His Favorite Student

7am sharp. From the offi

ound her thickened as she re-re

rative building by 10:00am today regarding an inve

er mouth went dry. What the hell is happening? She kne

she rushed to get ready for school an

roo

e to the air conditioning. The wall

y table, where three committee member

air of the committee, Mr Albright said look

ound for clues as to why she was summoned

nce earlier this week, uhm photographs showing what appears to be a

oat tightened. "I don't unders

n next to Albright slid

photo. The one from the club. She had

oice cracked, sh

organ, do you confirm that this im

as drunk. And nothing happened

ee member cut in. "There's concern that your position as a student placed you

West shortly" the s

ian walked in, one hand

has been questioned earlier and has stated that noth

Leah n

quent times?" The

ver" Le

uphold any strict boundaries a

ke. "We didn't touch, we didn't kiss,

't blink. "The pic

her thesis as her supervisor creates a serious conflict of interest. A

flicked dark,

e room had shifted and it seemed li

tive leave pending full investi

ned. "You're

er document. "We're asking for your res

he empty hallway. Followed by Julian. Immediately the

d me" his vo

, "What? No, I did

that night, that photo shows up, and suddenly you're sitting th

scared too, Julian. I didn't even remembe

what you w

ou think I planned that? T

think anymore. But someone's pulling strings. And

ent, Julian. You're the professor. An

ed with disbelief. And so

d've kissed you. I could've taken w

off the cold hallway walls. Then he turned, walking away with

*

ieter now. Or mayb

g. She could feel the weight of their judgment even behind closed doors. No matter

at her again since that day.

ng spiraled so fast. One drunken night. One blu

door. The blinds were half-open; sunlight filtered through in gold slats across the

eturned to the table where she'd left her books, then she

est ti

gs. Just her name, scrawled i

E

it up and opened it. No letter. Just a photograph. Her breath caught in her throa

at the bottom of the image: "Careful wh

able to steady herself. She turned the envelope over

ded to think. She didn't want to involve him or make it bigger than it already was. But what if he was already so

d it to a message. Her thumb hovered over his name. She hadn't spoken t

locked her phone and threw it on the bed, p

e are you? Don't go

e dismissed it anyway. She exhaled, suddenly aware of how fa

w tight. He hadn't slept much lately, not since the resignation letter he had typed with

that night. He had a dull habit of letting messages

in his chest. He wondered why she had messaged him. Was she feeling guilty? He ha

s in red ink and he froze. Leah had gotten a threatening message too. He tried to convince himself that it was a

atened? She's probably in danger because of something he must have done. After sudden realizatio

he could find her but he started his engine and left the parking lot. A minu