The Professor's Daughter

The following day, with blinking headaches and achy bones, the two girls rose from their beds with great reluctance. Like robots they went and stood in front of the bathroom mirror, taking in the pasty colour of their skin and the red rims of their eyes.

“Nicht gut.” Maria grimaced.

“Nicht gut at all.” Susie agreed.

“There’s only one way to do this. Count of three. One, two, three.”

The girls dunked their heads in the sinks simultaneously, splashing the cold water over their faces. Despite it’s temperature, it burnt the skin, causing it to tingle below the surface.

“Towel?”

“Towel.” Maria passed the other half of the towel over and Susie scrubbed her face dry.

“Clothes?”

“Clothes.”

Once dressed and with a sufficient amount of make up applied to cover the tell-tale signs, they went downstairs into the dining room.

“Morning girls.” Cried Professor Daniels, waving his hand in an attempt to call them over to his table.

Maria didn’t particularly want to be there, surrounded by noisy, cheery people. And she didn’t particularly want her morning company to be bustly old Daniels and eagle-eyed Leighton.

“Do you think Leighton told Daniels?” Maria whispered as they headed over reluctantly.

“Do you really think Uncle would be this cheery if he knew the truth?” Susie hissed, a forced smile plastered on her face. “No. Fortunately Leighton has kept it quiet and you better make sure it stays that way.”

Maria was a little confused by Susie’s harsh tone, it wasn’t like it was Maria’s fault they got caught: Susie was the one who told her the wrong window and it had been her idea in the first place to sneak out. Plus, why was it her job to stop Professor Leighton from telling Daniels? It wasn’t like she had some special power over him or anything.

“Morning Uncle.”

Daniels chuckled at his niece’s cheery voice. “How are you both this morning? Feeling brighter Maria?”

They took the two spare seats.

“A little.” She muttered. Her gaze flicked up to Leighton ever so quickly in which time she caught the subtle smirk his lips held.

“Glad to hear it.” Daniels stood up. “Breakfast?”

Susie smiled and nodded her head whilst Maria merely declined. How was it physically possible to stomach food right now? Susie jabbed her elbow into Maria’s side and motioned slyly to Leighton.

“Fine.” Maria sighed quietly and Susie headed off to the buffet.

“What was all that about?” Leighton asked, eating a spoonful of cereal. Just watching him eat made Maria feel that little bit sicker.

“I…” Should she really tell Leighton? Probably not, here subtlety seemed more appropriate. “I, err, I’m meant to ask why you haven’t told Professor Daniels? About last night?”

Another heaped spoonful disappeared into his mouth and he looked down and shrugged. “Do you want me to tell him?”

“Not really.” She stopped watching her hands fiddle with the tablecloth and met the eyes of her questioner. “But surely what I want has nothing to do with it. Isn’t there some written rule in the teacher’s handbook that says you have to?”

Leighton laughed and Maria was taken back quickly to when they had been sat by the fountain yesterday, it had all been far simpler then.

“Something like that.”

“And you don’t seem particularly angry either.”

Another shrug. For a man who once appeared to know all the answers, he did seem relaxed today.

“Maybe I overreacted last night. You’re both young girls, who are legally old enough to go to a bar and drink and dance and whatever. And yes you are our responsibility for the whole trip but let’s face it; when a teenager gets an idea in their head, like I suspect young Susannah did over there, then how are we really going to stop you? Tie you up like prisoners, put electronic tags on your ankles? Anyway I wouldn’t want to ruin Susie and Uncle’s honest relationship.”

Maria smiled and looked down guiltily. She didn’t understand why he was being so nice to her. Last night (or earlier this morning depending on how you looked at it) he’d given her a look she’d never seen someone give her before; not to the innocent little Maria she’d always been.

“Either way thank you for keeping, what is it, schtum. I am very grateful.” She grinned.

The expression quickly left as Daniels and Susie returned chatting happily and Leighton and Maria shared a private smile with one another.

