Feral: Part One

by Arisa Baumann

  I should’ve realized by the no-longer-random texts from Cole during my morning routine that my day was going to turn out to be one giant mess.

  After calculating I had enough time to swing through Starbucks and get a mocha, I ended up stomping on my brakes to let a cat finish crossing the road—what could I say? I was an animal lover—and the hot drink splashed from its open top onto the side of my thigh, burning my skin through the fabric. Maybe it was what I deserved for taking off the lid to let it cool quicker. If that wasn’t bad enough, I got stuck behind the slowest train in America and a three-car wreck.

  I was going to be late, and the colorful expletives pouring from my mouth seemed to be the only relief I had available from my current situation, especially since I had Bahr. I’d heard rumors that he was a pretty big hard-ass, and even though it was the first day of class, usually a time when most instructors just went over their syllabi and expectations, I had a feeling he wouldn’t be thrilled to see a student coming in even a few minutes late, much less ten or fifteen.

  Thankfully, when I rushed in, I found the room devoid of anyone who looked like they might be in charge of the growing congregation. On the downside, there was Madison, front and center, ready to take notes and kiss ass as best she could.

  I groaned internally and trudged to a seat somewhere in the middle of the large classroom, not too close as to appear an overachiever like Mads, but not too far away as to look like I just didn’t care about the class. In my personal experience, I had learned that even teachers would often make presumptions based on a student’s choice of seat, and I tried to remain in a neutral area.

  As I sat and listened, I realized that something had gone wrong.

  From the way most people were talking, it sounded like something happened to Bahr and they were having trouble finding a last minute replacement for the anatomy and biology instructor. After a good half hour, people were beginning to get anxious and some students were preparing to leave.

  I myself was pondering a drive to the nearest IHOP, where I could settle down with a large stack of strawberry pancakes, a plate full of sausage, and my medical terminology text, when a familiar head of hair and heliotrope eyes practically floated into the room.

  This time he was dressed in slacks so dark it was almost impossible to distinguish their color—I guessed they were some shade of blue. His shirt was cornsilk-white and he wore a suit jacket in the deepest shade of seal-brown. He lacked a tie, and just like the last time I had laid eyes on him, the top buttons of his shirt were undone and his espresso-colored mane was brushed back away from his face.

  “Cazzo,” I muttered under my breath. Fuck.

  I nearly choked when his eyes darted to mine, and I shook my head to clear it. Stop thinking too hard, I chided myself mentally. It’s not like he can hear you. He probably just saw your name on the list and was looking to see if it was the same Sofia.

  His smile was utterly dazzling. His lips were a flawless, pale shade of coral, and his brilliant, white teeth were perfectly straight. The combined features seemed to light up the room with their beauty, and I felt a twinge of jealously that those lips probably belonged to someone else.

  Immediately, I began to reprimand myself. I not only had no right to be envious of his wife, but it was entirely ludicrous to feel such an emotion. I had met the man only once. I had no connections to him whatsoever, no time invested in his interests or anything. It was silly I could feel envy over a man I did not know.

  “Hello, everyone. I am Doctor Simon Treviso,” he began with that beautiful, but elusive accent. He propped himself up on the desk, his legs stretched out and crossed in front of him with his hands shoved into his pants’ pockets. “I should probably tell you right off that I am only filling in until a replacement can be found for Doctor Bahr. I am sure those of you who have seen me around the campus and know the courses I normally instruct are surprised to see me in this classroom. However, despite the fact I have chosen to pursue a career in the Humanities, I do have a Masters in applied Anatomy and Physiology.”

  He chuckled and shrugged. “That is what happens when a child prodigy becomes bored.

