Hold Your Tongue

As the rain fell on the St. Andrews University grounds, Charlie sauntered through the miserable day whilst everyone else scurried to the closest building to dry off. She unhurriedly reached her destination, not because she didn’t want to go but because she had let her mind wander somewhere else.

“Watch where you’re going!” a man snapped after the girl had bumped into him. She looked up from the floor, her blue eyes fiercely glaring at him, causing him to immediately step away alarmed. He didn’t say anything else, even when she pushed past him, leaving the male stunned into silence as she carried on her way to class.

Charlie entered the lab to find most of the workstations already occupied with two to a desk. The previous week, the whole class had to work individually which suited her just fine. She felt disgruntled by the fact she would actually have to work with one of these pitiful students but walked over to the nearest empty station anyway and took a seat.

While the class waited patiently for the lecturer to arrive, a lanky girl with long, messy brown hair stumbled through the door, taking everyone’s attention away from what they were doing. Her face burned crimson with all the eyes watching her causing her to quickly regain her composure. Right behind her followed Professor Bennet, in another one of his beautiful suits, who directed her to the empty seat next to Charlie. His face held a fraction of a smile which made the student wonder if it was due to placing the harebrained girl next to her.

“Good afternoon, class. Please take out your B2 textbook and turn to page 127. If you had done what I asked last week, you’ll already know what we will be discussing today: Temporary Lesions.”

Charlie did as the man asked while trying her best to ignore the clumsy girl next to her, but it was to no avail. The irritant persisted on tapping her pen against her book and kicking her feet against the stool she sat on before she decided to attempt at making quiet conversation.

“I thought I was gonna be so late! I’m pretty sure my body still hasn’t gotten used to the workload yet,” she chuckled. “I’m Abbie, by the way. Your name’s Charlotte, right? I remember from last week when those folks were speaking about you. I don’t know why people would talk about you or treat you differently, you seem pretty normal, if not a little quiet,” she laughed softly again, causing Charlie to roll her eyes.

The curly haired student continued to note down what Professor Bennet was explaining, hoping to make it clear that the class was a lot more important than what Abbie was babbling on about. But unfortunately, the oblivious female wouldn’t quit.

“Are you following any of this? I was the top of my Biology class at high school and totally aced the course requirements, but most of this stuff is going right over my head. So, are you following this?” she urged.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Charlie turned to face Abbie with an expression that screamed ‘murderous psychopath’. “Look, you can keep talking to me if what you love more than anything is to be blatantly ignored. You can keep kissing my arse and talking out of your own, whatever floats your boat. But understand that I will not respond to you unless it directly relates to this class or, as I am doing right now, telling you to shut the fuck up.”

The look on Abbie’s face was that of a child receiving a scolding from their parents at the same time as finding out Santa Clause isn‘t real. She was about to say something but Charlie got in first. “And yes, I am following this lectures because I am superiorly more intelligent than you. Nevertheless, I would really appreciate it if you would do as I asked and shut your mouth.”

Charlie’s blue eyes fiercely glared at the helpless girl next to her before she turned back around to find Bennet standing in front of their workstation. His expression was strict but his eyes contained amusement, though Charlie continued to glare.

“Is there a problem, ladies?” he asked in his deep, smooth voice, raising an eyebrow as he glanced back and forth between the two females. Both students were silent for a moment, Abbie fearful and Charlie irritated.

“N-No, sir,” Abbie stuttered. Her answer only made Bennet eye up the silent girl in curiosity and she could tell he wanted to ask her questions but, fortunately, a student from the other side of the room asked for help, pulling the man away.

Charlie could sense the girl next to her was frightened; her body was tense and her eyes kept darting from Charlie to her work. Yet, the curly haired female continued with her own work as though nothing had happened, even when they had to perform an experiment together. The two didn’t say a word for the rest of the lesson.

When the class came to an end and everyone began to exit the lab, Professor Bennet called out to Charlie. “Miss Oakley? Could I speak to you for a moment, please. Miss Oakley?”

“I have a Chemistry lecture to get to,” she stated as she grabbed her bag and walked past the man, leaving the room. Charlie heard him call out to her again but she had no intention of being interrogated, so she carried on walking to the auditorium for her next lecture.

When she was done for the day, she headed to Starbucks where she ordered her drink and took refuge at a table in the corner of the coffee house. Nobody took notice of her, leaving her to get on with her studies in refreshing peace.

The steady stream of low murmurs of conversation were quiet enough for the female not to be distracted but, as she came to the conclusion of her report, she felt someone’s eyes on her. Looking up from her laptop, she found the person belonging to the incessant stare. Charlie had seen her before; her strikingly white pixie crop and stick thin frame clued her in. She recognising the student from her Psychology class.

When their eyes connected, a silent signal somehow passed between them because, to Charlie’s distaste, the female got up from her table and strolled over to the empty chair opposite Charlie.

“Can I help you?” she asked with a hint of venom in her voice.

“May I sit?” the girl replied, completely ignoring the question and Charlie’s protests as she sat down. All Charlie could do was glare at the student, her imagination running wild with the many ways she could inflict pain.

“You’re in my Psychology class, aren’t you? You’re the weird one everybody goes on about, you know, like how you survived that shooting and all that shit. You’re like famous or something,” the fair-haired girl snorted as she leaned back in her seat, her watchful gaze never leaving Charlie.

Instead of taking notice of her, Charlie went back to completing her Chemistry assignment, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself down. All she wanted was to be left alone, not be burdened by some obnoxious idiot. That was a major reason why the student never had friends; people infuriated her.

“I’m Jac, by the way,” she announced as she stuck out her hand to be shook, but ended up retracting it when Charlie glanced at the limb with disgust. “What’re you working on-”

“What exactly do you want?”

“To be spoken to in a derogatory fashion, why else?” Charlie’s eyes pierced into Jac’s, her jaw set and her hands tightly fisted. “I don’t see you hanging around with anyone, so I thought I’d come over and say hi,” she sneered.

“There’s a reason I don’t ‘hang around with anyone’ and that’s because it seems more like a punishment than a privilege.”

“Well, aren’t you charming,” Jac bit back, seeming unfazed by Charlie’s callous expression.

After a minute of glaring at one another, Charlie decided that she had had enough, shutting her laptop angrily and packing up her things before standing. “All I wanted was a bit of peace and quiet but thanks to you, some insufferable dyke, that’s all been ruined.”

With that she stomped away, hearing Jac yelling, “Love you too, bitch! See you in class,” only making Charlie more furious as she left the coffee shop and stormed down the rainy street. She was more than ready for the day to end but knew she hadn’t heard the last of Jac.