That day was to be the last full day the students of Hainsbury University had in Rostock. Tomorrow they would return home on the midday flight but for now there was still one talk left and a visit to Rostock’s famous planetarium. Maria stayed close to Susie for the rest of the day for there was no other student she’d call a friend yet. With Susie however, came Curt, who seemed just as pissed off that he’d not been invited the previous evening then Susie currently did with Maria.

It was starting to annoy her, though it hadn’t been something she’d been looking forward to, she’d talked to Leighton and smoothed it out. Wasn’t she grateful even just a little? And even Leighton was becoming confusing, never mind their rocky relationship, what he had said at breakfast, as an excuse for not telling Daniels seemed like exactly that. An excuse.

There was something underlying that she was itching to find out and whilst before she’d done her best to avoid Leighton, now she was searching for the opportunity to ask.

That evening whilst the twenty or so students and supervisors were enjoying (a rather raucous) final supper, Maria spotted Leighton disappear up the stairs of the hotel alone. This was her opportunity, she thought to herself as everyone was chatting animatedly with one another.

Just as silently, she slipped from the table and climbed the staircases hearing a metal door clang open and following the source of the sound. The stairs led her up to a fire exit and she pushed down on the handle (dismissing the memory of twenty-four hours ago). The door creaked open to reveal that she had followed Leighotn all the way up to the roof.

The breeze was heavier up here but the night was muggy anyway so it offered a light refreshment.

“What are you doing up here?” She thought aloud, peering around the chimney pots and stumbling on the edge of one of the giant air conditioning vents.

“Hello?” Came Leighton and she could hear his footsteps on the concrete. “Maria? What are you doing up here?”

Maria pulled herself up on the vent to standing. So much for sneakiness.

“Oh you know, seeing the sights.” Her cheeks a crimson red, she was thankful that Leighton laughed at her comment.

He had his hands stuck in his pockets when he walked back to the edge and leant against the barrier. Maria joined him.

You could see most of the city from up here, all lit up by the little golden blobs of the street lights.

“What are you doing up here?” Maria asked back.

“Oh you know, seeing the sights.” Leighton teased, earning a shove on the arm.

“What are you really doing?”

Leighton scrunched up his face briefly. “I needed some space from everyone.”

Maria got the idea quickly. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

“No.” Leighton replied. His fingers were gripping Maria’s arm so tightly that it hurt a little. He let go immediately. “I mean, stay. I can stand you, it’s everyone else that’s the problem.”

Hesitantly Maria smiled and there was a brief moment of silence.

“Why didn’t you really tell Professor Daniels?”

“I thought I told you.”

“And I thought it was just an excuse.”

“Maybe it is. Maybe I’ve seen too many people’s lives ruined by one little mistake.” He turned his whole body to face Maria and she in reply turned hers. “Maybe I don’t want to see that happen to you.”

That look that he had given her the previous night had returned in his eyes and Maria slapped herself mentally for being such an idiot. It hadn’t been anger. Or disappointment. Instead it was dark and never-ending.

“Thomas…” She spoke gently.

Maria had never said his actual name before, sure she had said it many times in her head but never outloud and never in a voice suggesting more then she’d ever thought possible.

“Maria?”

There was an itching in her fingers to reach up and brush her hand down his cheek, to feel the little hairs beneath her fingertips, to feel him beneath her fingertips.

The silence was broken as the metal door clanged open, she could hear it, perhaps it sounded a little further away then it was and perhaps she didn’t fully register it until it was her name being called.

“Maria. Maria, you have to go.” Leighton was saying quietly to her as she watched him as if he was some sort of heavenly creature. In a trance she turned to see Susie at the fire escape door, Professor Daniels joining her whilst huffing and puffing.

She walked slowly over to them, not registering anything except for the fact that Leighton was close behind.

“Oh good heavens Maria my dear.” Heaved Daniels as he stepped in front of his neice. He placed his hands on her shoulders and bent a little to reach her height.

“Your father called.” He explained solemnly. “It’s about your mother.”