Being a college freshman is an exciting time, especially for Cora Worthington. With no college major declared, Cora finds her heart on the tailwinds of a bad breakup with high school ex, Spencer. As the fall semester begins, an unlikely meeting leads Cora to have feelings for her world history professor, Blake Oakley. When Blake reveals his hidden past to Cora her heart gets entangled with his. Can Cora secretly date a college professor and not get caught or will their relationship be her downfall?
View More"What's your major?" The dreaded question all freshmen are supposed to know upon arrival at a university. That's what's wrong with my friend group; they all know what college major they are going to study or what type of man they want to bang. On the other hand, I'm still shocked I got into college. I'm not dumb, but I'm not smart. I'm average. Average Cora with her
average...everything.Not even my breasts are fully developed. Most women have a chest full of tempting fruit the size of apples. My delicacies are the size of baby plums. Two small plums in a sea full of apples. I will definitely get looked over. There's nothing more embarrassing for a nineteen-year-old woman than still being in puberty. Some women are gifted with their bodies, and some of us aren't. Some of us are round, and some of us are invisible to our male prospects."I haven't made up my mind on what I want to study. I'm taking general education classes until the spring semester. I will figure it out by Christmas I reckon.""Seriously Cora, you're a talented artist and you don't know what to major in. I thought it was you know...obvious, " Evelyn jests.The pencil in my hand gets placed inside the bun on top of my head. The eraser shavings cover the parchment paper. My sketch is of the scenery at hand. Our college campus with it's two small ponds. It's nothing fancy but worth doodling in my journal no less."Thanks. I might be a talented artist but I certainly don't want to be a starving one."Evelyn laughs and puts her hand through her dark wavy locks. I wish my hair were like hers. Mine is thin and is easily broken by cheaply-made pharmacy combs. She looks professional and classy, like one of those law students in that old Legally Blonde film. Not me, I wear baggy clothes and grubby overalls. Maybe it's time I reinvent my look for college. I need to look more grown up if I am going to be someone someday."You won't be starving. You could be a graphic designer and make lots of money."Truth be told I never considered a career in graphic design. Spending hours of time on a computer for clients making posters and book covers never truly sounded fun to me. Perhaps I could look into something like that later this semester."Maybe you're right. For now, I want to focus on the real problem at hand.""What's the real problem?" Evelyn asks as Benjamin Horjus walks by. She's been sleeping with him for the last two years and they still won't admit they are dating."Just go say, hi to your man." Evelyn punches my arm at the accusation. But we aren't kids anymore. And sleeping with Ben for two years sure looks like a commitment to me."He's not my man. I told you I'm a strong independent woman, and I don't need a man to complete me. I just like to fuck Ben is all.""If you only liked to fuck Ben then why do you go on dates with him and hold hands in movie theatres?" Evelyn doesn't respond as her eyes go into her skull as she predictably changes the subject."Enough about me. Let's get back to you. What's your problem?"With the attention back on me, how am I supposed to tell her the truth? I still haven't lost my damn v-card yet. I thought during the biggest party on prom night last year my problem would have been solved. It still hasn't been rectified."I still...haven't lost my virginity yet.""But I thought you and Spencer...you know. What about prom? Spencer told everyone you did it back then."I look down at my drawing and erase the squiggles that I drew. I dust the shavings away and start blending the shaded areas."No. I never corrected him. I was too embarrassed. He didn't like how I looked and well. The rest is history. He did help me realize something. That no matter how hard I try I will never be good enough for anyone. I will never be anything for anyone."The tears fall onto the shaded areas of my sketch making the scene blurry. Evelyn gives me a gentle pat on the back that turns into a hug."That's not true. You haven't met the right person yet. And if you want I can help you with clothes shopping. We could give you a whole new look for college and guys will be wanting you in no time."Maybe she's right. Maybe it's time to ditch the baggy clothes and try to sex myself up. Evelyn looks amazing and there's no denying that she knows more about fashion than I do."Alright, maybe you're right. Truth be told I still haven't gotten over Spencer yet. Perhaps I never will."She lifts my chin up and smiles brightly as the university bells chime."You will. It will take time. You will find someone new here at this university and you will fall in love with them. I just know it.""Time for my first class. Wish me luck." I say as I collect my backpack and sketches. I wipe the remaining tears from my eyes. As I rush off to class, I collide with a professor."Shit I'm so sorry," I say as I put my hands over my mouth to cover my foul language. The professor staggers back and his papers go flying in all directions. I help him collect his papers and he helps me collect mine.Our eyes meet and I see that he's young. Maybe he's just