IA

lway run-ins, nothing. I was starting to think maybe she'd decided I wasn't worth the energy. Then Professor Merce

ull settled low in my chest. Not fear or annoyance, something else. I ignored i

it has to be,"

," Professor Mercer sa

ger than it should have. Like he was trying to place something. Like I wasn't entirely unfamili

e second, then turned back to his

tas

aught up to him

nt to meet to star

hand

ped wa

use

owing down at all, "I'll handl

how partne

this one

th, and he actually stopped, looking down at m

my own weight, so figure out a time

erious ri

plet

That was new. He looked at me for a moment, that same lo

said, "library,

tepped aside.

never

me for ev

g that could have been a quiet laugh, but

round the corner, p

I need you to explain to me how

e wh

he's n

nna; he's just a

th more power than our e

er," I said, and s

ri

; that's not who I am. If I let him steamroll this p

now Celeste is going to lose her mind when

thought a

er proble

not look

ive o'clock came and went. Five oh five. Five ten. I was pulling out my phone to send him something sharp when

u're never l

opped into the seat across from me, shrugging his ja

hen you personally decide s

be like this the

up twelve minutes lat

ss the table, then back at me, so

ly prepared

ond. Not impressed. Assessing. Li

ays pr

r. I glanced at it. It wasn't empty either; he'd done work, actual work, outlines

ween us that weren't strictly about the p

broad," he said, po

gives us room to d

om to ramble; n

down this earl

wn this early ke

not the s

e in thi

on the page. I didn't li

we keep my secondary

in

k to workin

closed his folder and just sat there for

said, not

thi

ust sitti

lowed t

bag and lo

re thinking so we

in that measur

e diff

anything, it sounded like a conc

," I said, standing

ay it was a

dn't

He still hadn't moved, just watching me wit

Thursday,

five," I said, "a

ep that

do

se something about the way he'd said it, not a bad thing, was sitti

out before I

sufferable. Tha

ibrary door into the e

color of something burning, and below it a sound, not quite a sound, more like t

mething. Something small and warm

and it. Not like a memory. More like someth

verwhelming need to prot

t I felt it was. Like if I stopped moving fo

not

t never happened. Just the normal dark sky, the lights along the path, and

. I knew that. I'd never been anywhere like that, n

hat had been pressed behind my eyes for a long time had

ched the dorm I had almost convinced

ng in me kn

leep well, and when I