After Class
Authors: Ella Morris
After Class
Late Night Lessons in Seduction
A Novel
By: Ella Morris
First Kindle Original Edition, June 2013
Copyright © 2013 by Ella Morris
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and situations either are the product of the author's imagination or are used factiously.
All rights reserved
. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written consent from the author.
Ella Morris, Author
http://www.authorellamorris.com
https://www.facebook.com/authorellamorris
1
The sun shines through the window blinds in a classroom, casting rays of shade on the students scattered throughout the room. The room is large in size, giving it the feel of a lecture hall, but only a handful of the students chose to attend, leaving the room feeling rather vacant. Some students pay vigorous attention, jotting down nearly every single word they hear, while others lie with their heads in their folded arms, trying to sleep off last night’s hangover to prepare for yet another tomorrow.
Among the students is Taylor Murray, following suit of a few students and catching an unintentional afternoon nap. Taylor’s long blonde hair flows over her crossed arms and onto the textbooks, notebooks, and barrage of pens and pencils underneath her. Her classmate, Janessa Thompson, sits beside her, listening intently to the lesson being given and occasionally giving Taylor a bit of a nudge to wake her up. Tired of watching her classmate nap while she plays the good student role, Janessa jolts the bud of her pencil into Taylor’s ribcage, causing her to wake violently. Taylor fires Janessa an angry look with her piercing blue eyes, but Janessa simply ignores it and directs Taylor’s attention to the professor standing at the front of the classroom. “Wakey wakey sleepy head,” Janessa whispers to Taylor. “You’re never going to get through college if you keep sleeping through class.”
“At this rate, I’m going to die before I graduate,” Taylor whispers back, wiping some dried up drool from the corner of her mouth. She brushes through her golden hair with her fingers in an attempt to calm the mane that became unmanageable during her nap. She then finally starts to listen to the professor as he speaks, through squinted eyes.
“Remember, your final exam is in 2 weeks and it accounts for 50% of your final grade. The majority of you need to attain at least a 75% average on this exam to pass this course”, scolds the professor, as he turns to the class from facing the whiteboard, jotting down the note:
THE INFLUENCE OF SHAKESPEARE ON MODERN DAY LITERATURE PAPER DUE ON MONDAY
“Anything other than that is considered less than satisfactory in my books.”
The professor stands before his class wearing black, thick-rimmed glasses. There is a sense of maturity and wisdom in his demeanor, yet by his fashion choices, it is obvious that the man has not lost touch with the modern generation. He has a muscular build and intoxicating green eyes. For a man, he is very handsome and for an older man, he is even more attractive. He bears a 5 o’clock shadow over his entire jaw line, giving him a rugged quality. His shirtsleeves are rolled up, showing his strong forearms and the veins that pump blood deep inside of them. A small group of female students often sit at the front of the classroom, completely taken by the professor and his appearance. They attempt suitable flirtations such as batted eyelashes and the occasional coy smile but are shut down immediately by his professionalism. He runs his right hand through his salt and pepper colored hair, before placing both hands on the back of his desk chair. He takes a moment, a breath and finally begins to lecture his class. “I know that English 101 isn’t the most enthralling class you will take during your college careers, but that doesn’t mean that you all have to half-ass it”, as the words escape his lips, his eyes lock with Taylor’s. “I’m expecting more from all of you. If this class is any indication of how you are all going to get through your college careers, I’d give up now and save your parent’s money.”
Janessa nudges Taylor in the arm following the professor’s words. She leans in towards Taylor, as if to tell her a secret. “That means you Tay. Sleeping in class is a no-no,” Janessa whispers, smiling. She turns her eyes back to the professor, then jots down a few more notes in her notebook before closing it shut.