  “Now, I am sure you are all wondering what has happened to your instructor. While I and my colleagues here at the university were relieved to hear that Doctor Bahr is in good health and no ill has befallen him, we were saddened to learn of a death in his immediate family. And due to the needs of his remaining, elderly family, he has chosen to relocate to Illinois. So…”

  He turned to his briefcase and hefted out a thick stack of papers. “While I in no way can presume to know what your new instructor will have for you, Doctor Bahr did leave us with his syllabus and classroom policies. Until your permanent teacher is found, I will be using Doctor Bahr’s outline. And lucky for you,” he said with a cheeky smile, “as this was a last minute notification, you will be allowed to leave as soon as everyone has signed in and we review the papers Doctor Bahr emailed us.”

  I wasn’t entirely sure what to feel first. I felt a bit guilty about my previous thoughts concerning Bahr as a hard-ass. Hard-ass or no, I knew the loss of whom I assumed was a parent was never easy, and I was certain having to take care of a remaining relative was even more difficult while trying to grieve. I also felt the added guilt of continuing to feel an attraction toward a possibly married man that I didn’t know one whit about. Then there were the warring emotions of relief at being let go early and disappointment at not being able to see Doctor Treviso any longer that day.

  Okay, you just need to stop, I told myself.

  I was shocked when instead of saving himself some time by handing a smaller stack to the end of one row to be passed down, Doctor Treviso began walking through the rows, handing out the paperwork to each individual student himself. I tried to maintain my composure, keep the blood from rushing to my cheeks when he came within my direct line of vision.

  My eyes instantly flicked to the hand gripping the papers, his left hand.

  No ring.

  He’s single!

  I grit my teeth. All because he’s not wearing a ring, does not mean he’s single.

  But it’s a good indicator, my mind supplied.

  “Miss Deering?”

  I blinked up at him. “Um, sorry. My mind was somewhere else.”

  “Obviously,” he teased.

  I wanted to shrink into my seat, but I plastered a smile on my face and kept it there, even when I noticed Madison had turned around to watch the encounter. I tried to ignore her, but I saw her eyes narrowing in the corner of my periphery. I could only hope and pray this would be the only subject I had to endure with her.

  Mercifully, sign in and review of the syllabus took hardly any time at all.

  It was simple, basic. An evaluation of the university’s grading system, a breakdown of how many quizzes and tests were expected throughout the semesters, as well as their percentage of our grades, along with two large projects we were expected to complete. A failure to complete said projects would result in an F in the course, due to the fact they made up a large fraction of our overall grade.

  It took a good deal of restraint to not just throw my books and folder haphazardly into my book bag and take off like a thief in the night. Between two pairs of eyes, one blue and one violet, watching me, I felt like a lab rat under a microscope. It was highly uncomfortable to say the least.

  “Miss Deering,” Doctor Treviso said cordially as he met me at the door, his hand extended. “A pleasure to see you again. I am pleasantly surprised to see you are studying in the Health Sciences program. Do you know what specialty you would like to pursue?”

  His eyes locked onto mine briefly, and I felt like I was being sucked into a void where only he and I existed—but almost immediately the sensation faded away, leaving me confused and reeling.

  It took me a moment to get a hold on myself, but just as I was about to answer, the spoiled princess interjected.

  Once again, I felt mixed emotions about the disrup
tion. On one hand, I felt relief. I could take off and it not be considered rude. But on the other, I was more than aggravated that Madison would take it upon herself to butt into a conversation Simon was clearly beginning with me.

  I pushed my absurd feelings of resentment aside, and offered the temporary instructor a slight smile and nod before slipping out of the door and into the crowded hall. Hopefully, Brie would be done with her first class, too, and we could grab some decent breakfast from the cafeteria. My cereal bar had not exactly filled me up.

  Sure enough, I found her milling around in the main atrium, and looping my arm in hers, I began leading her in the general direction I had come from. When we made it halfway down the main hall, I took a significantly different turn to lead us to the eatery.

  “You will not guess what just happened to me!”

  “Did Simon Treviso turn out to be your teacher?”

  I made the colossal mistake of trying to talk and gasp at the same time, and began choking on my own oxygen. I struggled to breathe for a few moments before taking one huge gulp of air and holding it until the muscles in my throat stopped seizing. “Oh god! How on Earth did you know?”

