Jude Morrison
On Monday, May finally attended classes. She had been away for quite a while, but her classmates didn't seem to notice. They were used to her frequent absences, especially in times when there was something going on with the Government.
She sat in the last row of the auditorium, as far as to wonder how could she follow a lesson from there. The Math department didn't have too many students, so they could all comfortably fit in the first half of the room.
May, though, preferred the last rows. She could follow if she liked the topic, or she could do something else if the lesson turned boring or if she had more pressing thoughts.
She opened her laptop and selected a file with exercises. They would have a test soon, so she'd better start revising before it was too late. Not that she was afraid of getting a bad mark, but she hadn't attended for quite a while.
As she read the text of the first few problems, wondering what some of those words meant and searching on the net for inspiration, the lesson started and finished. A young man her age sat in the row in front of hers, took a few notes while the professor talked, and then leaned his head on his arms when it became too overwhelming for him. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
May almost didn't notice him, but she knew they would talk during the break.
It was one of the most handsome students on campus, with long silver hair and yellow eyes. It was difficult to miss him, with those traits, but his face was so delicate and balanced that no one could be untouched by his beauty. Girls were jealous of May for spending so much time with him, while boys would find him annoying because of his good looks.
When the lesson was over, he got up and turned to May. Most students were chatting in small groups, trying to distract themselves from the lessons or explain to each other the most challenging concepts.
«Hello, Jude. You're here,» May said without moving her eyes away from the monitor. She was checking her results with those on the file. She had obtained the same result, but the means were different. Could it have been better to use the same method as the professor?
«I've been here for quite some time,» he chuckled. «What about you, though? When have you come back?»
«I need this time to study if you don't mind. I'm back with the schedule, and the midterms are coming soon.»
«I don't mind. Of course, I don't. But I'm not sure it's the same for... him.»
He smiled, pointing his chin towards the door. May frowned, confused, and turned in that direction to check who might be willing to talk with them. She saw Chris Lindt, wearing a suit and tie and ready for work, getting closer to them while trudging through the seats. When he was close enough to chat, he sat next to May.
«Good morning, Miss Thorne,» he said, observing the papers surrounding May. They were filled with numbers and formulas but, what surprised him more, there seemed to be no order in them. No schema, no link between the scribbles.
Mayrose Thorne was a chaotic person, wasn't she?
«You look busy,» he commented.
«Good morning,» Jude said before May could reply. He showed his best mischievous grin, one of those making the girls at university squeal and faint.
Chris seemed to notice the intruder only at that moment. He nodded, still wishing to talk with May and not some other young brat. However, when their eyes met, Chris frowned.
He had seen those eyes somewhere, already. Yellow, like those of a wolf.
There was someone in the Senate with those eyes. Someone he did respect but found endlessly troubling.
«Are you perhaps related to Senator Mark Morrison?» he asked, tilting his head.
«He's my father,» Jude said. «My name is Jude Morrison, I'm May's classmate and friend.»
He put some stress on the word friend as if he knew it would trouble the senator. What could a man want from a young woman doing Math? Senator Lindt was being quite transparent. Not to mention he had reached the university in plain daylight.
Had he no fear of being spotted?
«Senator Morrison is in the vaccination control commission. I replaced someone else and had the pleasure to work with him,» Chris said. «My name is Christopher Lindt.»
«I see... You're my dad's colleague,» Jude voiced, leaning back and feeling troublesome. He had been calm for a few days because he had been told to lay low. But that man in front of him was so interesting that he couldn't suppress his inner child.
«Can I call you uncle? After all, you're dad's colleague!» he said.
Chris's expression froze, just like the blood in his veins. He wouldn't care about the words of a naughty brat if only May wasn't so close. He knew there were a few years of difference between them, and he didn't find anything amiss with it. But what if May thought he was too old for her?
She was at that age when a woman might have preferred a man her age next to her.
He glanced at her and noticed she was paying him no attention. He sighed, relieved.
«I'm not that older than you, young Morrison,» he pointed out, though. Just in case. «I'm twenty-nine.»
What were seven years of difference? Maybe, at the moment, they looked like plenty. But as they aged, they would disappear.
«Not even thirty?» May inquired, raising her head from the notes. So, she was listening.
And she was as petty as to get her revenge from when he had doubted her age. She did look younger, he couldn't help it.
But did Chris look older? All of a sudden, he wondered whether visiting a spa would help him. Or maybe it was because he would wear the wrong clothes? Dark colours made him look stern and reliable like a politician should look. But what if that kind of look aged him before time?
«Do I look older?» he inquired with his most offended tone.
He was calm, but his eyes expressed infinite sadness. As if he had found his world destroyed after getting distracted for a moment.
May felt guilty. Her heart ached, and she almost retreated her words. But she had no time because Jude was way ahead of her in understanding people, and he could see that it was all a trick. That old senator, not just that was after his friend, but he also had quite the tricks in his sleeves.
«Don't be impolite, May,» he said. «Uncle Chris doesn't look old at all!»
Instead of calming an elder's heart, those words made Chris even more concerned. Did working in the Senate made his face fill with wrinkles before time?
May, on the other side, returned focused.
«What are you doing here?» she asked, remembering they were in a public place and that the boys in the classroom were already staring at them.
The students of the Math courses were mostly males, so May would be the only girl in class more often than not. One would think those classes were void of the drama girls knew how to create, but there was nothing more false.
Males knew how to gossip no less than females.
In fact, there were quite a few pairs of eyes on them.
«I wanted to see you,» Chris replied, swift like the wind.
His worried heart settled when he noticed May's red ears. Even though he was old, he still could make her blush.
«As you said, I'm busy right now. And... And the next lesson is starting soon.»
«As far as I know, university lessons are public.»
«You're attracting attention,» she sighed, and he finally turned to check. She was quite right, what a pity.
«What are you doing for lunch?» he asked, getting to the point.
«I have classes. Until afternoon. No lunch break today.»
«And dinner?»
«Probably studying. Midterms are in a couple of days.»
He nodded, reaching out to move a rebellious lock of her hair behind her ear. During the days they had spent under the same roof, they had gotten closer. He had carried her to the bed, and they had slept on the same couch even though he didn't remember, unfortunately.
May didn't even notice he was taking liberties he shouldn't have.
«I'll send Morgan to pick you up at half past five. I have something I'd like to talk about with you. Is that all right?»
«See you later, then.» She hadn't even noticed how he had decided everything, pretending to be asking her. His gentle touch had made the train of her thoughts derail.
She returned to her exercises as if nothing happened, even though it was quite obvious that she wasn't unaffected.
Chris and Jude exchanged a nod as a greeting, and the first left the classroom not to attract any more attention.
«You have a lot to update me about!» Jude said as soon as they were alone.
«I'm trying to focus.»
«You can use all the time your insomnia gives you for studying. You have to tell me the details now! How did you meet The Senator Lindt? And why is he after you?»
«He's not after me.»
«He touched your hair and survived.»
«No big deal!» May exclaimed, but she knew she was lying to herself. There was something terrible in all those emotions.
«I was worried about you. I waited for your text or a call, but nothing... And now I find out it's because you were busy with a man? You've hurt my feelings, May.»
«My phone was lost. I don't have time tonight. But I'll surely come to the base tomorrow; I have something to report,» she said.