Taylor shakes off the accusation and looks to the clock, which reveals that yet another class is almost over. A sense of relief would come over her body, if she were not stressed beyond her limits. Fatigue can be seen evidently and blatantly on her face; she adorns bags under her eyes, her hair slightly disheveled and it is apparent that she is feeling the pressure involved with college. The girl who once took pride in the way she presented herself to the world, complete with smoldering eyes, tamed hair and sometimes, even the slightest glaze of gloss on her plump lips, is now nothing more than a stressed out ball of nerves held in tightly by drawstring sweatpants. She looks down at the heap of books before her and starts to pack up as the professor ends the lesson. “Remember, your papers are due on Monday by the end of the class,” the professor declares. “ I will cross my fingers this weekend for a better turn out than the last catastrophe that was considered a college level English assignment.”
The students are silent as they pack up their belongings and head for the door. They all shuffle their books, close their laptops and shove all of their materials into their bags or simply slide them off the tabletops in a collective bunch as they leave the room. Taylor and Janessa pack up their materials as well. Janessa perks up and is on her feet before Taylor’s brain can catch up to what is happening. Janessa notices her friend’s lack of pep. “What’s up with you lately? Not getting enough play?”
“I’ve told you, I have a boyfriend and no, that’s not it,” Taylor mumbles with undertones of frustration, as she is slow to get to her feet.
“Then what is it?” Janessa asks.
“I’m just so…”
Taylor’s words are interrupted by the professor’s demand. “And Taylor Murray, I’d like to have a word with you.”
Taylor rolls her eyes slightly, feeling even more frustration come over her.
“Good luck with that,” Janessa whispers to Taylor. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
The girls finishing packing up their things and head down the stairs of the classroom. Janessa bolts for the exit before glancing back at Taylor. The two lock eyes briefly before Taylor turns her attention to the professor, as if Taylor is to say “save me now” all with just one glance before she approaches the desk with caution, like a soldier preparing themselves for battle. “You wanted to talk to me, Mr. Zakarak?” she quietly asks. She stands nervously in front of his desk, clutching her textbooks to her chest as if to use them as a shield for the lashing that she knows is about to come.
Mr. Zakarak sits quietly at his desk. He shuffles through papers in his briefcase before even acknowledging Taylor. She waits in anticipation for what is to come next. It seems like it takes an eternity before Mr. Zakarak engages in conversation. He pulls out a bunch of papers, all bound together in a folder. He places it in front of Taylor. “Do you know what this is, Miss Murray?”
“That’s my last project,” Taylor says as she recognizes what is placed before her.
“That would be correct,” Mr. Zakarak proclaims, “and do you know why I am showing you this?”
Taylor shakes her head no. “I’m sorry, I don’t.”
Mr. Zakarak pauses briefly. He takes his glasses off and stares into Taylor’s eyes. “This is an A+ worthy project. You put together a great paper, and it’s obvious that you have the chops to be a good student. The only problem is that you are showing up late for class, not to mention sleeping in class and handing in projects late and therefore, you aren’t getting the mark that you deserve,” he says to her gently. “I would have loved to give you an A+ on this past project, but since you submitted it after the allotted time, you aren’t getting the full credit. Do you see what I’m getting at?”
Taylor inhales and exhales deeply. The frustration and weight of exams nearing and project deadlines approaching is more than she can handle, but she shakes off the stress and looks into the eyes of Mr. Zakarak. “I promise I’ll have something better for you on Monday. I will work really hard this weekend,” Taylor replies, knowing that she is lying between her teeth at the thought of all the impossible work that needs to be done.
At a time when exchanging smiles would be expected, Mr. Zakarak turns the moment into a sour one. “I would sure as hell hope so,” he snarls back at Taylor. “Now, you are dismissed.”
Baffled, Taylor beelines for the exit, not wanting to hear any other words come from the lips of Mr. Zakarak as she is on the brink of reaching her breaking point. Frustrated and overwhelmed, she leaves the classroom in a hurry and bursts into the hallway.
Janessa stands just outside of the doorway, and it is obvious that she was eavesdropping on the entire conversation. Taylor knows that her friend was listening, but she walks right past her, heading towards the campus quad. Janessa runs up behind her to catch up, books flailing in hand as she scurries. “Hey, what the hell was that all about?” Janessa asks with a sense of curiosity, trying to stick her nose into Taylor’s business, once again, even though she heard nearly ever word during their exchange. “He was so pissed!”
