Page 47 of Forbidden Lessons

Rooke’s late.

And that’s fucked up, because he’sneverlate. He’s got the punctuality of the Grim Reaper. It’s one of those urban legends passed from seniors to freshmen, but his is based in fact.

Maybe he was in an accident. Is that part of my duty as a TA? Do I have to like call the hospital and shit to check if he’s?—

The door opens, and in walks Rooke.

Well, guess I’ll never get the answer to that question. I hope this doesn’t mean the lesson’s going to run longer than?—

And right on his heels comes Haven.

I almost inhale my chew toy.

She immediately glances over at me, as if to check whether I’m in class, then casually hides behind Rooke.

Jesus, Haven, you thinkhe’sgoing to protect you? I mean, yeah, he’s taller than me, but I could…

Well, I couldn’t do anything, because he’s a fucking teacher and I’ll get expelled. But intheory…

I should be a lot angrier than I am right now. Maybe I’m in shock.

Christ, she’s got some balls on her.

First she tries to stick her thumb in my ass, and now this?

I chuckle to myself as I turn my swivel chair to follow her progress across the lecture hall.

Oh, fuck, Haven.

The things I’m gonna do to you.

“Indulge me here. Imagine an ordinary day in the life of you. School, sports, dinner with the folks or with your friends. Day in, day out, on repeat, ad nauseam. One day you’re sipping on your pumpkin spice latte, and the next, you’re waterboarding anenemy informant because someone in a uniform is telling you it’s your duty.”

I’m only paying half a mind to what Rooke’s going on about.

“…switch in our brain triggered? The one that transforms us from man to monster? Is that monster always there, fully grown and ferocious, biding its time until you open its cage? Or does it start out as something kind and innocent that life pokes and prods until it has no choice but to evolve into a brute, if only for self preservation?”

I’d be more into his lecture if I wasn’t trying to bore a hole into Haven’s skull with sight alone.

“That’s something Zimbardo addressed in his Stanford Prison Experiment. Unfortunately, his study was cut short, but in the few days…”

Rooke arrived in Agony Hollow three years ago and quickly became a legend. I was already a junior, so I missed the opportunity to take his class. Since I’m studying psychology, he was happy enough with the courses I already had under my belt to let me be his TA. Though, from what I heard, he was lucky anyone volunteered at all. AHC’s rumor mill runs twenty-four-seven, and Rooke’s one of its primary focuses.

“…college students just like you and randomly assigned them to the role of inmate or guard. Then he sat back and watched the fireworks.”

Little Miss Heavenly doesn’t look at me for the entire lecture.

Not once.

Not when I find my stick and start chewing on it, rocking my chair side to side with my legs stretched out.

Not when I lean back to stretch halfway through.

Not even when I’m the only one to laugh at some obscure reference Rooke makes that goes over everyone’s head.

But the touch of color in her cheeks says she knows I’m staring at her. The way she shifts uncomfortably in her worn,faded clothes. She’s in a knee-length denim skirt, pastel yellow leggings, and an oversized black sweater.

While I’m sure that’s normal college wear, we don’t do it like that here. Maybe she’s too busy being poor to notice the designer threads around her. Even my joggers are Versace.

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