  “Wait! What? Are you serious?” she asked, clearly as taken aback as I had been. “I was only kidding. Are you serious? The gorgeous Simon Treviso’s your teacher? Are you kidding me?”

  I shook my head. “He’s not the actual instructor. Something happened to Bahr’s mother or father, and Doctor Treviso is only filling in until the university can find a full-time replacement.” I made a sullen noise that clearly communicated displeasure. “I could not believe it, Brie. It’s bad enough I was late, and that I apparently have to take the class with Madison, who, by the way, butted her way into a conversation he was trying to have with me, but then he walked into the room.”

  I grabbed a yogurt and granola parfait from the cooler then followed Brie to the counter where she ordered a waffle. “I was so horrified, and god only knows how long he’s going to be teaching the class. I sure as hell hope they find someone soon. I don’t think I could take more than a week of having to stare at and listen to Doctor Treviso.”

  “Hello, ladies.”

  I gaped at Brie, whose eyes were wide with a blend of amusement and horror. Cazzo mia sempre cazzo sfortuna! Fuck my fucking luck, I repeated in my mind. I knew it wouldn’t work, but that didn’t stop me from mentally begging my friend to give me some sign that the voice we had just heard did not belong to the man I thought it did.

  “Miss Deering,” the voice said again. “I am afraid we did not have the opportunity to finish our conversation earlier.”

  If ever there was a time for Georgia to have an earthquake, now was it. I would have been ever-so-grateful to the powers that be if the floor below me opened up and swallowed me whole. Alas, I didn’t seem to be that lucky.

  I slowly turned in line and found myself staring into the eyes of the one and only Doctor Simon Treviso.

  THREE

  There he was in all his pale, god-like glory, while I stood looking far less striking and struggling to comprehend just why this man seemed determined to carry on a conversation with me, a fairly unassuming college student. I mean, while I in no way thought I was unattractive or dim-witted, I was not exactly the most sparkling of personalities. The only thing that stood out about me was the wild magenta streaks of hair amid my obsidian curls.

  I absolutely could not believe what I was seeing. It had to be the biggest fluke of my life. I knew there was no other way to explain the coincidence of Simon Treviso entering the cafeteria mere moments after me and Brie.

  “Um,” I said with less intelligence than I would have liked. Where’s a Twix when you need one? “Well, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure what I want to specialize in.”

  I hated the way those words sounded sometimes, like I really did not care to give it much thought, when the truth was that I was interested in multiple fields and was unable to determine which I would be more suited for.

  I made sure to voice those thoughts quickly, and added, “I’m not exactly interested in the skeletal system, but it seems to be the one I know and remember the most about. I’m really interested in cardiology, but I sometimes find it to be a complicated system. It makes it difficult to decide. Of course, I suppose I have a few more years to choose a specialty.”

  “Indeed,” he said with a beauteous smile. “It took me quite a few years to determine what field I wished to pursue.”

  As I stood before him, I realized that Simon Treviso was the only person I’d met who could render me completely and utterly speechless, and nothing could be any more embarrassing. I knew it was just a sheer twist of fate that my temporary biology teacher appeared so soon after us, but there was a deluded part of my mind trying to convince me that I’d been followed. I refused to believe it.

  “I must profess to a mild curiosity,” he continued smoothly, as if he did not notice my hopeless silence. “I joined the staff last semester, yet I cannot ever recall seeing you in either of the health sciences’ designated halls, or indeed any of the halls.”

  I felt Brie’s eyes staring into the back of my head, and it only added to my discomfort.

  Why was Doctor Treviso trying to carry on a conversation with me? Was he this pleasant with all of his students, or was I the only one who was reaping the benefits of his more social side? Was he taking pity on me or something? Did my one small accident leave him with the impression I was a flake whose balance was as flighty as her focus?

