*What are the fucking odds?*
Imogen clomped down the hall in her Doc Marten knock-offs, sheaf of black hair in her eyes, humming something in a minor key. Outside she could hear the party still going strong -- endless talk and laughter over endless grinding dance music.
*Halloween or not, I've got a midterm in six hours, and if I can't make some tea I'll never get to sleep.*
She turned a corner and paused at the window. In the courtyard, four floors below, a girl from her art history class was passed out under a hedge. Drunk as a skunk. Not more than three feet away, a hundred kids danced in little subcircles like a Ven diagram.
*Knock yourselves out. It's good for the curve.*
There was a shuffle close to her. Imogen turned to find Dr. Rickman appear at the opposite end of the hall, walking toward her with exaggerated slow purpose like a deep sea diver.
"Dr. Rickman?"
He was dazed, and white as marble, but he stiffened at her voice. His hair was as black as hers, and looked six weeks overdue for a cut. His eyebrows were too heavy and his nose was too long. He was depressed and absent and profound. And he was older -- too old to be attracted to, though she was, and he knew it, and she knew he knew it.
"Out of the dorm, Miss Moreau?"
His voice passed through her like she'd missed a step and fallen. She shifted -- she was still dressed from her brief party appearance, in a short shirt and skirt that would never pass dress code. The hall was dim, and the party lights picked up the unshaven down on her thighs.
"I was trying to make tea, but the microwave on my hall is broken," she said.
"Oh." He gestured her forward, strangely, too slow. "You can use the teacher's lounge."
"Really?" Imogen passed him, keeping her distance. Keeping up appearances. "Thank you."
One-minute-forty-five-seconds on the microwave and START. It kicked up with a hum and amber glow. Behind her, she heard a hollow click, and she turned to find Dr. Rickman standing by the door. Now closed.
Imogen took a look around, nonchalant. "I've never been in the teacher's lounge before."
"It's not very impressive," he said.
She smiled and dropped her head, sending black bangs into her eyes. "Yeah, I was gonna say."
"It does have one nice feature," said Dr. Rickman, leading her to the windows over the sink. "We get a pretty good view."
Imogen peered out, and he was right -- a nice, straight shot of the whole courtyard. Almost directly under the window, Drunk Art History Girl dragged an equally drunk boy to a stone bench and kissed him hard.
*That's kinda nice. She always had a thing for him.*
She leaned far over the sink to see, and felt cool air on the backs of her thighs.
*Good. Let him look.*
Then she felt him behind her, very close. The soft fabric of his slacks brushed high on her legs.
The microwave completed its cycle with a long BEEP.
He pointed at the sky.