Stacy had always struggled with English class when she was in high school. Now she was stuck taking English 110 with Mr. Hanes at the community college. He was rumored to be the toughest English professor on campus with high expectations of his students. No matter what, she was determined to leave his class with high scores (or at least a passing grade).
"Excuses won't cut it," Mr. Hanes said on the first day of class. "If your work is not in on time, barring you being in a hospital or dead, I will mark it as 'incomplete'."
Here they were into the second week of class and Stacy still had no idea what she needed to be doing. The syllabus listed all sorts of timelines for when work was to be submitted. She didn't struggle with the timelines at all. It was "what" she was supposed to be doing that she struggled with. This was a writing class, and she had no idea what kind of topics to be researching.
Shrugging off her fears, she approached Mr. Hanes for some help. She was amazed to find he was not as difficult as rumored and was more than happy to assist her. He looked over his calendar and scheduled time for her later that evening after his last class.
"How old are you, Stacy?" Mr. Hanes asked when she arrived later.
"I'm 18, Mr. Hanes..." she said smiling, "actually just turned 18 in August."
"So this is your first semester here, then?" he asked.
"Yes, sir, it is. I just graduated last spring." She quickly replied.
"Ok, well, Stacy..." he began, "there is nothing wrong with seeking help. It is better that you come for help, than try to figure it all out on your own. Now, what exactly are you struggling with?"
That is how it began. Stacy would stop by his class twice a week for a small tutoring session after his last class of the evening. Over the next month and a half her writing skills did nothing but flourish as Mr. Hanes taught her everything he knew about writing. She absorbed everything he had to teach her, and each session she grew more confident in her abilities.
By the time the mid-term arrived the sessions with him had gone from 30 minutes a day, to an hour a day and finally to close to 2 hours. Although each session began discussing English, their time together was no longer just about English and her writing skills. She learned more about him and he learned more about her.
Mr. Hanes was easily twice her age, married and the father of two teenage twin girls. But she never felt closer to another person in her life. She talked about her goals, her aspirations and her dreams. He listened unlike anyone before, and she grew closer and closer to him.
"What is your final paper going to be about?" he asked her as the semester progressed.
"First time experiences in college." She replied confidently.
"Oh? Interesting, any specific experiences in mind?" he asked patiently.
"Yes..." she said and blushed slightly when she realized they were standing closer together than usual. She could smell his cologne radiating from his skin, and felt drawn to his masculine demeanor unlike any other time.
"Mr. Hanes..." she said softly.
"Yes, Stacy..." he said just as softly.