a student and not a professor after all."It's alright. Just watch where you're going next time. This is my first day teaching. Wish me luck. Which class are you heading to?""I'm heading to world history.""Well, you're in luck. I'm professor Oakley your new world history professor as of yesterday. Mr. Collins got sick last minute and I was asked to accept the job. I won't mark you absent if you follow me to class miss....what is your name?""Cora, my name is Cora. And sure I will follow you. I don't actually know where the class is located.""Well, we will find it together."I follow professor hottie to our destination. The whole walk all I can look at is his rigged jawline. He is far too young for me to view him as a professional educator. He's six years older than me at least. He's twenty-four or twenty-five if I were to guess. There's no way I should be having thoughts about a professor I just met. For someone who's just been dumped the last thing I need is to get kicked out of Nordstrom University.Professor Oakley opens the door for me. My cheeks turn red. His gentlemanly gestures have me in awe and swooned away somewhere else in a girlish fantasy."Thanks. I'll take my seat." I sit down and listen to him talk about the Chinese dynasties. All I can do is focus on his jawline and how mature he looks compared to my peers. I take notes and decide to keep this to myself. Evelyn doesn't need to know that I have already started having a little crush on my college professor. All it took was one mere accident and a rather sexy lecture with a deep voice to turn me into a lustful woman. After class I overhear the prettier women making comments about Professor Oakley."Damn, he's fine. This might be my new favorite class. I wonder if he gives one-on-one tutoring sessions if I fail on purpose." A tall athletic chick giggles in the hallway.I don't make eye contact. But in my heart, I already know that no matter if I like a professor or a boy my age, no one will ever look at a girl whose body wasn't worthy enough for sex. Spencer's right my body is weird and I will always be defective goods.Winter is the time of year when the snow falls and the bleakness and dry air force my skin to expand and my pours to crack. Fires bring on the warm and heat that defeats the snow and forces it to melt off my skin. As a child snow and sledding brought out a joy in me. Making snow angels with mom was a great comfort in the grand scheme of the world. We would both wear our infamous snow gear and glide together through the snow on sleds or throw snowballs at each other.When it came to snow forts we weren't the best at designing igloos. My mother's lack of building skills didn't include a roof. Her designs for a snow structure were more like a wall and was more often than not used as a defense mechanism against another snowball fight. At the end of all our snow play, I could always count and rely on mom to make cookies and hot chocolate. She would melt dark chocolate on a stove and add milk and all kinds of spices like a potions master and within five minutes heaven was created. Heaven
My appetite comes and goes. I'm craving weird things. It's like I'm a new and different person than I've ever been before. Being pregnant is a weird feeling, it's an out of body experience. Something or someone rather is growing inside of me and I have no say or control over how their development will affect my body. It's Christmas break and all the festivities are starting. I haven't bought my mom or Evie anything for Christmas. Me: Would you like to go Christmas shopping with me? Isaac: Sure. It's a bit unexpected but I'm not doing anything right now. Want me to pick you up? Me: Sure, I really need to talk to you. Isaac: Okay. I will be there in ten minutes. Isaac is true to his word, in less than ten minutes he and his car pull into my driveway. Mom knows why I am going out. It's time to confess to at least one of the Oakley brothers. I don't have the heart to tell Blake without Isaac's support. Isaac gets out of the car and opens the door for me. His car is full of booster
Mom and Evie accompany me to my baby appointment. The waiting room smells like toddler poop, latex gloves, and baby vomit. Other mothers with varying sizes of belly bumps fill the room. Some are glowing and some look defeated. Two women are crying and one is nursing. Being a mother looks sacrificial and confusing, maybe this is a bad idea. I don't have to be a mom. Someone else could raise it and Blake would never need to know. Perhaps Blake being out of my life is for the best."Cora Wellington." A nurse calls my name and Evie and mom follow behind me."Well, this is it. We are going to find out the gender.""Actually today you will get an ultrasound and hear the heartbeat. As for the gender it's probably to early to tell. We will have to see."The truth is I haven't had a period in two months but I haven't put much thought into it. I just figured stress and being bullied changed my body chemistry. I never considered pregnancy, not once. I suppose most women my age wouldn't consider
