Intimidating her

Mia headed towards block 29, where she'd submit her project to Mr. Bennett. Though the story she was going to submit wasn't going to earn her much marks like the one Diane had stolen, she hoped it would at least get her some bonus points for this semester.

As she walked down the blocks, her mind wandered back to Diane's warning. The rich brat had marked the professor as her next boyfriend, however, one thing Diane didn't know was that she had no interest in taking the man. Though she admired him and even had a big crush on his eyes, she wasn't as delusional as Diane to dream of having such a man. She would be the last person on earth someone like Mr. Bennett would fancy.

She was plain and ordinary with no influential background like the other girls. She repeat the same set of faded jeans and shirts all over again, she had no fancy clothes nor makeup. She couldn't help but even wonder how she would be able to afford the dresses needed for the up coming school event. She had agreed to join but now she was starting to regret that decision again. Perhaps she should just remove herself before it was too late, at least it was better to back out now than be embarrassed later in public.

As Mia's mind was swirling with several thoughts, she wasn't looking at the way she was walking nor did she realize she was about to pass by the office in block 29 until she crashed into someone. The papers in her hands as well as the ones in the person's hand went flying around as she also started to fall backwards from the hard impact of colliding with the person. However, before she could meet the unforgiving hard floor, the person was quick to pull her hand and draw her forward, she lost her balance and fell into the person's strong chest.

Mia held her breath as she heard him mutter a curse, she dared not move realizing whose chest her head was resting on. His expensive addictive cologne whiffed to her nose and she felt her throat go dry. She could feel his steady heart beat against her ear, and when she didn't move away, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from him.

"There is no end to your clumsiness, Harrison. You are a walking disaster," he rebuked harshly as he glanced down at the important papers he was carrying awhile ago, now scattered on the floor along with the girl's papers. He quickly bent down and began to pick them up before the girl would see what he had been carrying. He hated it when people interrupted his business, not to mention how he couldn't stand clumsiness. And this girl before him seemed to have all the qualities he disliked.

Irresponsibility, always late, annoying as hell. He didn't know why he even asked her to bring her damn assignments to his office last night. All the students had submitted their assignments, but it seemed Miss irresponsible had to have a special invitation to do hers.

Neil saw as the girl also bend down to start picking up her own papers, even her fingers were trembling slightly as she picked them up. However, he didn't give a damn about anyone's feelings for his harshness. He finished picking up his papers and stood up, counting if they were complete, he said, "You have five minutes to impress me with your project assignment." Then walked back into his office.

Mia glanced at his office door as she picked up her last paper. She swallowed the lump of embarrassment in her throat and stood up. For some reasons his harshness seemed to affect her more than it was supposed to. She rarely let people's words affect her. He didn't like her, that was for sure. Well, she would stay out of his way after he finished supervising her project.

Mia made sure to knock at his office door before entering, and she didn't open the door until she heard his permission for her to enter. As she pushed the door open, Mr. No-nonsense was already busying himself with his computer, she could hear the rapid movement of his fingertips against the keyboards. His expression was stern and cold as he continued to type as if the keyboards were his greatest enemy that deserved to be destroyed by his fingers.

Such an ice cube! Mia thought as she sat down on the chair opposite him.

Without even glancing at her, he spoke, "What story do you have for your project?" He asked blankly.

Mia placed the papers she'd brought along with her on his table and said, "Here. It's a story about a man who got convicted for a crime he didn't commit. Before you ask how I know he is innocent, I did my research and dug into the case and I came to the conclusion that he was innocent." She had been working on this story before she got the one Diane stole, she had gone to many dangerous places to get her hands on some few evidences.

Neil, who heard what the girl said asked another question without looking away from his computer, "And how did you come to the conclusion that he is innocent?"

Neil couldn't help but think that Irresponsible students nowadays would make up shit just to have a good mark, and this one before him was one of them. He didn't have to look at her project papers to know she was like every irresponsible student he'd come across in this school. Perhaps it was because he had a strong dislike towards every reporter that he couldn't trust their stories.

The journalists in Zen city had made up craps about him because he'd refused to have any interview with them after he'd made a name for himself in the military. And the fact that his mission was in the journalism faculty, did nothing to make him give a damn about their stories and laziness to find evidence before publishing it. Just like that beauty with no brains who claimed someone else's work for her own.

Mia, who was being ignored by her supposed supervisor, took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She wanted to stand up and disconnect his computer so he would give her his full attention, but she dared not pass her boundaries with what she'd come to notice of this ice cube, he was a short tempered man. Unless she was courting death, she had to remain seated.

"Mr. Bennett, at least take a look at the papers and see for yourself what the evidence are. I worked hard and even trespassed into private properties just to get my hands on the evidence I even entered a house filled with mighty dogs that looked ready to tear me apart. You should have seen how terrified I was when I thought they would kill me. I haven't published any of this evidence because i needed someone to supervise it first and see how corrupted our country's authorities are." She poured out her frustration in one breath. Even the ice cube finally stopped his typing and looked at her.

Without a word, he reached out and picked up her papers. His eyes skimmed through the contents, and for the first since Mia had known him, he showed his disbelief. He looked up at her with those beautiful intense gray eyes as if she had grown two heads. "How in the name of the devil did you get your hands on a D.P.O investigation statement?" He asked in astonishment.

Mia raised her chin in confidence and said, "I told you I trespassed into a private property where I almost got ripped apart by the security dogs." She then proceeded to explain, "When we were given this assignment to bring up interesting stories worth publishing in the real newspapers, I wanted to put my best to secure my scholarship, so I did my research on this case that took place last year. I talked to the accused victim's wife while pretending to be a real journalist from a newsagency..."

She explained to Neil how she had come to the conclusion that the man was innocent and was accused because the authorities couldn't find the real culprit and decided to pin the crime on him just to close the case.

Neil listened to the girl in disbelief. If he said he wasn't surprised, then it was a lie. All the evidence she had was something that could reopen a closed case if she published it. Though he still wasn't impressed of how she'd gotten her hands on the evidence, because to get all this, she had trespassed into someone's privacy, something he hated about journalists.

Mia smiled in satisfaction as she believed her project had somehow taken the ice cube by surprise. He would surely allow her to publish it and give her good marks. However she wasn't prepared for his next words.

"You cannot publish this, Harrison." He bust her bubble with such nonchalant attitude that irked her to no end.

"Why?" She asked standing up from her seat, "You don't know how much I've worked to get that. Why can't anybody understand that I need to pass this project. First it was Diane who stole my story and published it getting all the credit for my hard work, and now it is you. Why can't_"

"What did you just say?" He cut her off so suddenly that Mia shrank backwards thinking she had said something to offend him somehow.