Hot Night With My Professor

“The bride is here!” Raviel shouted as he stood up from where he was sitting to meet me. Terrible. That was my initial thought when I saw my classmates turn to me one by one. How many of us are here?

I saw that Savannah was also there, which gave me trouble. She even whispered “the bitch is here” in the air. Well, she’s right, but I just avoided looking at her. I am not here to fight. I am here to pay for my debts. I am here to rest. I am here to have fun, and with their stares, I am running out of social battery.

I was surprised when Raviel came to me to take my suitcase. “I thought you weren’t going,” he added. “I’ll bring your luggage to your respective tent. Only those who won the activities earlier will sleep at home; the rest will be in the tent. You can sit there; I’m done eating.” He points to the vacant space where he left.

“Huh? Oh, okay, but I’ll take care of my luggage.” I try to take it from him, but he doesn’t give it back.

“Let me, so you can eat your dinner and take some rest,” Raviel insisted.

“I’ll hold it for her.”

Ismael immediately pulled my luggage from Raviel. Gosh. I thought he had left?

My eyes widened, and I was amazed at what he did. What the hell? Why did he compete with Raviel? Isn’t he afraid? What will they think? I thought we agreed to have a secret relationship?

“N-no! I can do it on my own, p-professor! I can do it! I brought it here alone so I can bring it to the tent!” I took my luggage from his hand so they wouldn’t argue anymore. I’m regretting coming here now! I just hope those who saw it didn’t take it as something else. Ismael is really being reprimanded. Does he want to be expelled from Marcus University?

Fortunately, Atacia, our classroom president, greeted me before pointing to our tent. She said she was with me inside the tent and our other classmate. I just nodded, even though I was feeling too much. I’m not really good at it! I feel like I want to go home.

*****

“Jothea! What are you doing there? Come here!” Raviel called to me when he saw that I was just outside the tent watching them. I don’t know if I will go there with them. I don’t have any friends. Unlike Ismael, who was busy talking to other professors.

Raviel pulled me over to the wide table where my classmates were also there, who were both busy eating. My suspicions were correct; there was indeed a lot of food lined up in the middle.

“Here you go. It’s clean.”

I looked at the plate that Raviel was handing to me. There is fried rice, grilled fish, longganisa, tomatoes, red eggs, kangkong, and puto. I smiled inside. Now I can eat it again, ah.

“I don’t know what you really like to eat. Do you eat those?”

I nodded. “Yes, thank you very much,” I simply replied before starting to eat.

He sat next to me again and handed me a bottle of soft drink. In fairness, Raviel is attentive. I remembered that he was the one who helped me get into the casino and get a job. I never had the chance to thank him for that.

“Thank you for introducing me to Mr. Vargas.”

He smiled. “Don’t mention it. We’re friends. We’re supposed to help each other, aren’t we? So help yourself too and eat,” he said before letting me eat.

For the first time in my life, I became conscious of the people around me. I know they are looking at me, even though I’m at the end of the seat and Raviel is next to me on the left. Fortunately, the food was good, so they were erased from my mind. I should fill myself, because I might suffer forever in the next few days.

“So, is the news true, Jothea?” asked one of my female classmates. “Professor Mondalla is dating someone?”

I was surprised by that question. They immediately fell silent, and both stopped their food to hear my answer. Even the other table looked at us curiously.

“Why are you asking me?” I asked after I drank the water handed to me by Raviel. I stopped eating.

“Why not? Aren’t you and Professor Ismael enemies? Who knows if you know something about him and are using it against him? Maybe you are the one who spread the issue.”

I gasped. I’m still to blame? Well, I was the first one who was crushed when I heard the news and saw the picture of Ismael with that girl, who happens to be his sister.

“Yes! This whole week, you didn’t go to his class! Did you have anything to do with his issue, Jothea? Were you trying to avoid him?”

I was amazed at their accusations. Their way of thinking is really different. I have been scared for them to think or notice that Ismael and I are in a secret relationship, but here they are thinking that we hate each other when, we… uhm… let’s forget about the thought since I don’t want to be in the mood. Just thinking about Ismael made me pleased.