A week goes by, finals have come and gone. That little place on campus where Professor Oakley once had an office is now empty. The professor he filled in for has agreed to return. Finals week was hard to get through and everyone found out of course.The double date got cancelled. Isaac texts me from time to time to see if I'm alright. Little does he know that we really are going to be family soon. He will be the uncle of the child inside me. He's been like a big brother to me for awhile now, and I'm happy to say it has been most comforting.The two pink lines have been terrifying and I haven't had the courage to tell my mom about it. She'd be happy and disappointed. I know she wouldn't turn me away. I'm her only family. Everyone in my family has left or died. We only have each other for every holiday. A baby would brighten her world and I know she'd be a wonderful grandma.My car is still full of my university boxes and suitcases. I've been too lazy to lift them and too concerned the
Packing my belongings is hard. Although, President McIntyre has given me his permission to live on campus through finals week, I prefer to commute regardless of the long drive. I haven't told Evie about Blake and our double date. Isaac sprung that on him, and he truly didn't seem interested in pursuing us. My hopes of having what we once had together has diminished. I'm the reminder of the biggest mistake of his life.He made it known that I'm a reminder of his downfall. His career ending falls on my lips and ends at my feet. His biggest regret is bumping into me that first day, when all his papers went flying. I didn't know it then, but it was the beginning of the end.My stomach aches and churns. I go to the bathroom and throw up. It's not like me to get sick. When I'm ill it's usually colds and migraines. Stomach illnesses are for other people who don't wash their hands prior to eating. Perhaps the emotional roller coaster I'm facing has triggered the vomit response within me. It's
Walking away from Cora isn't exactly what I wanted. But it's necessary if I am to ever move on from here. Nordstrom University is my low point, following the death of my Stacey."You bastard. You bloody coward. Cora did everything for you and you turned her back on her. You rat bastard. She was going to fuck someone else to save your job. She came clean because I found out about Dante. And you turn her down now. Now after President McIntyre knows. What has gotten into you?" Isaac asks as he helps me clean up my office."I knew you'd say something like that. I don't expect you to understand. You have the perfect life. I'm a mess." I start placing my photos and memories of Stacey that are hidden in my office closet into the boxes that President McIntyre had sent up for me."You don't know what you're talking about," Isaac says."Sure, I do. You have the perfect family and a loyal wife. She's alive. She's breathing."Isaac takes a large cardboard box and slams it down on my desk."No, s
The meeting with President McIntyre has ended. He listened intently to Cora's stories about Dante."Is that everything then? Is there any more you both would like to share? It is a lot of information to take in, I can assure you of that. As for both of you, Cora I accept your transfer to another university after this semester. And Blake, as for you I think your resignation is for the best. Please start packing your office immediately, and I will personally teach your remaining classes for the remainder of the year. Give me any and all lesson plans you may have. If you have a final exam written please email it to me, even if it's a rough draft. Never in my forty-two years of teaching have I experienced anything like this. Of all the shenanigans, of all the scandals, this is probably the cherry on top of my academic career. You will never teach again Blake Oakley. I can assure you of that, and as for you Cora. I will see to it personally that this Dante character is dealt with. I can as
After delaying Dante for as long as I can, my time to decide is upon me. It's not an easy place to be in. Do I try to be with Dante or do I confess and get kicked out of the university? I was never college material to begin with. My mother paid for tutoring all way through high school. She can deny it all she wants but I'm convinced I have a learning disability of some kind. It took me years to learn how to read and I confuse letters sometimes. Mother never got me tested for anything. I can't hold a bad decision against mom, but it didn't make studying any easier.If I were college material perhaps I would be sad at the prospect of possibly being kicked out. But right now I don't care. The pressure to study and memorize is just daunting to me. Writing papers makes my anxiety high. I think I would be better suited to something else, but what that is I'm not sure. I just want to go home and become a barista for a year or two. Having a gap year or two might have been a better choice for
Dante pulls a chair up to me. His eyes tell a story of jealous, hurt, and anger. I hand him a cup of coffee and prepare to listen to whatever story he wishes to tell. Some stories are important to listen to and if I want to not get fired I had better listen this time. I suspect that no matter what happens I will not be teaching at Nordstrom University for very long. If Dante knows about Cora and I, and what transpired between us before the break up, then my job has already been on egg shells from the beginning. I always knew this would be the case.There was always the possibility of this relationship ruining me. It was always a likelihood. I knew it right from the start, but I kissed her anyway. I could have been fired and yet I loved her anyway. I love her still. I love her as Cora Worthington and not as Stacey Oakley. I always knew she compared herself to Stacey, but I ignored it for the most part. Perhaps I shouldn't have done that to her. Perhaps I shouldn't have let our paths
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