The Professor's Daughter

The following day was a fresh start in more ways then one, not only was it the beginning of a new week but it was the day Maria was to return to the University. And so, with her books safe in her bag and her pencils sharpened she rode with Leighton, in his little car that made him seem like a giant.

She wasn’t particularly nervous, after all it was only school, but there were still those jitters you get from being away that make you wonder if everything’s changed or people have moved on or that you wont be included as the others joke about that hilarious incident that you missed the previous week.

Of course Susie would be there to keep Maria in the right direction and up-to-date and Maria had realized over her time off that she did in fact miss Susie’s company even if Curt came as an additional bonus. For now though, she tried to take her mind off of the memory of Curt’s malicious smiles that he often appeared to bear at her.

“You never told me what position your job interview was for last week.” Maria pointed out as they traversed the streets of Hainsbury, outer London.

Leighton screwed up his face before readjusting his glasses. “Didn’t I?” Maria shook her head. “Well, Professor Daniels announced his retirement to the faculty a couple months back-“

“Professor Daniels is retiring?”

“He’s older then you think.”

“I didn’t doubt that, he just seemed like one of those people who would forever be in his job.”

Leighton shook his head, “He’s still going to give a few lectures, just step down from his post as Head of Science Studies. I think it was becoming a little too much for him.”

“Ah,” Maria exclaimed as she made sense of what Leighton was getting at. “And you are willing to step up.” He nodded. “Do you think you’ll get the position?”

Leighton shrugged. “Possibly, I mean I have been at the University for some time now and Daniels said he’d put in a good word but I think they had a candidate far better then me: more experience, a greater subject breadth and when it comes down to it I don’t have the experience they’re perhaps after.”

“Did your interview go well?”

“As well as it could, I guess.”

Maria smiled as she tried to keep the disheartened Leighton more inspirited. “Well then, I’m sure they’ll have seen your natural talent and who needs experience if you have that, eh?”

“I know you’re just saying that.” Leighton grinned, raising his eyebrows whilst still concentrating on the road.

Maria jabbed him in the side, perhaps not the best retort to someone who was driving.

“Learn to take a compliment, grumpy grots. Just because I forgot to ask last week.” She sighed theatrically.

“I suppose your thoughts were somewhere else.” Leighton mused and Maria quietened down as she caught his drift. “How is your mother doing?”

“I presume much the same.” Maria spoke faintly, her guilty conscience in overdrive.

Leighton was confused. “You don’t know for sure?”

“I haven’t had time to visit in a few days…”

“But you’ve spent the days without University or work… surely you’ve had lots of time. Maria?”

Maria stayed silent as they pulled into the University’s car park. Leighton cut the engine and turned in his seat to face his passenger.

“Maria? Talk to me. Why haven’t you visited her?”

“I just don’t feel like it right now.”

“Don’t feel like it? Your mother’s lying comatose in a hospital bed, her position’s pretty critical right now-”

“I know.” Maria snapped. “Don’t you think I know that?!”

Leighton backed off a little and Maria covered her face with her hands, breathing deeply before dragging her fingers down her cheeks and watching them fall into her lap.

“I’m sorry.” Leighton apologized; he reached out and rested his hand on her arm. Maria shook her head.

“No, I am.” She raised her eyes to meet Leighton. “I’m just scared, Thomas. What if I go there and they tell me that they’ve run more tests and her situation’s no better or has become worse? What if they say it’s too late, or that they doubt she’ll ever wake up?”

Maria bit her lip and Leighton immediately felt guilty, not only for raising his voice but for parading his own happy family the day before when Maria was so worried over hers. “Hey, you’re not to think like that, alright? You have to stay positive with less of the ‘what ifs’, if you keep them turning over in your head, you’ll ending up worrying yourself silly.”

Sighing, Maria nodded as Leighton rubbed her arm soothingly. “Fine, you’re right.”

He grinned and Maria’s mood lightened. “I always am but I believe we’ve pointed that out before unless you want to go over it again.”

“Oh no, once was quite enough for your ego.” Maria teased.

“If you’re sure. We’ll go and visit your mother this evening and remember, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Now, do you want to go first or shall I?”

“I will,” Maria offered, gathering up her belongings, “I think I spotted Susie on the way in. And before you say anything, no, she didn’t see us. I don’t believe it’s possible in a car this small.”

“Stop hatin’ on the car, man.” Leighton said in his best attempt at a ‘cool’ voice that only made Maria laugh even more.

