The following day, Adrian Blackwood entered the lecture hall, exuding his usual authority. The students hushed instantly as he strode toward the front of the room, his sharp gaze sweeping over them. He paused briefly when his eyes landed on Elena, who was already seated, her shoulders hunched and her notebook unopened.
The tension in Adrian’s demeanor was unmistakable. Something about the way her focus seemed distant irked him more than he wanted to admit.
“Elena Harper,” he called sharply. “If you’re going to spend my class staring into space, I suggest you find another place to do it. I don’t teach distractions.”
The sudden command snapped Elena out of her thoughts. She straightened in her seat, fumbling with her pen as the room filled with muffled laughter. Adrian’s lips twitched in irritation when he noticed her cheeks flush red.
“Let’s try this again,” Adrian said, his tone colder now. “What was the last point I discussed?”
Elena swallowed hard, her eyes darting to her blank notebook. She couldn’t answer.
“Exactly as I thought,” he muttered under his breath before turning back to the board. “Let this be a lesson, Ms. Harper. Focus is not optional in my class.”
The lecture dragged on, but Adrian’s gaze often returned to Elena. Every time, he found her half-heartedly scribbling notes or zoning out entirely. It frustrated him not just because she was failing to meet his standards, but because he couldn’t figure out why her behavior bothered him so much.
When the lecture ended, students gathered their belongings and hurried out of the room. But Adrian stayed behind, watching as Elena packed her bag slowly, her expression distant.
“Ms. Harper,” he called, his voice firm but not loud.
Elena froze, clutching her bag tightly before turning to face him. “Yes, sir?”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed as he approached. “What’s going on with you? Your focus is slipping, and I won’t tolerate mediocrity in this class. If you’re not taking this seriously, perhaps you should reconsider your priorities.”
Elena’s lips parted as if to respond, but no words came. Her throat felt tight, and she forced herself to look away.
“I… I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Adrian studied her for a moment, noting the exhaustion in her eyes. “I hope so,” he replied curtly, though his tone had softened slightly. “Because if you continue this way, you’ll fail and I don’t think failure suits you.”
Elena blinked, startled by the unexpected comment. She nodded quickly and hurried out of the room, her heart pounding.
Outside the lecture hall, Gabriel and Andrew were waiting as always. Gabriel’s sharp eyes immediately noticed Elena’s pale face and nervous demeanor.
“What happened in there?” he asked, stepping closer.
“Did he give you a hard time again?” Andrew added, his brow furrowed with concern.
Elena forced a smile, shaking her head. “No, it’s fine. He was just… reminding me to stay focused.”
Gabriel exchanged a glance with Andrew, clearly unconvinced. “If he’s pushing you too hard, you need to tell us. You’re already dealing with enough.”
“I said it’s fine,” Elena insisted, though her voice wavered slightly. She hugged her bag to her chest. “Can we just go? I’m really not in the mood to talk about it.”
Gabriel sighed but nodded. “Okay, Star. But we’re here if you need us.”
As they walked down the hallway, Andrew tried to lighten the mood with a joke, and Elena managed a small laugh. Gabriel stayed silent, his eyes darting back to the lecture hall where Adrian had been.
Inside the empty classroom, Adrian stood by the window, watching them leave. His jaw tightened as he saw the way Gabriel lingered close to Elena, his hand brushing hers lightly.
Adrian turned away with a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. This wasn’t like him. Letting a student-and her personal life distract him was unprofessional and completely out of character.
His phone buzzed on the desk, breaking his thoughts. Picking it up, he frowned when he saw the name on the screen.
“Dad,” he answered, his voice flat.
“Adrian,” his father said in his usual calm, authoritative tone. “How are things progressing? I trust there have been no setbacks?”
Adrian’s grip on the phone tightened. “Everything is fine. The situation is under control.”
“Good,” his father replied. “But remember, Adrian, your task isn’t just about teaching. You have a purpose there don’t let trivial distractions derail you. Do I make myself clear?”
Adrian’s jaw clenched. “Yes, Dad. Perfectly clear.”
“See that you don’t forget,” his father said before the call disconnected.
Adrian set the phone down and exhaled slowly. His father’s words lingered, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Elena. She was becoming more than just a distraction and that was a problem he couldn’t ignore.
Later that day, during lunch, Elena found herself in the cafeteria with Gabriel and Andrew. They’d managed to distract her from Adrian’s harsh words, but her appetite was still nonexistent.
As the cafeteria buzzed with noise, Elena could feel the weight of multiple eyes on her. Whispers rippled through the room, some loud enough to reach her ears as she sat with Gabriel and Andrew at their usual table by the windows.
