"Hey Gorgeous." Marc smiled as he greeted his girlfriend on the phone.
He leaned against a pole outside the staff room as he enjoyed the mid day cool breeze. He loved the feel of the dry wind hitting his face.
"Marcie! How are you baby? Are you done with work?" She exclaimed. Seven, his girlfriend was a bubbly girl that got excited over every little thing.
She was the only one allowed to call him Marcie. For everyone else it was strictly Marc or Mr Van Den Esschert.
"No I am still at the university. As a matter of fact, I have a class to lecture in a few minutes. I just called to know if we are still on for the evening?" He smiled to himself.
"Yeah, I was shopping some stuff with Kimmy but we are almost done."
"Wait..Kimmy shops?" I ask baffled.
"Of course Kimmy shops. What sort of question is that?"
"I thought she just recycles or something. I genuinely pictured her as one of those people that make bracelets out of banana peelings and all that."
"You're so mean Marcie!" She laughed. Making Seven laugh was the easiest thing in the world. It was one of the things that had attracted him about her.
"So where do I pick you up from my love?" Marc asked looking at his watch and realizing his class was in four minutes.
"Umm...at the park. I will be there with Kimmy."
"Okay, I'll get to you in three hours. Have fun with Kimmy."
"Thanks babe. Have fun too teaching a bunch of kids that are bored with your lectures."
"Wow, look at that, I got myself a comedian."
Marc laughed a little and ended the call. He quickly moved into the economics room and as soon as he entered he heard a lot of seductive whistles and love stricken girls shriek.
He was used to this reaction, it was nothing new. He was one of a few if not only, young and good looking professors. He was tall, with curly short hair, dark tiny mustache and glassy green hazel eyes. He had a muscular buildup and mind you his outfits usually hugged him tight enough for you to see it.
This was mostly a freshman class so
most of them had never seen Marc before but he was extremely popular on campus. He was every UCLA's girls' crush. He genuinely loved the attention and even though at times he
found it ridiculous, he felt really flattered.
"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the class of economics. I am going to be your professor, facilitator and hopefully friend...."
"And hopefully more." A girl from the back interrupted him and they all laughed.
"My names are professor Marcelle Van Den Esschert but feel free to simply call me Marc."
"Can I call you zaddy instead?" One girl said and the rest of the class laughed.
"I would prefer you called me Marc." Marc said with a tiny grin.
"..so if there aren't any questions for me, I would like to introduce our course outline."
"I have a question." One girl put up her hand.
"Yes Miss, go ahead."
"Speaking of course outlines, are you single?" She asked and the class laughed again.
Marc laughed a little. He knew he wasn't that good looking but college girls made him up to be some sort of Brad Pitt.
"That's a nice question miss umm..."
"Kacy."
"Kacy, Sadly, I am not in the position to discuss matters of my private life but if you have any question related to the coursework, you may feel free to ask and that goes for everybody else. The floor is open for questions."
Nobody put up their hand. It seemed they were all more interested in his personal life than the lesson.
"..nobody? So let's dig in." Marc said and started introducing the topic.
He went on passionately telling them about the basics about every topic. He loved his job and it showed in how he talked.
All attention was captured by him and all minds were laser focused and immersed in his charismatic lecture but one in particular held a special interest.
She was seated at the upper end of the class with her hands tightly gripping the pencil that she held to her mouth.
Her deep brown eyes stared intently at Marc while hardly blinking. She couldn't believe it. It was Vienna guy. Right there teaching her. He looked much more handsome than he had back then. Much more sophisticated.
She wondered if he would remember her but she doubted. She had a very forgettable face and they'd only encountered for like maybe half an hour and that had been five years ago. Almost another lifetime ago for her.
She was very sure he would never even notice her anyway- thank God for that.
She smiled and drew a tiny butterfly at the corner of her notebook.
She wrote below it, "Utter ugliness, you are no beloved creature, you're still a rotten caterpillar."
She traced the tiny drawing with her finger gently and smirked a little.
At the side of her eye, she felt the guy next to her stare at her notebook. She slowly turned to him.
"Excuse me, can I help you?" She asked coldly.
"I am sorry, I was just...you have pretty drawings." He said nervously.
"Thank you." She gave him an unreadable grin.
"My name's Josh." He said.
"I am Liz." She answered after a brief pause.
"Are you a freshman?" He asked.
"Yeah."
"Me too." He said and she just stared blankly at him.
"How do you like the school so far? I think it's great." He said.
"Yeah, it is good. Can we just listen to the professor now?" She said
"Yeah of course. Maybe we will..."
"Stop talking." She cut him off as she turned her attention back to Marc and his lesson.
Josh flashed red in embarrassment and settled down well in his seat. But he felt like he couldn't be settled yet till he asked her one last thing.
"I am sorry to disturb you again Liz but where's your accent from? I've never heard it before and I am sort of a linguistics enthusiast. I also major in modern languages by the way. Is that accent from Eastern Europe?"
Liz rolled her eyes.
"So what you are telling me is that you won't shut up?" She asked.