“Please don’t ever talk like that again. I’ll see you later on.”

“See you then.” Leighton grinned stupidly and Maria left him as he watched her go.

She truly was bewitching in both looks and personality. Whether it was the uninhibited look she’d give when sad; the mischievous grin that spread to her eyes when happy; or the burst of confidence that split her tentative persona.

And then there was that part, that indescribable part, which made Leighton feel like he was the teenager he’d once been. The part that made him grin with goofiness, stumble on his words or speak like an idiot. And whilst he loved that youthful feeling, he hated it as well because he didn’t want to act like a fool in front of her because he cared about what she thought of him because he….

Because he…

Maria turned back and waved her hand, giving a squinty smile as the morning sun hit her eyes before turning back and continuing on her way.

Leighton sat motionless in his little car because for the first time in a while he didn’t know what to do.

He’d only ever felt like this once before.

And that scared him.

Maria, on the other hand, was simply building herself up to be scared.

Whilst she was pleased to see Susie, the feeling didn’t appear to be quite so mutual. Though she did say ‘hello’, Susie barely responded to Maria’s questions, her voice (when it did sound) was low and slow and hardly at all did she look Maria in the eye.

As the day continued, Susie’s behaviour began to test Maria’s patience. Not once had she asked about her mother or how she’d been, she just dawdled along, dragging her feet and watching the ground blankly.

“I heard that your Uncle’s retiring.” Maria attempted to start a conversation but a solemn nod was her only reply, “It must be strange to think of the University without him here.” A shrug. “I saw you put your name down to help at his leaving dinner, I thought maybe I could as well. We could help together, that would surely brighten up the event, no?”

“Sure, sounds thrilling.” Susie spoke in a dry monotone.

The pair entered Leighton’s classroom and dropped their bags down before taking a seat as Leighton wiped the previous notes from the board. Maria took a deep breath and turned to her ‘friend’. Now or never.

“What’s wrong, Susie?” She asked tentatively, “Is it me? Have I done something to upset you?”

Susie did not move her gaze from the desktop as she shook her head and Maria sat back dejectedly.

If Susie didn’t want to talk then fine, she’d leave her be. Maybe today was simply a bad day, everybody had the-

“Professor Leighton looks happy today.” Maria heard a small voice next to her and she had to turn just to check it did actually come from Susie.

“I…”

Maria took in the professor as he stood in his normal position at the front of the classroom just as he had done all those weeks ago when she’d first arrived, shaking and anxious to how he’d react to her presence.

How things had moved on since then.

Leighton’s mouth was no longer a thin line, instead it held the faint traces of a smile and his eyes, once dark, had that extra depth and luster that had been missing before.

“Maybe it’s just the time of the year.” Maria offered, hiding the smile that played on her lips.

“What? Autumn? Where everything withers and dies?”

Maria went back to facing the front. “There’s no need to be so morbid, Suse.” She muttered.

The lesson was close to beginning and Maria watched as Leighton stepped up to an unsuspecting pupil.

“Out of your hand or out of this classroom, Mr Carlson, either way I want that phone out of my sight.”

Maria smirked and doodled on her page as she thought of Leighton’s strict attitude contrasting with the man who had played so freely with his five-year-old niece and accepted the barefaced remarks off his teenage nephew less then twenty-four hours ago.

“Miss Ludwig, eyes on the board please.” Leighton called and Maria glanced up to realize the lesson had already begun.

“Sorry Sir.”

Maria did her best to stomach back the laugh at Leighton’s deadly-serious expression and instead focused on the lesson as opposed to the man teaching it. Which she did for the most part and for the others, her mind wandered to Susie’s peculiar behaviour, or Adele’s envious relationship with her son, Daniels’ retirement with the dinner she’d put her name down to help with, or the upcoming student dance a couple of weeks off, her relationship with Leighton, or the anxiety building up at visiting her mother later on.

Sure enough, there were plenty of places for her thoughts to be then on the astronomy lesson before her and as she gave each topic it’s designated thinking time, the class wrapped to a close sooner then expected.

Maria packed up her belongings and turned to Susie, perhaps once last attempt at a conversation would be successful. But that was not the case: before Maria had even allowed a single word to form, Susie had been called to Curt where he twisted his fingers around her pallid hand and pulled her away from Maria, muttering secretly to Susie. She merely nodded in reply, the ground in focus once again, and they left with the rest of the unsuspecting students.

