Scarlett was fed up with cliché stories from movies and everyday life. Watching those, she grew quite selective in terms of love. She didn't have many demands, only two.
Number one, no age gap. The girl wasn't against people dating each other with years of the age difference. It was a digit anyway. She, herself, just wanted to date someone exactly of her age, not a day or two younger or older if might as well added.
Number two, the boy should have to be cool, hot, handsome, have a muscular body, vigorous and be taller than her. The boy from last night perfectly fit on the second demand but how the professor could reach the top of the building when she skipped on the first steps of stairs?
Another weekend went by with the little family reminiscing on a collection of memories they have had made up until now. Photo albums were taken out of a wooden trunk, the laughter entwining joy and contagious emotions were echoed within in the walls of the house, sometimes, crossing the threshold while watching the clips of the professor from her childhood. Heaven and John loved their daughter the most in the world. She was a treasure they would be treasuring their whole life.
"Are you leaving without breakfast, baby?", seeing the girl through the kitchen window hurrying down the stairs with a bag slung over her shoulder, Heaven walked out.
"I swear if I don't make it on time in Doctor Gordon's class this time, he will drop a bundle of assignments today that I'm really not looking forward to when exams are just coming up", Scarlett rushed to where her mom was standing, quickly pecking her cheeks.
When she pulled away, nostalgia from Friday night came rushing into her mind. As she was spending some quality time with her parents, she never got to recollect on the night. Dylan had also not contacted the girl in two days.
"See you tonight", the girl turned around on her shoes. Dashing out of the house, she heard her mom's voice instructing her to eat something whenever she would get free. She wanted to scream, too loud that it would summon all the supernatural creatures of the world. As she got inside the car, she let out a loud 'ugh' sound, her head banging on the steering wheel.
Coming to think about the night now, she kissed that hot guy! She wasn't freaking out for kissing him on the cheek. Well, that was the reason for the whole commotion.
Why did she choose his perfectly toned cheek when there were those pair of seductive lips she had set her eyes on the moment she saw him! The hell age difference, she wasn't leaning in to date him. She could've felt those lips and used the excuse of being drunk if the boy would ever appear before her! She lost a golden opportunity.
"It could be those lips instead of that cheek...why...why...why?", professor's slight mental breakdown continued until she heard repeated knocks on the left windowpane of the car. Rolling it down, she saw the kid from her neighbours in his school uniform, blinking at her if she was doing something great and he also couldn't wait to try out.
"Scarlett, what are you doing?", the boy asked.
"I..ahh...", the girl fumbled for an excuse to justify her regretted actions. Of course, she wasn't going to tell the kid that she was blaming herself for not kissing a hot boy on his lips.
"Oh yeah! I was checking the material they've stuffed in this. You know it's kind of soft", cheekily patting the center of the wheel, she answered the boy.
"Okay, I'll also check out our car's wheel", the kid made a note in his mind to check the material of his mom's car himself tonight.
"And how do you suppose to do that?", her eyes narrowed, sensing something odd in the boy's smile.
"Just like how you were doing", the kid lifted his hand and pointed his index finger to the steering wheel.
"By hitting my head against it", he stated as if it was already obvious and stupid of the professor to even ask.
"Nooo! Jimmy, no! You can't do that!", the girl gasped, eyes going wide.
"Why?", Scarlett closed her eyes, wondering if she had also been asking too many questions in her childhood. Well, she wouldn't ask in the first place. The professor believed in spontaneous actions than wasting time on asking for permission that could also have been declined in more than half of the cases.
"You will hurt yourself", she glanced at the boy with worrisome eyes. Why he had to be too observant and practical! What was he even doing there? Wasn't he going to school?
"You were also doing that and I don't see any bump there. Don't you worry, Scarlett, I'll not get hurt", the kid assured the professor who was getting near to losing her mind.
"I didn't get myself hurt because I'm elder than you", Jimmy was the type of kid who would closely watch the people he thought he could learn from, following their exact footsteps to not be left behind. Scarlett was also one of those the boy admired. The girl always seemed the coolest to him. However, would act as if she was the youngest one there at times.
"Age is just a number, Scarlett. Maturity is what matters and here I'm more mature than you", well, that was true. The kid was too mature of his age. But it couldn't be said that wiser and sophisticated than the professor.
"And how's that?", the girl inquired, forgetting the reason why she let her stomach growl when she left the house.
"I'd turn on the flashlight of my phone than to stumble my way into the house", this was the second time the professor's eyes went to the size of a saucer because of the boy. First her dad and now Jimmy? Did the whole neighbourhood know that she came home inebriated last night!
"I didn't have my phone with me", the girl blow out air, expressing petty annoyance.
"Jimmy, come on. We will get late for your school."
"Coming, mom!", the boy looked to his side and responded.
"I don't see you hang out with other guys. You don't have a boyfriend?", bringing his attention back to the girl, he asked, more of an assertion than a question.
"That shouldn't concern you, little thing", she would go out with Dylan often but Jimmy already knew that he wasn't her boyfriend as he once inquired the girl about him.
"I'm not little. Wait for me to get taller than you. Then, I'll take you out", the boy looked over to see his mom putting his bag in the back seat.
"Where will you take me?", the girl asked.
"On a date", Scarlett chuckled at the serious expressions on the boy's face, the repentant for losing a chance on Friday night disappearing in the air.
"See you around, Scarlett", the boy turned around when he heard his mom calling again.
"Have a good day at school, Jimmy", she shouted enough loud for the boy to hear as he had walked off to their driveway. He was a nice kid. Well, a kid.
The professor was thinking to buy the boy a box of chocolates since he refreshed her pissed-off mood when a message notification grabbed her attention. Pulling the phone out of her jeans pocket, she saw Dylan's message.
Dr. Gordon.