Chapter 21: The substitute

Jerry woke up with a bad probing headache. It was of course expected since he drank all night. His hangover was always terrible the following morning but his maid always has the right soup and drugs for him.

This had him curse the day he sent away all of his from his condo.

He knew the development was going to affect him greatly but he had to do it. It was for his own safety any way.

The only way for him to clean his house now was with the help of an expensive robot vacuum cleaner Cameron order for him from Country M.

Then the dish washer does the dishes. All he just needs to do is put them in the machine then hire weekends cleaners to clean the remaining parts of his condo whenever he was home for the weekend.

He could have called in sick today but he suddenly had the urge to go to school. Today he was going to work on a PowerPoint presentation with his students.

He had putted then into groups so all he had to do was supervise. Rubbing his forehead, he pulled away the blanket from his half naked body and got up.

He went into the bathroom to have his bath then he heard his phone ring. After finishing his bath, Jerry went out of the bathroom with a white towel around his waist to return the call he missed.

The caller ID showed it was an unknown number so he didn't bother to call back. Putting his phone down, he went to the closet to pick his suit just to hear his phone ring again.

"Arrggghh.... Who the hell is it this time?", he grumbled as he went back to pick his phone still with his white bath towel tied around his waist and his black suit in one hand.

The phone continued ringing till he got there. It was the same private number.

"Who is this and what does he or she want from his as early as this?. This is a Monday morning for crying out loud", he thought before picking up.

"Hello...???", he heard a woman's voice call from the other side of the phone and he immediately recognized who it was. It was his mother.

"Yes...???, what do you want...?", he asked in a deep angry voice.

"And is that the right way to address me?. To address your mother?", the woman asked again, irritated this time.

Jerry scoffed hearing her last sentence but tried to keep his cool.

"And how else do you expect me to address you?", he asked with a smirk.

"You expect me to call you 'Mum'...?", he asked again but with a blank face this time.

"Did your father call you already?", the woman asked, ignoring his question by changing the topic.

"Look here woman. I think its high time you get one thing straight here. I'm not your responsibility and you're not also mine so mind your business just as you've been doing for the past two decades", Jerry said with authority before hanging up.

He breathed in and out. The last thing he expected was to hear her sickening voice. He had a lot of things to deal with and this woman was the least if it. Not just the least but also the very least of it.

His troubles had him drink to stupor last night because he couldn't sleep but continued thinking of them.

The result of it was a bad headache which he had woke up with and yet still thinking of how to get rid of it; and now she was about to add her's to it?.

"Hell no....!!!", he thought before finally getting dressed.

"The school seems quiet today", Maya said to Ann as they left the car park obviously looking for a particular car.

"Spit it out girl", Ann said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, its been a week since i broke up with Steve and i can't seem to find him any where. He never came back to the school since then", Maya said with concern.

"And you expect him to come back after that?. C'mon girl, put yourself in his shoes. How would you feel if your love was rejected?", Ann asked as they walked into the lecture room.

This statement from Ann priced Maya's heart like a needle. She felt a pain in her heart as her mind drifted to wonderland.

"How would you feel if Jerry broke up with you?", was the thought on her mind.

"Devastated. Miserable. Unworthy", where the answers she came up with.

But she felt more than that. She knew she would feel more than that. She already felt her life was tied to him.

Now the question felt like she was indirectly asked she could do without oxygen which was of course impossible.

She suddenly felt nervous and anxious at the same time. Shaking her head slowly, she drifted back to reality as she saw Ann waving her hand in front of her face.

"What were you thinking about?", Ann asked Maya while looking at her suspiciously.

She noticed Maya had always been out of it since the professor came. She got the fact that he was handsome because even she was a sinner if gawking at his beautiful face could be recorded or counted as sin.

But Maya's own seemed different. She had always woke up late now. This she had noticed since the last time Maya met with Steve.

At first she thought it was normal. Maya she was trying to collect herself by adjusting to the new change.

The change of been free and not having to pretend all the time just so you don't hurt someone's feelings but it was now different.

There was this spark in her eyes. The type a woman have when she falls in love. Deeply in love and she was sure it was not for Steve.

As they both went to their seat, Professor Doyle walked in like a model with his long legs and beautiful face.

"Wow.... He looks perfect for the front cover of a magazine", Ann heard a girl she recognized as Belinda say as she admired the man.

It was then it dawned on her. This girl admired Jerry the same way but there was nothing different about it. It was just pure admiration.

Ann then looked at Maya and noticed the glow in her eyes once more. She traced the the direction of her gaze and she suddenly closed her mouth like she was about to scream.

"No! No...no...no... way. It can't be", Ann thought as she realized the truth.

"Maya can't like Jerry. No! Not like. The look in her eyes is more than that", Ann thought again shaking her head.

The class they had for the day was over and Ann couldn't wait to get home to confront her friend.

Ann knew Maya must have tried so hard to hide it from her which Ann knew Maya had only wasted her time.

"She was going to find out any time soon so why hide it anyway?", Ann thought as they drove in.

The reason she must have done that was probably because of her nag. She knew she was very good at it.

"Do you like Professor Doyle?", Ann asked directly as they stepped into the house only for Maya to freeze in her track.

"Ann... What sort of question is that?. We both know the professor is hands down handsome and every lady in school admirers him", she asked without waiting for an answer.

"Its been you open up now Maya. Don't try to fool me with that. You and i both know you can't", Ann said as she climbed the stairs.

"Alright...", Maya replied, walking behind her.

* * * *

Maya woke up and yawned as she sat on her bed with her messy hair. Its been three days since she confessed to Ann and told her everything including the dreams.

Today was no exception as her alarm had woke her when he was about to undress her.

Maya got ready and went down to have breakfast with Ann. Her twenty one birthday was in three weeks time and she hadn't even planned about it.

Ann had been disturbing her to throw a party for the second time since high school but she ignored saying she didn't know much people so it was better done between families as always.

Jerry got up from his bed and got ready for work. The week had been hectic already and he was finally happy this was his last lecture for the week.

Though the week stated in a way that pissed him off, the joy he had in his heart knew no bound.

It wasn't easy been a professor. He was finally happy his week of talking for long was over as he was a man of few words.

He prepared toast and took a slice of cheese and a cup of coffee alongside.

He finished his breakfast and got into the car. The car wasn't to his style and liking but what could he do?.

"Nothing!. You just have to be patient as told", he said to himself and ignited the car with its key.

He got to the school and began his lecture as always only for one of the dean to walk into the lecture room to pass an information.

"Sorry to interrupt your lecture professor Doyle. Mrs Wright called in sick three days ago and we had to get a substitute for her as soon as we found out. The substitute is here now so I've come to introduce her to the class she'd be starting with", the dean said and Jerry nodded.

"You can walk in miss Jones", the dean said again and a tall, red haired woman walked in.

"Megan....?", Jerry whispered but it came out loud.