  Oh dear god, he was taking pity on me! He probably thought I was a moron.

  “Miss Deering?”

  I shook myself and smiled, hoping it didn’t look too strained. “Um, actually, I wasn’t in the country. I did a semester abroad,” I explained as I walked to the check out. “England, to be exact.”

  “Ah, England! How did you find it?”

  “Wet,” I replied dryly, earning a hearty chuckle for my efforts. “Left it wet, too.”

  “Hopefully, the rain did not derail your sightseeing too much?” he inquired.

  “Not too much,” I answered lightly. “I’ve always loved architecture, so wet or dry, I was thoroughly impressed with the sights. Although, there was one thing I was offended by. I just couldn’t believe it,” I said with no slight amount of annoyance. “There was this beautiful, exquisite stone building with these massive stone columns. Absolutely beautiful. And there was this one section in the front that had been cut out and replaced by glass, which was fine, but inside there was—” I nearly choked at the thought— “there was a McDonald’s.”

  His laughter deepened, making me smile. “Yes, well they have to do something with the buildings, do they not? It would be a waste of income just to let them sit.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” I groused. “But why not a Starbucks or a Subway or something. Why McDonald’s? It’s McDonald’s! Home of the ‘would you like fries with that coronary’!”

  “And over-sweetened, over-creamed coffee is better how?”

  “Hey! It is not over-sweetened, nor is it over-creamed,” I defended vehemently. “It’s decadent, liquidy goodness sent from heaven. If God were a beverage, he would be a Starbuck’s white chocolate or peppermint mocha. End of story.”

  “Well, in that case, I suppose I can offer no argument.” He passed several wrinkled bills to the clerk. “This is for Miss Deering’s parfait.”

  I blinked and took in several things at once: Brie was nowhere to be seen and Doctor Treviso’s hands were devoid of any food. “Oh, no. No! No, I’m good. Thank you, but I can’t let you pay. You didn’t even get anything to eat.”

  He glanced at his hands with surprising innocence. “Oh, it appears you are right.” His grin was vibrant and his violet eyes seemed to glow with mischief. “I suppose I was too affronted by the injustices of mis-placed fast-food restaurants to notice.” He offered his customary nod. “Good day, Miss Deering. I do hope you enjoy the rest of yours.”

  My eyes shot to the poor
young woman behind the register. She looked as shocked as I felt.

  I turned back to catch Doctor Treviso to protest his offer to pay, but to my astonishment, he was already gone.

  “What’s taking you so long?”

  I whipped around and glared at Brie, whose eyes and smile both were just a little too wide to be real, then glanced back at the cashier. “Um… Keep the change?” It should have been a statement, but I was too confused at the moment for it to sound like anything other than what it did. “And you,” I growled quietly as I followed her to a small table near the wall, “where were you when I needed you, you traitor?”

  “Hey, you seemed to be doing just fine on your own,” she said cheerfully. “So, what was all that about?”

  “I have no damn clue.” When she looked at me disbelievingly, I huffed. “I don’t! I just met the guy last week and I’ve had him as a temporary instructor. I don’t know! I’ve said less than two hundred words to him, Brie. Maybe I just look so pathetic whenever he sees me, he takes pity on me. Maybe he thinks he’s the only friend I’ll ever have.” I threw up my hands in frustration. “I don’t know. I’m as baffled as you are. And maybe the sales girl up there.” I chortled. “Did you see her face?”

  “So nothing happened betwe—”

  “What could have possibly happened in the whole whoppin’ forty minutes I’ve spent with the guy? And half of that doesn’t even count, because it was spent with more than two dozen other students in a classroom less than an hour ago. He’s just a nice guy who likes to socialize. Period.”

  “Don’t think I didn’t notice before I ducked out that he didn’t grab anything to eat.”

  “Shut up,” I muttered through a mouthful of yogurt and granola. When she pulled a face and muttered that I was ‘being gross’, I simply beamed. “Then stop asking me about Simon Treviso.”