Taylor ignores her and continues down the hallway. Her eyes focused on her path ahead and she attempts to block out anything else that may interfere for it may get to her and she is doing everything in her power to keep it together. After being ignored by Taylor, Janessa urges on, wanting to pry the information out of her friend. “I bet he has a crush on you. He always looks at you during class. I bet he thinks of you when he is porking his wife,” Janessa says, as a smile curls on her lips, trying her damndest to get a rise out of her friend.
The words are a catalyst to Taylor, who cannot fight off the frustration any longer. Her steps stop immediately and she turns to Janessa, fiery anger pulsing through her veins. “Cut it out, will you? I’m sick and tired of your childish banter. Can’t you see that I’m stressed? Don’t you realize that I have to keep a 4.0 for the next 4 years or else my parents will flip? Do you understand how much pressure I am under?” Taylor snaps at Janessa.
Janessa stares at her blankly. Her mind cannot comprehend the lashing she has just received. Even though she wants to give her friend some consolation, she cannot muster the words. She feels attacked and even more so, she feels insulted. “I don’t know what crawled up your ass and died but it’s college. Give yourself a break! You are supposed to have fun and enjoy yourself, not stress yourself out to death,” Janessa snaps back at Taylor. “Try loosening up. God!”
Taylor wants to fight back. The fighting words are at the tip of her tongue, but she realizes she has more important issues to tend to, such as the important paper for Mr. Zakarak’s class, among many other things. Getting into a fight with Janessa would simply be a waste of time. “I gotta go,” Taylor says to Janessa. She turns sharply, trying to hide the tears welling in her eyes.
“Whatever, dude,” Janessa fires back, turning in the opposite direction on the campus quad, heading towards a group of college students out enjoying the weather playing Frisbee. “Have fun being miserable while everyone around you is loving life!”
Taylor rolls her eyes and continues across the quad on this sunny afternoon. The warm breeze flows through her hair and tickles the trees beside her. It is unseasonably warm for this time of year and the rest of the college seems to be taking full advantage of it but Taylor is too focused on heading towards her dorm room to notice. Students gather on the quad, some eating lunch while others mingle in groups. Taylor forces herself not to look at the students enjoying themselves, as jealousy would overcome her. As she walks, her cell phone rings in her pocket. Frustrated, Taylor picks it up and notices it is her parents calling her. Not wanting to deal with what they have to say right now, Taylor silences the call and stuffs the phone away. She continues walking in a steadfast movement, heading directly for her dorm building.
Upon reaching the entrance, she grabs the handle in a swift movement and heads inside. The fresh air outside comes to a screaming halt the second she enters the dormitory foyer. The smell of bodies, sweat, mold and alcohol hits her like a ton of bricks. She has once again entered hell on earth. Misery continues to pour over her as she heads up the stairs to the seventh floor, feeling like she just reentered the prison that she is forced to call home. Taylor heads down the hallway to her room. As she nears the door, she can hear what sounds like people engaging in sex coming from inside her room. Taylor rolls her eyes and knocks on the door.
“Go away,” a female voice shouts inside the room.
Taylor becomes more and more frustrated, pounding on the door again.
“I said go away,” the voice commands back.
Taylor has had enough, like this is the last thing she needs right now. She fumbles for her keys in her pocket, and forces entry into the room. She grabs the door handle and slams the door open. Inside the room, lies her roommate, Nicole Smith, on a bed near the right hand side of the room with an unfamiliar young man. The sheets cover their naked bodies, but by the redness in their cheeks, their messy manes and the odor in the room, it is obvious to the senses what was occurring.
“Ah shit!” Nicole screams.
The sheets rustle on the bed. In a panic, Nicole kicks the male off of the bed with her legs, leaving him exposed on the floor. Blushing, Taylor turns to face the window, shielding her eyes from what she knows is already going to scar her for life.
“Get out!” shouts Nicole from the bed, as she looks around for her clothing.
“Uh, where are my clothes?” the young man asks, protecting his manhood with his hands as he gets to his feet.
“Over in the corner, now get out!” Nicole cries.