“I don’t think she’s avoiding him,” Savannah replied, now staring at me. “They came here at the same time. I think she’s really flirting with Professor Ismael. That’s why she disappeared for a week because she found out about Prof’s previous issue with another woman. She was probably jealous,” explained Savannah, trying to convince all my classmates.

I can’t react; all of the things she blurted out were right. I hope she uses her talent in acads.

“It was you who’s probably jealous of me, Savannah,” I teased her. “What really is your problem with me?”

“Your entire existence! You thought I didn’t know that you flirted with Professor Sybill before? You were the reason he got fired, right? And now, you’re seducing Professor Mondalla to your trap! For what? To get him fired too? Come on, Jothea! At least grow up! You’re being such a bitch and whore!”

I stood up angrily. “I’m not a whore!” I raised my voice out of annoyance. Was the slap I gave her before really not enough for her? I am trying my best to behave, but she’s pushing me to my limits. “I am a fucker, so stop shouting at me with your fucking mouth if you don’t want me to fuck up with your face!”

“Oh, shut up! What can you do now against me? Your parents have abandoned you, and now you’re being a sucker because you have no life ahead! What else are you doing here? You’re not welcome here!”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

My teeth are clenched just like my fists are. My vision darkened, and I couldn’t stop myself from climbing on top of the table to attack her. She started it, so I’m going to finish it with a big slap and a choke. I won’t stop her until she apologizes.

I was about to jump her when someone grabbed my waist to pull me away from that girl. It was Ismael. He carried me.

“Let go of me!” I screamed as I struggled. “She started it! I was behaving! It was her who triggered me!” I’m still struggling, but Ismael doesn’t let me down.

“Professor Mondalla, we’ll take care of this,” Atacia said, as if telling Ismael to keep me away from them.

“Fuck you, Savannah! I’m not done with you yet! I’ll get back to you! Fuck you!”

Ismael has completely alienated me from my classmates. I’m still in awe of that Savannah. She tends to shower me with angry words. If Ismael hadn’t stopped, I would have been able to stop her mouth from running wildly.

“Babe, your heart,” Ismael said to calm me down. He lowered me to the ground. It was only then that I noticed that we had indeed moved away from the faculty and the students. Here we are opposite a tent. Is this his tent?

“She came to me first, Ismael.” I growled like a child. Because of what he called me, the blood came down from my head. “She keeps on blabbing about my past, and then she also mentioned my parents. How am I supposed to react to something like that?”

“Come inside,” he ordered. “Come inside my tent.” Even if there was a question in my mind, I followed him. I entered the tent; he followed. “Now, tell me what she said.”

I let out a deep sigh and tried to compose myself. “He knows about me and Professor Sybill, and he thinks I’m flirting with you to get you kicked out of here too. My classmates heard that, as did those who are near our table. Now, how can I be calm? You’ll be involved because of my mess.” I bowed down, which I shouldn’t have done because my tears were falling. What will people think of Ismael when they find out that he likes me? I’m just a student. He is a substitute professor waiting to be regular. But because of my messing with him because I want to get him fired, it looks like it will come true. This is because of me. All because of me. And I feel like I can’t escape anymore.

“I literally want to be involved with you, and I don’t mind. You don’t have to worry about me, Jothea. You don’t even have to worry about yourself. All your worries should be mine. Focus on enjoying your life and yourself. I won’t even become a bother to you, even now that we’re dating.”

He put his hand on my head. I keep getting teary-eyed at what he does and says. He is a really good person. He didn’t even tell me to calm down. He didn’t even tell me to let them go. Nothing. I did not hear any comments from him about my behavior.

He kissed my temple, making me feel his words were bound to me only. “You’re my baby. I’ll take care of everything.” A smile graced his lips, showing security that everything he omits is an oath.

I touched his face with amazement while staring fully at his mesmerizing, gorgeous face. I want to see this face this close forever. “I’ll take care of you someday, too, Ismael.”