciting.

I gave him a closed-mouthed smile. “Sure, I’m always open to extra credit,” I agreed. I loved extra credit—especially if I could end the quarter with that extra credit. It was like a reward for all my hard work.

He looked surprised for a moment before he smirked. “Eager, I like it,” he winked before he left the room.

I pushed my eyebrows together. Okay? Why wouldn’t I be jumping at the opportunity? What a strange old man.

With an hour to kill, I decided to go to the library to kill time. I immediately regretted my destination, seeing my professors sitting at a round table towards the back of the room, papers surrounding them as they ate their lunch and graded assignments. They must be on their lunch hour.

Before I could turn around, I locked eyes with Aiden. It would be cowardly if I left now, and they’d totally know something was up.

I checked into the library, a policy the university had. The books in here were old and with a lot of money, so they liked to keep track of who’d been in here.

As I checked in with the woman at the front counter, I glanced back at the table, seeing Wyatt wave me over.

No! No, no, no. Was this allowed? Living together was one thing, but being seen with them publicly at school?! No.

With that being said, I walked over to their table.

I had no idea what to expect after last night. Wyatt smiled at me as if last night had never happened. “How many more classes do you have today?” He asked, probably because most classes were over by three.

Okay, so we were pretending like nothing happened; I could do that. “I’m just killing time. Mr. Ridley asked me to meet him in his office for extra credit in an hour,” I explained.

Niko made a disgusted face, unlike any of his expressions I’d seen before, “And you’re going?” He practically spat.

I was taken aback by his sudden unpleasantness. Aiden was looking down at the table, his eyebrows sinking lower and lower towards his eyes. Dominic began gathering his things suddenly. Wyatt looked puzzled, staring at me in shock.

I guess they really didn’t like Mr. Ridley? I nodded. “Well, yeah, extra credit is extra credit,” I answered like it was obvious.

Aiden chuckled, although his expression showed no amusement. He stood up, grabbing his stack of papers. He towered over me, his look of disappointment confusing me. Electric blue eyes shot straight through my own, “You certainly had me fooled.” He glanced at my other professors and mumbled, “Every time,” as he walked away.

What. His words were like a knife in my chest, but I couldn’t figure out why he was so upset.

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