Verdant Blue

'Was there anybody noteworthy from the new group of first years?' professor Eleanor Byrne asked. Anne, one of her girls had been instructed to scout out any potential new recruits for her exclusive club. The first class of the year was about to start and while Byrne always made the final decision to go after new members herself she always made one of her girls check if there was any potential to be seen in the first place. It wasn't exactly legal to enthral students into her eternal grasp. Which wasn’t a big concern to Eleanor, she was older than these 'laws', but it was something to keep in mind to avoid detection. Preferring to keep her club exclusive, years would pass before she actually went after a new girl to join her. It would usually mean one of her other girls had to leave the safety of her university territory, but she had other places in the country under her protection. Having someone scout ahead for her ensured no time would be wasted. Anne had become her most trusted girl over the last decade. She seemed to understand the need for exclusivity and had developed an eye just as critical as Eleanor. Of course Anne lacked the instinct that was so natural to Eleanor's existence that made her able to sniff out any woman with the predisposition for submission, yet she still managed to get it right nine out of ten times.

'There was one mistress. A woman called Erin, you will recognise her. Blond and athletic. Apparently she plays for the university football team.'

Eleanor looked down at Anne underneath her desk, Dishevelled and red in the face. her eyes screamed for more. unfortunately, class was about to start.

'Are you sure you aren't letting your personal taste blind you?' Eleanor asked. Anne had a thing for sporty girls. Not that Eleanor minded. Anne had never made a bad judgement, Eleanor just liked to play with her girls.

'Of course not mistress!' Anne shot up. 'I mean… sorry for the outburst mistress I.. she very attractive, yes' Anne started blushing 'But I'm sure you will like her too!'

Eleanor did not doubt Anne for a second that she would and someone of Anne's type would be all the more fun to break. 'You have done well my sweeting, I will keep my eye out for Erin. But for now I will be waiting for you after..' Eleanor stopped mid-sentence out of the corner of her eye she had seen the fluorescent light of the hallway creep into her lecture room. Anne followed Eleanor's eyes and quickly turned her back to the door to cover her upper half up again.

'excuse me is this introduction to world literature' a low voice called out. at the top of the stairs Eleanor saw a male form hunched over in baggy jeans and a hoody hiding most of his face. not a very impressive or welcome sight. Eleanor felt frustration bubbling up, having her private moment interrupted by this unimpressive man. although when the man started walking closer she could see that behind the bad posture and the rough facial hair was actually a good face. bright blue eyes and a sharp jawline, Eleanor wondered why everything about this man screamed insecurity whilst possessing such physical beauty. Her senses kicked in. The green in her eyes started to make way for a glowing purple colour around the edge of her irises and she could see it now. This person had it. the predisposition.

'My dear Anne' Eleanor whispered. 'It looks like you made a mistake for the first time in recent memory.' Eleanor kept her eyes fixed on the person approaching. 'Yes my dear, you are very early. Why don’t you come over here so I can introduce myself' Eleanor called out to him.

'what do you mean miss?' Anne whispered back. 'you can’t mean him. it's not possible' Anne asked incredulously.

'remember Maura' Eleanor said. She could see Anne's gears turning for a heartbeat and a question formed on her lips 'but Maura was already…' the quarter had dropped and Anne's expression turned predatory. 'I am sorry miss, I had not even considered this.'

'It's okay. Opportunity like this is often missed. Although we would be fools to not learn from it' Eleanor said loud enough that everybody could hear.

'Am I interrupting. I did not mean to, I'm sorry I can wait outside.' The 'man' said, looking dejected, like he had not expected anything else.

'No please, you are the first student of the year to arrive for my lecture. I prefer a more hands on approach to my students so please, introduce yourself' Eleanor could feel the potential coming of her new catch. She almost had to restrain herself from liking her lips.

'Ohh well uhh.. my name is… Shane. I wasn't sure if I was in the right place, you are professor Byrne right?' Shane stumbled through his sentence. For some reason Eleanor's anticipation for the coming semester started building. The promise of this Shane… what would hide behind the shell.

'Tell me Shane' Eleanor said trying to deemphasise the name, and leading Shane to sit down at the desk whilst Anne silently snuck away to sit in the back of the classroom. 'why did you choice my course?'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He was right there in front of her. Right there?! How could the world be so cruel that it put the one person, the ONLY PERSON, from high school That Erin never wanted to see again right in front of her face, standing next to the professor in the lecture hall. That idiot who ruined her life. She could still see the moment clear as day. The moment that she knew that her friendship with Shane would never be the same again. She just didn’t realise that it wasn’t just the friendship between them that would be changed, her whole social life was in tatters after that night. All because that asshole……… there is no point in thinking about it Erin thought. Reliving that evening and the days that followed would not change what happened. She had picked up the pieces and was now 3 years out of high school and happy with her new life at college, no need to wonder about what could have been. Except… He was right there, reminding her of it. That horrible pain she had felt for months after his betrayal was back.

