Stars Chapter 1
written by:
Mikael Santangelo

I gingerly knock on his door and steel myself for the worst. After everything, I do deserve it.

"Come in Alexia."

Of course he would know it's me. He probably Sherlock-ed it quite easily. After all, we do it all the time. It was one of the things we had in common. One of the reasons we connected the first time I talked to him after class. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

I turn the knob and slowly open the door. His muscular silhouette framed the whole window of his faculty office, which occupied the farthest wall of the private room. Well, every faculty member is assigned his own room after all. Which is why many have offered themselves as "payment" in one way or another just to pass the very difficult doctorate and post-graduate requirements of most of the professors here. Usually it starts with an invitation, but the professors never offer that solution. According to my friends, they will never say no but you would have to make the initial proposal.

Others have even recorded their students' statements that they are willingly offering themselves. It's the professors' leverage to avoid any sort of legal case in the future. Not that there have been any.

"Good morning Sir Antonio. Uhhh... thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

I've heard my professor, Prof. Emmanuel Antonio, is known for keeping such recordings but never releasing any of them. He's never had a reason to since most of his students keep silent about those sort of "arrangements"

I'm hoping it would be the same with me today.

"My pleasure, Alexia. Please sit down."

I sit, and keep silent for awhile watching that muscular frame of his from a different angle this time. How many times have I licked my lips at the view of those arms stretching his shirts while he wrote on the classroom's whiteboard? I've lost count and sometimes I lose my mind a little too if he comes near enough for me to breathe his scent in.

With that slight breeze wafting through the open window, this time was no exception.

"Well, nothing to say Alexia? Or should we revert to Ms. Mikael again?"

"You said you won't call me that again Sir."

"And you said you won't call me Sir in private Ms. Mikael."

"I'm sorry, I just gotten used to it considering that you are still my Professor and this meeting is about your class right?"

"Correct. But if you keep insisting on calling me that out of respect, I would have to do the same to you since you are a lot older than me."

"Ohhh... so we're back to that huh?"

"Well you started it."

I can hear the smile in his last sentence. I better end this conversation before it gets out of hand. At least, for me...

"I'm sorry Emman. It won't happen again. Or at least I'll try very hard for it to not happen again."

"You may not even have to try Alexia. You might not be seeing me again for quite a while."

I feel the sudden shift of emotion in his tone and my body tenses up in response.

"Emmanuel... Emman, please... you can't possibly..."

"You know I can and I'd be justified doing it."

He sighs and turns to look at me straight into my eyes. His shadow completely covers my slightly chubby but very curvy frame so I am not sure if he can see the anxiety in my stare.

"I really have to flunk you."