"Professor McCurdy?"

Tawny found herself after-hours in Professor McCurdy's classroom. She was the only one sitting at the desk in the middle of the class.

Professor McCurdy was writing something on the chalkboard but he didn't turn around.

"Yes, Miss Matthews?" he said.

Tawny caught herself blushing yet again. She stood up and walked over to McCurdy's desk, fidgeting with her hands. "I'm having a problem with my partner, Dylan. He's a real hothead and he won't listen to reason. I'm not certain we can complete the project. Can you please help?"

McCurdy paused from his furious writing. He turned around and smiled at Tawny over his glasses.

"And how, pray tell, would you like me to 'help', Miss Matthews?" he said in a low voice.

Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Tawny could feel a sweat break out at the back of her neck. Her tongue felt heavy and dry in her mouth. Her mind had gone completely blank.

McCurdy grabbed Tawny's hand and placed the white piece of chalk into it. He then guided her to the chalkboard by placing his hands on her shoulders. "Draw," he said.

"What?" Tawny asked, not sure if she had heard him correctly.

McCurdy leaned in close so that his lips practically grazed her ear. "Draw," he whispered.

Tawny obeyed, and furiously started sketching on the blank space of the chalkboard.

Although the chalk in her hand was white, the colours came out vibrant, like a rainbow.

She drew an amorphous blob and when she was complete, it pulsed and swirled on the chalkboard, until it appeared to crack like an egg and dissolve away.

Within the chalk again was a new drawing: a tiny stick-person version of Tawny made of chalk. The Chalk-Tawny smiled and waved. It then manifested its own wings and emerged out of the chalkboard, flying away out an open window.

"It's beautiful..." Tawny said.

"You're beautiful..." said Professor McCurdy.

"What did you say?" asked Tawny.

His hands still on her shoulders, he pushed Tawny gently so that her back was pressed against the chalkboard wall. With one hand he took her hand that was holding the chalk and pressed it firmly to the chalkboard, above her head. With his other hand, he took Tawny's chin in his hand and raised it so their faces were inches apart.

"I said, 'you're beautiful', Tawny...." repeated McCurdy. He moved in even closer.

Is this actually happening?! Tawny thought frantically. She felt the prickly sensation of McCurdy's stubble along her neck. Tawny breathed in deeply, drinking in the heady scent of sandlewood she equated with her dear professor.

All sense and faculty went out the window as Tawny leaned in, eager to meet her lips with McCurdy...

---

Tawny fell out of bed, in a tangle of sheets and confusion.

She sat up abruptly and observed her room. Maddie was fast asleep on her side, and it was pitch black when Tawny looked out the window.

She glanced at the time on her phone. 3:42.

She then felt her chest. Her heart was going a mile a minute.

What a hell of a dream.

Tawny stood up slowly, her legs feeling like Jell-o.

I need to clear my head, Tawny thought. She tiptoed to the door leading out to the hallway and walked down the empty corridors into she found the bathroom.

The dormitory bathrooms were set up not unlike what she was used to at her old school, with multiple stalls and sinks; the main difference was that at the back of the bathroom there was also a shower area. Tawny normally showered at night so as to avoid the criticisms of the other girls at Ivoree Gates.

Tawny went to one of the sinks and ran the cold tap, splashing her face with the cool water.

As she repeated this ritual a few more times, she thought she heard the sound of someone heaving. As though they were throwing up.

Tawny turned the tap off and listened again. There was definitely someone else in here.

She walked over to one of the farthest stalls and noticed the presence of bare feet below the door of the stall. The heaving persisted.

Tawny rapped her knuckle lightly on the door. "Uh...hello? You okay in there?"

Tawny didn't realize the door was unlocked; when she tapped it swung open, revealing Elizabeth hunched over the toilet. Elizabeth's turned and looked wide-eyed at Tawny; her face was red and her eyes were puffy and swollen.

Tawny felt flustered. "I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to see if you were alright."

Elizabeth immediately stood up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Yes," replied Elizabeth succinctly. "It was something I ate."

She walked straight toward the exit.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Tawny blurted out.

Elizabeth opened the door and paused. She then turned and gave Tawny the sweetest smile she could muster.

"Actually...there is something. You can drop dead."

And with that, Elizabeth whipped her red hair and retreated from the bathroom, leaving a poor dumbfounded Tawny standing alone on the cold tile.