“Elijah,” she calls out to me. I whip my head to see Flux leaning on her desk, arms crossed. “Can I have a moment?”
“Sheesh, again? Two weeks and she’s already calling you by your first name.” Katelyn murmurs beside me, a hint of jealousy I detect in her tone.
I nod my head to the teacher and pat Katelyn on the arm. “I’ll catch up with you guys. Grab each other’s number so we can keep in touch.” I look over at Jamie who’s face has now turned beet red.
Katelyn’s eyes go wide as I give her a wink.
She can never doubt me as a wingman after this. I’m awesome.
Okay sure, he may have fallen into our lap but still…I’ll make it happen.
I rush down the stairs, reaching Flux as fast as I can.
She finishes up flipping through some papers on her desk before she turns to me.
“Yes, Professor?”
“How’d your weekend go?” She smiles.
This shocks me. I wouldn’t expect her to call me down here for a catch up. “I uh—had a great one. Just visited my boyfriend.”
She nods her head slowly, eyes scanning my face. “Right. I’m assuming that’s who inspired your piece.”
I hold my wrists behind my back to avoid fidgeting with my fingers. “Yeah, that’s Tobias,” I say confidently.
She nods her head and rounds the desk, taking a seat in her chair. “Elijah, you’ve impressed me again just like I knew you would. You think out of the box. While most students brought simple collages of their family and friends, you brought me a question. Who?” She leans forward, clasping her hands as she looks over my face. “What is hidden in those deep dark ocean blues? So many unanswered questions, and yet still, he’s your whole world anyways. It’s fear. Anticipation.Uncertainty. I mean…it’s what love is.”
I feel bare. Exposed and seen.
That’s exactly it.
I inhale slowly, trying to balance out my nerves. “Thank you,” I manage to answer.
She sits back. “Elijah, I want to offer you a position this semester of being my assistant.”
My eyes widen. I feel a rush of pride hit me all at once. Her TA? Students have only dreamed of this.I’vedreamed of this.
“That’s…anincredibleopportunity.”
“I can’t think of anyone better. It’ll be all the standard TA tasks, of course. Facilitating discussions, mentoring other students, helping me with prepping work…those sort of things.” She waves her hands.
My mouth drops open. She trusts me this much with all of that?Woah.
I look away from her while I process this. I feel her stand up from her desk and slowly walk over to me, careful not to scare me even further.
“Think about what this could do for you.” She stretches her neck to meet my eyes again. “All the teaching experience you’ll get. Not to mention what it’ll do for your resume and all the exposure you’ll gain.” She gives me a pensive look. “Not to mention, you’ll be making enough to cover your tuition.”
My heart stops. Okay, that’s huge.
Tobias doesn’t think I know but he’s been putting money aside for my schooling since dad’s passed. This would alleviate all of that stress for him.
I gulp.
Am I doing this?
Fuck it.
I’d be crazy not to!