"I am sorry I am just...really curious."
"I am American." She said
"Yeah I don't doubt that but, originally?"
Liz gave him a long stare, "This could be classified as a sort of harassment, you know? What if I put my hand up and said you won't leave me alone? Would you like that?" She asked him.
"I am sorry. I will leave you completely alone." Josh said and didn't pester her again.
Liz bit her lip. It had been the first time for someone to pick up her accent that fast. Usually most people noticed it after having a long conversation with her or when she pronounced something in a different way which was rarely. It only happened on words like 'literally' , 'altercation' , 'Beverly' and most words that involved an R and L.
"Those two fellas behind, could you please be quiet?" Marc said at the front of the class and in that instant his eyes met with Liz.
Something in them sparked a distant memory but he wasn't very sure what is about her that reminded her of someone. He stared at her briefly while trying to recall where he thought he knew her but to no avail.
Liz stared back like she also knew him which confused him the more.
"Please Miss...try to keep your tone down during the lesson and if you so please, you can excuse yourself and have your conversation from outside." He said and she nodded her head.
"It was my fault sir. I pestered her and I take full responsibility but I can readily assure you that sir it won't happen again." Josh put in.
"I hope so Josh." Marc said
Marc had met Josh at the orientation and the young energetic Josh had taken the liberty to introduce himself to Marc and tell him all about his love for Economics and languages, two different things but in his view, very similar. Josh had talked until Marc had to fake a phone call to get away from him so he wasn't surprised that he was already talking during class on his first day.
"Anyway, it seems like time has caught up with us. Class is dismissed, you may all have a good evening. We meet again tomorrow." Marc said and turned off the projector.
He looked slightly to the crowd of students evacuating their seats and his eye caught the young girl in the blue jumper again. The one who he felt like he knew from somewhere.
"Miss, with the blue jumper. Kindly stay behind. I would like to talk to you." Marc said after the curiosity filled him and he wanted to know where he'd seen this girl. His mind never rested when it wanted to know something.
The girl walked slowly towards him and the more she got closer, the more familiar she looked.
She stood six feet from him.
"Yes sir, you asked for me." She said
"Hello there, what are your names if you don't mind?"
"Elizabeth Dawson, why?"
"Elizabeth, have we met somewhere before?"
"Not that I remember."
"This might sound weird but..I feel like we've met before. Even your voice sounds familiar."
"Where would that be?"
"I am not sure. Where do you come from?"
"Oakland, San Francisco."
"Oh, I don't think I've been there. Have you been to the Topanga state beach by any chance?"
"Why, are you asking me out?" Liz said sarcastically
Marc grinned cutely and in that moment it all came back flooding for Liz. His smile had never changed. It was as beautiful as ever. Unfazed by the years.
"I was just asking because my girlfriend works there. She is a wellness coach that for some reason provides her services at the beach, she's a crazy one. And I thought maybe you were one of the girls that take her classes, but I guess not." Marc said with a smile. He seemed so happy talking about his girlfriend like a man deeply in love.
A tiny part of Liz felt jealous. Their conversation had just been starting off well until he mentioned her.
"You must really love her."
"Who? My girlfriend? Yeah, With all my heart." He smiled to himself.
Liz wondered if he had been with her, the time that she had met him in Venice. She doubted.
"Anyway Elizabeth, ummm....I am really sorry for wasting your time. I just thought we might know each other. You probably look like someone I know. Well, I won't take up anymore of your time, have a good day." He said and went to clear his desk and put his documents in his leather brief case. Liz stared at his muscular torso and bit her lip. He was just too good looking.
"Have a good day sir."
"Yeah likewise." He answered without looking at her.
She walked out of the room with a sense of loss and leaned against the wall outside.
She felt a pang of irritation. Even though she hadn't really lost Marc to whatever the hell his girlfriend was called, she still felt like she could have had a chance with him if she hadn't been in the picture.
After all, she had probably met him first. He had been definitely single back in Venice, that she could bet. And they'd had a little spark on the night they'd met. She still remembered how he had called her a complex beautiful mess. And she still remembered his voice when he had said that. It was like on replay in her mind. Something about it had stuck in her mind. She loved things that sounded poetic and it had sounded like simple but deep poetry. She had never really thought of him much over the years and for a long time, she couldn't recall how he looked like but she'd always remembered that word. And when she had seen him during orientation, the memories had slowly returned to her and now that they'd talked again, the words 'complex beautiful mess' ringed in her ears a lot more.
"....I am now on my way babe, stay there a little while longer, oh! Did you remember to buy me that CD I asked you for?...." Marc said as he left the classroom and walked passed Liz.
He even smelled good- Liz thought. It was a light but sweet perfume. And it left a little trace as he swiftly walked passed her.
Liz opened her notebook and wrote down
"I see you, I breathe you in, I breathe you out. We are intertwined. I like you, you like me not but we are intertwined."
She closed the notebook and looked up to see Josh peeping at her intently at the top of the stairs.
"Get a life asshole." She cursed at him and walked to her dormitories.