“No. No. No. No!” Professor Charbonneau finally spouted, while waving his hands. “Damn it, Alexander, I expect better from you.” He glared, and I frowned because I got the idea that the professor knew my archrival, and not in the way he was a mentor to me, but rather personally. “Are you all right, Yukio?” he asked, critically scanning my body.
My pride was hurt, so I huffed and rolled my eyes. “As if he could do anything to me.”
Professor Charbonneau thinned his lips and glared between us. “Follow me to my office, now.” He marched along the sidewalk and took another path until we reached a long, low brick building that reminded me of something from the seventies. I rushed around him and opened the door with a smile, and he gave me a small one in return, which had Alexander growling under his breath as he slid past me and met my gaze.
Aw, poor cranky baby. Get a life.
With a sigh, Professor Charbonneau slammed the door to his office once we were in it, then stomped around to his desk. He pointed at the chairs near us, and I reluctantly sank into one while Alexander did the same.
Professor Charbonneau puffed out his cheeks and adjusted his chair, so it was slightly higher than it had been, all the better to glare. “Your father would be beside himself to see you fighting,” he said to Alexander. Okay, so they weren’t strangers. Clearly the prof knew Alexander’s dad. “And do you have any idea what something like this could look like for him? He’s up for tenure this year. Do you want to ruin that? That’s a very big step in an academic’s career.”
Alexander dropped his chin to his chest but continued to glare at me out of the corner of his eye.
I pouted my lips in his direction.
He sneered.
I sat up straight as Professor Charbonneau turned his attention toward me.
“Yukio!”
I winced. “Yes, Professor?”
He gave me a stern look. Luckily, I was immune to them. “You are one of the best students in the business and accounting majors. It would be a shame to see you kicked out of basketball and tennis—”
“Baseball. I’m on the basketball and baseball teams. I play tennis for fun,” I added helpfully.
He sighed, but a smile played across his lips, and I knew I’d already won. “And baseballbecause you two can’t figure out how to get along. You are an adult. Both of you are. You’re damned lucky I’m the one who spotted your little fiasco. Fighting is assault,” he said, then pointed between us. “It’s a crime.”
Dredging up my best apologetic look, I aimed it directly at him, but I wasn’t sure I pulled it off because I couldn’t stop myself from glaring at Alexander when he huffed at me. I kicked at his stupid foot because he’d sprawled when he sat and it was next to mine. He kicked me back and connected hard enough that there was a noise, and Professor Charbonneau leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.
“That’s it. I’m calling your father.” He stared at Alexander.
“No,” he said with a groan and dropped his head back. He sat up straighter and scowled. “Please don’t. Dad has enough to worry about without this.” He began to stand. “I’ll just go—”
“Sit!” Professor Charbonneau snapped and pointed at the floor.
Alexander listened like a well-trained puppy, and I snickered under my breath. Curiosity had me staring at his face as it contorted into several emotions before ending on misery. This was new. I hadn’t thought he cared about anything except making my life terrible.
The professor turned to me and smiled. “Yukio, if you promise never to do anything like this again, I won’t go to the dean.”
Fuck, I wasn’t stupid. I knew a gift when someone was handing it to me. I nodded. “Yes, sir. But he slammed a door in my face. He’s been irritating me on purpose since we met.” Anger burned like a hot coal in my gut and a new wave of potent fury washed through me.
“Don’t act as if you don’t get your digs in when you can,” Alexander snapped.
“Enough,” Professor Charbonneau said, sounding tired. He raised his eyebrows at me.
“I promise never to get into a fistfight on campus again.” I put as much sweetness as possible into my words and gave the professor my best smile.
He grinned back, almost as if he couldn’t help himself.
Alexander growled.
Professor Charbonneau turned away toward a landline phone parked on the right side of his desk, and I blew Alexander a kiss, watching with glee as his hands opened wide, then clenched into fists.
What are you going to do about it, fucker?I mouthed my question, and I wasn’t sure if he understood me or not, but he flushed beet red from his neck all the way to the tips of his ears.
“Hey, Micah. This is Cass. Yeah, can you come to my office? Alex got into some trouble you need to know about.”
