Chapter 4: Microbiology Failure

The alarm blares loudly, jogging Leila to life. She rolls over to the side and reaches for the offending object, gazing at the time as she wipes the sleep away from her eyes.

0730

She has thirty minutes to get ready for class.

Leila rolls out of bed and pulls out the first pair of pants and shirt she grabs from her large capacity dresser.

Rushing to the bathroom, she jumps in the shower and begins the ritual process of scrubbing herself down. Thoughts race through her mind as she cleanses herself.

Her nerves would get the better of her. She can feel it. She’s always anxious on the first day of the semester. It doesn’t help that she spent the previous night outdoors instead of planning ahead.

She exhales.

“Everything is going to be alright.” she chants to herself before stepping out of the shower.

Leila dries herself off hurriedly and ponders the classes she has for the day. Her first class is microbiology and then relaxation for stress management, which she decided to take on a whim that it would somehow help her find a way to calm her nerves.

Her final class is violin one. She would relearn the basics of the violin and potentially get back into a hobby she once enjoyed. Of course, that class didn’t happen until much later on in the evening so she has plenty of time to think about it later.

She throws on her clothes and brushes her long hair, glancing at her phone’s clock once more.

0755

Right on time.

She slips on her shoes and grabs her backpack, shoving books and school supplies into it haphazardly. She glances at herself in the bathroom mirror as she passes by. She’s presentable. That’s all that matters.

Hayley is in the kitchenette making coffee and turns to the brunette, holding out a cup. “Want some before you go?”

Leila shakes her head. “No thanks. I gotta get going, and I don’t like the taste. Have a good day, Hayley.”

She nods her head, taking a sip from the mug as Leila leaves the room. She snatches her student ID up and shoves it into her wallet next before leaving the room. Forgetting the thing was a bad habit she had the last year, and she didn’t want to repeat it. After her double check, she leaves the mini apartment, the door slamming shut and locked behind her.

Leila makes haste for her first class across the campus. She passes by several large buildings but none of them are the one she’s looking for. When she finally comes to the square edifice she is in search of, she rushes in the doors behind a cascade of hurrying students.

Climbing three flights of steps, she comes to her stop and pushes through the first entryway of the Ball Hall, and an immediate right turn follows as she enters the classroom and finds a spot in the back. She’s breathless as she takes a seat and pulls out several materials for microbiology. She’s ready for class and with five minutes to spare.

“Is this seat taken?”

She perks up at the familiar voice, and Ezra is standing there, gesturing to the desk beside her. She rapidly shakes her head answers, “Only if ghosts are there.”

He chuckles and settles down next to her. Leila watches as he takes out materials for the class and asks, “I thought you were a teacher. What are you doing here?”

“I am, and I enjoy many hobbies.”

She narrows her eyes and states with a wry smile, “I’d hardly call microbiology a side hobby.”

He laughs lightly. “It has some interesting qualities to it, I assure you.”

The professor comes in moments later as the two fall into a comfortable silence, and he announces, “Everyone get settled. I have your first quiz for the semester, so I hope you did the assigned readings.”

Leila’s eyes widen. She had forgotten to do the assignment last night and internally cries at the situation. How could she pass a quiz if she hadn’t done the homework?

The professor reaches her and Ezra and hands over two sheets of paper, one for her and the other for him. She stares at all the words before her with blank eyes, giving the questions a once over.

She can hear the quiet scribbling of the other students, and anxiety bubbles within her. Leila takes a pencil out from her backpack and begins jotting her own answers down, hopeful that she’ll at least come close to passing.

“Alright, time’s up.” the professor calls out. Leila internally glares at the piece of paper before her, only having half the answers filled out.

The older man comes by and picks up all the quizzes and sets them on the podium he would be lecturing from. Words begin to flow from his mouth, but Leila hardly pays any attention to the lesson. All that she can think about is how she failed her first quiz of the semester.

“How am I supposed to make that up?” she questions in her head.

A light tap comes to her arm, and she glances over at the man beside her. He gives her a reassuring smile, and she blushes in embarrassment, diverting her eyes to the desk in front of her. The least she can do is take notes, so she pulls out paper and begins writing verbatim what the man is saying. She would comprehend it later.

An hour and a half of lecturing goes by, and Leila feels her eyes drooping closed with boredom. Ezra nudges her awake and chuckles as she startles at the touch.

“Class is done, Leila.”

She bobs her head tiredly and gathers her things. While she does this, Ezra is swarmed by curious females, and Leila can’t help but roll her eyes. Not only are they invading his space, but hers as well, and this she did not like one bit.

“Ezra, I didn’t know you were taking this class. You could’ve sat by me.” one of the girls whines.

Leila feels bad for the man as he stands with his hands held up to the female population, answering, “Ah, it’s good to see you as well, Amber.”

A cough sounds from the girl, and she mutters under her breath, “Liar.”

Before she can leave, she feels his hand snatch hers from below the desk, and she looks to the appendage in confusion. She wraps her hand around his in the next moment and states, “Sorry, girls, I’ve got to borrow the professor for a bit.”

Glares fall upon her, but she shoots them an equally challenging stare. She would not be bullied by a bunch of jealous women, and Leila pulls Ezra from the crowd, releasing his hand once they reach the outside of the science building.

“Thank you.”

Leila giggles into her hand and states, “I can’t believe you’re frightened of a bunch of girls. If you’d tell them no, they wouldn’t be so insistent.”

He rotates the woman to face him and leans in close, lips hovering over hers, startling her, and replying, “Fear does not strike me with those women, Leila.”

Her tan face reddens, and she quickly stammers, pulling from his hold, “S-sure, sure.”