'Don’t let it get to you!' Erin said to herself. She was doing well, and no reminder of the life she left behind was going to intrude on her new life. She pretended not to see Shane and took a seat in the back. The class was world literature. After taking a gap year right out of high school in an attempt to put space between her and what happened Erin had attempted a bachelors in psychology. An unsuccessful attempt, although that was strictly academically speaking. Socially Lauren had flourished becoming friends with several classmates even though she didn't go to a single class after the first mid-terms. She joined the university football squad and actually excelled in her position on midfield. So much so she felt like captain wasn’t out of the question for her. Erin discovered very quickly that psychology just wasn't her passion and dropped out, spending the rest of the academic year working at a shitty bar. This time Erin decided to just follow her heart. She had loved reading since she was a young girl, and that love had only grown up with her. Why not decide to make a career out of that love right?

But what ungodly reason could fucking Shane Quinn have to also pick the same fucking study!? Erin snuck into a seat near the back hoping she would not be seen by him quickly opening up her laptop and her notepad to make her even more hidden. Quickly darting her eyes over her laptop to check if Shane saw her she noticed that He was in some sort of trans listening to the professor. What was her name again? Erin couldn't remember. Shane didn’t look so good Erin thought. I mean he looked good, there was a reason for the things she didn’t want to think about happening the way that they did. but from a distance Shane looked unkempt, scruffy, hunched, sad……… What excuse did he have to be sad? Erin thought. He was the one who kept all their shared friends in high school. He was the one laughing in that stupid photo from prom that Erin didn't feel like attending. Why was he now all of a sudden looking so deeply sad when he had turned his back on her and taken half of her social life with him.

'are you upset?' a soft voice next to her said. Erin looked in the direction of the voice and saw a small brown haired girl carefully regarding her. 'I'm sorry to interrupt your glaring but you just kind of plopped up next to me and then started shooting daggers at the professor. Do you not like her?'

Erin had to take a second to process what was being said to her. 'No I… not the professor. I'm not… who are you?' Erin suddenly realised how strange her behaviour must have been to this girl who seemed to just be earnestly concerned about Erin as far as Erin could tell. 'This has started of all wrong let me try again..'

'oh it's okay, we all have our bad days' the girl said 'if you don’t want to explain yourself to someone you don’t know that's fine but I was surprised someone could already dislike the professor before the semester has even started'

Erin could see that the girl was trying to be playful. Probably looking to make a friend. 'No it's not her. Although let me tell you some lecturers have a bááád rep' Erin joked and saw the girls mouth turn upward into a smile. 'I uhh… I just know the guy next to the professor is all. It's- I rather not talk about it. It's a long story.'

'Oh you know him? from what.. where.. sorry you did not want to talk about it, I'll drop it' the girl was clearly curious but Erin was grateful she dropped it. To her it was always a good sign when boundaries were respected. It actually endeared Erin to this random woman. 'I'm Erin by the way, nice to meet you.'

'Anne. Pleased to meet you too' the girl smiled back and Erin suddenly had an intrusive thought. Cute dimples. Erin really couldn't focus on that right now. At the front of the lecture hall a slow rhythmic clapping had started, drawing everybody's eyes to the sound. The lecture was about to start.'

'Hello everyone! Pleased to make your acquaintance, I am professor Eleanor Byrne and I will be teaching the course introduction to world literature. If everyone could please take a seat.' The lecture officially started and all sound was reduced to just the commanding voice of Byrne explaining going over the syllabus. A strange sensation went through Erin's body. Professor Byrne wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, but it felt as if her eyes were lingering on her every time the professor scans of the classroom passed by her. It was hard not to feel like she was being specifically observed, and why did she think of the colour purple every time that intense gaze came her way. Halfway through the lecture Erin felt like she needed a small reprieve from Professor Byrne's intense presence. Erin was excited for the rest of the year but she needed to avert her eyes for just a few seconds.

She turned her head away and she noticed someone else making the same head movement. Shane's familiar blue eyes were staring right at her. Erin froze, as if Shane's wondering gaze would pass by her as if she was a statue. She noticed the shock in his eyes immediately and she could clearly see him mouthing her name silently.

Fuck