Maria meanwhile stood watching from her desk, curiosity had got the better of her and she searched for an answer that would explain the clear change in Susie’s manner or the increasing hold Curt seemed to have over her.

“I won’t be a minute.” Leighton called from the front once everyone had left.

“Hmm? Oh ok.” Maria replied, still in a slight daze, her skin prickling as she thought of Curt and if Susie was in danger. “Have you noticed anything different about Susie recently?” She asked Leighton as she rounded the tables to his desk.

Leighton thought about it for a moment before shrugging and returning to clearing his desk.

“Perhaps a little quieter then usual but I just assumed it might be to do with her Uncle’s retirement.”

“What about Curt?”

“Curt? I’m not too sure, no different to how he normally is, I suppose.”

“Normal? The boy scares me.”

“How come?”

“It’s just the little things he does, like when I found out about my mother at the hotel, he smiled at me.”

“Perhaps he was trying to keep your spirits up.” Leighton suggested to which Maria shook her head.

“But, it wasn’t that kind of smile. It was one that a psychopath gives in the movies, all smirky and sadistic, as if I deserved my mother to have an accident. And now he’s getting closer to Susie, it unsettles me.”

Leighton paused and glanced up.

“You think she’s in trouble?”

Maria shrugged and looked back over to the door they’d left through before turning back to Leighton, his eyes serious, his lips pressed tightly together.

“I don’t know, she barely said two words to me today and when she did it was abou-“

“Ah, Maria, you’re back.”

Both Maria and Leighton snapped their heads over to see Professor Daniels’ bumbling through the door, a woman as focused as an eagle on it’s prey following behind, though it was clear she itched to be the leader.

“Afternoon Professor Daniels.” Maria bobbed her head.

“And isn’t it a good one? The clouds have parted and the sun is finally shining.” Daniels explained, a hand on his jiggling belly as he laughed. “I saw a message about your return, has your first day back gone well?”

“Yes, thank you.” Maria spoke politely, she wasn’t going to tell him the truth that she thought his niece was possibly in trouble and hanging around with a potential sociopath. She could be wrong after all.

“And your mother, how is she doing?”

“She’s still in hospital, I’m going to visit her tonight.”

“Ah yes, I heard she was in a, err, coma. Send The Professor my warmest regards.”

Maria was about to reply that she would when the straight-back follower cleared her throat, causing Daniels to stand up tall as he jumped in his tweed jacket.

“Oh, sorry there dear.” Daniels stepped to one side. “I’d like you to meet our very own Professor Thomas Leighton, he’s actually your stiff competition for my position. Leighton this is Maggie Richards.”

“Margaret.” The woman corrected as she shook Leighton’s hand. They stepped back once parted and Maria noted and bit away a smile at the way Leighton shook his hand out behind him. His face was already grimacing at meeting his opposition.

“And this is Maria Ludwig.”

Maria earned herself a handshake from the visitor and instantly realized why Leighton had shaken his hand, her own was being crushed whilst being whipped up and down in what was considered a handshake.

“Maria Ludwig?” Margaret raised a perfectly plucked brow. “As in The Professor’s Daughter?”

“The very one.” Daniels laughed.

“Oh, this is funny.” Margaret exclaimed, flashing a smile that almost surpassed one of Curt’s. Almost.

Leighton, his hands buried safely away in his pockets, was as confused as Maria was. “It is?”

“Well, you are Thomas Leighton and you,” Her head clicked around to Maria. “Are Maria Ludwig. Believe me, I am not one of the minority that has not heard about your father, Maria, and what happened between you and him, Thomas.”

Maria tensed and her polite smile faded. How was this any of her business? She had no right to bring up what had long been put behind the pair.

Margaret continued. “And yet here we are; you, the professor, and she, the student. How ironic, Professor Daniels.”

Daniels thought for a moment, “I guess so.” He shrugged. “Nevertheless, there is little time for such reminiscing. We must finish our tour Ms Richards. See you tomorrow.”

“Of course, pleasure to meet you both.” Margaret said in a voice as runny as honey, her lips a dry smirk as she focused on Leighton. “Pleasure.”

The pair left and Maria and Leighton looked on in shock.

“I think I might hate that woman already.” Maria muttered angrily, neither looking at one another.

“Hate is a… strong word, Maria.”

Maria nodded and gripped her books tighter.

“I know.”