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Professor Tillman is in his early forties with salt and pepper hair and he always wears heavy cardigans to school, but he’s probably the coolest professor on campus. He never overworks us and it’s so fascinating to see someone get so immersed in literature.
“Dorian doesn’t care about Sybil Vane. He has fallen in love with her as an actress, because of the characters she portrays each night. His plans for marriage is not as innocent as they seem, because Dorian wants to use Sybil for his own selfish purposes,” Professor Tillman continues and then he looks at his watch.
“That’s all for today,” he says, “but what I want is for all of you to write a 2 to 3-page assignment on Dorian Gray. You will all get assignment notes through your Google Classroom.”
As I pack away several of my books, my laptop pings and I look up to see one new email from Jane Porter, my father’s assistant.
I click on the email and see several recommendations for up and coming publishing houses that I can apply to for an internship position.
There are too many options and I w
don’t have time to look through all of them right now. I’d just have to check them out later. I click on one of the available responses at the bottom that says: Thank you so much! as a reply to the email.
My phone buzzes and I see Lex’s face pop up on my screen. I swipe to answer the call.
“Hey,” I say shouldering my bag as I leave the class with the rest of the students.
“Hey, can we change our plans for later? There’s a party tonight at Dane Corbière’s place,” Lex says.
I can hear someone talking in the background. A female with a very melodramatic tone to her voice. It’s probably Lex’s Theatre class.
She’s obsessed with Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn which is one of the main reasons she decided that she would pursue a career in acting. And I always thought my writing career sounded far-fetched.
“A party? Again?” I sigh. “I thought we agreed that this year was going to be different, Lex. Working harder, less partying.”
“You said you’d be different this year and I didn’t necessarily agree, but,” she huffs exaggeratedly loud. “We can skip if you want?”
I let out a short laugh. “If I want? I know you won’t shut up if you don’t get to go.”
I head towards the library building which is a tall grey bricked building. Students laze around college grounds, not in any particular hurry. It’s a slow day.
“Does that mean you’re saying yes?” Lex has hope in her voice.
“I’ll see,” I tell her. “Bye.”
I end the call and enter the library’s expansive entrance. The massive, dark oak doors are open, welcoming students into its warm atmosphere.
The biblichor smell of books fills my nostrils as I navigate my way through the study hall and to my favourite nook in a darkened part of the library.
Here, there’s a warm love seat with a side table and an old-style lantern that offers dark yellow light over my small space. I’m hidden by the towering bookcases and thick spines of novels that sit on the wide shelves.
Silence, at last,I think as I sink into the love seat. I could stay in here for hours on end, deeply immersed like I was a few weeks ago when we had to read a classic poetry piece. I chose Kubla Kahn by Samuel Taylor Coleridge as soon as I saw the available list of poems.
It’s one of my favourites.
Taking out my MacBook, I switch it on and go into my Google Classroom. Professor Tillman has already sent out our assignments, so I click on the file.
There are only four themes for the essay assignment, but the one that piques my interest is: Who is responsible for Dorian Grays downfall? Prepare an argumentative essay to defend my point of view.
I come out of Google Classroom and head into my Google Docs as I prepare to plan out my essay.
Words float through my head while I typeDraftat the top of the blank file. My fingers hover above the keyboard and I want to write something, anything, but nothing happens. My mind blanks and I can’t think of anything.
Except for Hudson, my annoying inner voice reminds me, but it’s true.
I’m wet and I don’t even have to touch myself to know that I am, but I suddenly have the urge to have him here in my small space.
Focus!I scold myself.