“Look at her,” a girl at a nearby table muttered loudly to her friends, not even bothering to lower her voice. “Top student, they said. But she’s zoning out in class and barely participating. How embarrassing.”
Another student chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Maybe being the ‘teacher’s favorite’ is catching up with her. Doesn’t seem like Adrian’s cutting her any slack anymore.”
Elena’s face burned as she picked at her food, her appetite completely gone. She gripped her fork tightly, willing herself not to react.
“Can’t believe she’s still trying to keep up,” another voice chimed in from a different table. “If I were her, I’d just drop out. Better than embarrassing myself in front of the whole class.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed as he caught the whispers. He glanced at Elena, noticing her stiff posture and the way her hands trembled slightly.
“Elena,” he said softly, leaning closer, “ignore them. They’re just jealous because they know they can’t match you.”
Andrew, who had been scrolling through his phone, suddenly looked up, his expression darkening. “Who’s talking trash? I’ll shut them up right now.”
“No,” Elena whispered, shaking her head. “Just leave it. It’ll only make things worse.”
Gabriel didn’t seem convinced. His gaze swept the cafeteria, daring anyone to meet his eyes. Most of the students quickly looked away, but some continued to snicker under their breath.
The tension escalated when Mia strolled into the cafeteria with her usual air of superiority. Spotting Elena, she smirked and made her way over, her heels clicking against the tiled floor.
“Well, well,” Mia began, loud enough for the entire cafeteria to hear. “The so-called ‘star student’ graces us with her presence. But what’s this? Back to wearing those old, cheap clothes again? What happened? Did your boyfriends stop teaching you ?”
The cafeteria erupted in laughter at Mia’s remark. Gabriel’s jaw tightened, and Andrew slammed his hand on the table, ready to get up, but Elena placed a calming hand on his arm.
Mia wasn’t finished. She folded her arms, tilting her head as if in mock pity. “Honestly, Elena, you’re such a disappointment. Being at the top of the class and still managing to be the talk of every professor? Adrian Blackwood especially seems unimpressed with you these days.”
“Mia,” Gabriel said sharply, his voice low but filled with warning. “Walk away.”
“Oh, relax, Gabriel,” Mia said, rolling her eyes. “I’m just stating the obvious. Isn’t it funny how someone who’s supposed to be so ‘brilliant’ is suddenly struggling so much? Maybe she’s not as smart as everyone thought.”
Andrew couldn’t hold back any longer. “And maybe you’re just bitter because no one’s impressed by your pathetic little show,” he shot back.
The cafeteria grew quieter as the tension between them crackled in the air. Mia’s smug smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered.
“I’m not the one who’s embarrassing myself in front of the entire class,” Mia retorted, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Good luck fixing your mess, Elena. You’ll need it.”
With that, she turned and sauntered away, leaving a trail of laughter and whispers in her wake
Elena stared at the table, her vision blurring as tears threatened to spill. She felt humiliated, like every eye in the room was judging her, mocking her.
“Elena,” Gabriel said gently, placing a hand on hers. “You don’t have to put up with this. We’ll handle it.”
“No,” she said quickly, her voice shaky. “Please, just let it go. I don’t want more attention.”
Andrew frowned, his fists still clenched. “She doesn’t deserve to talk to you like that. None of them do.”
Elena forced a small, strained smile. “It doesn’t matter. People are always going to talk. I just… I need to focus on fixing my grades. That’s the only thing that matters right now.”
Gabriel and Andrew exchanged a look, their anger clear, but they nodded in silent agreement. For now, they would respect her wishes.
But as the three of them sat there, the whispers and mocking laughter in the background continued, and Adrian Blackwood’s cold words from earlier echoed in Elena’s mind. She clenched her fists under the table, determined not to let anyone see how deeply it all hurt.
“Let’s get out of here,” Gabriel suggested softly. “You don’t need to sit here and listen to this.”
Elena hesitated for a moment before nodding. The three of them stood and walked out of the cafeteria, leaving behind the laughter and cruel stares.
What they didn’t notice was Adrian, standing by the doorway. His sharp eyes had taken in everything-Mia’s taunts, the students’ laughter, and Elena’s defeated posture.
His expression darkened as he watched her leave, his thoughts swirling with frustration. He couldn’t understand why it bothered him so much to see her like this. She wasn’t his responsibility.
And yet, as her silhouette disappeared down the hallway, he felt an odd, uncomfortable pang in his chest.