Somebody in the back slapped a desk.
Another student muttered, “Goddamn.”
Dr. Luchinsky held up his hand for silence.
“Ms. Campbell, you’re dismissed; please return with a better attitude.”
“Don’t tell me I hurt your feelings.” She still hadn’t moved. “It’s like a man being an obstetrician. You know it’s odd. Just because it can be done doesn’t mean it should. The plight of women is exactly why we have women’s history. If you aren’t discussing that, what are we actually talking about?”
She stood and gathered her things with her spine straight.
The scowl was back.
“But I’ll gladly see myself out.”
Dr. Luchinsky watched, flushed, with nothing left to say.
A little troublemaker.
She walked past our row, causing me to shift. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t her eyes finding mine. She held mygaze for a beat, calm as hell, taking me in the same way I was taking her in, and then she was gone.
I watched the door close behind her.
“I can’t have them all,” I said, standing. “But I want that one. I’ll get up with you niggas later.”
I dapped them up and jogged out before the professor could get a word in. It was already too late for me. The siren had called. I had answered. It was reckless, and I did not care at all.
The hall was clear, so I picked up speed to catch up to her. When I finally pushed through the door outside, I spotted her and made my way over.
“That mouth is going to get you in trouble, Storm.”
She stopped walking and turned.
“Storm?”
“Yeah, because of the white spot. Or maybe I’ll call you Spot.” I reached out to touch the patch of white in her hair. She stepped out of reach, but she didn’t walk away.
“How about you call me nothing because I don’t know you. Do I look like a dog?”
“Look, I’m not Professor Luchinsky. Don’t bite my head off. I care about women’s history.”
“You clearly wanted this following me out here. I’m not in the mood today. Is that not obvious?”
“What would make it better? How can I help?”
“Stranger danger,” she yelled, not moving, just looking at me with those eyes.
I didn’t budge.
“You done?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes and dropped down onto the edge of the steps. I stayed where I was.
“Milkshakes always help,” I said.
She looked up at me and shook her head. “Stranger, you need to identify yourself before we share anything. Name. Blood type. Credit score. Go.”
“So, I got a shot at sharing something with you?”
