CHAPTER 9

"What are you staring at?" Williams asked him flicking his eyes at the direction he was gazing at and realized he was staring intently at Henry. "Oh." His soft smile faded from his face. He flicked his eyes at Glen and continued."You should pay attention to your work."

"I-im sorry.." He apologized lowering his head and continued to scribble on the drawing board with his paint brush.

"What are you painting?" He crossed his arm touching his chin in a thoughtful way slightly hunched.

"Landscape art."Glen became wary as Williams kept watching him and won't go away. Time slowed down as they kept their distance with each other.

"I-I didn't know you…would be here as an assistant." Glen asked hesitantly averting his eyes. Sweat beads falling from his face.

Williams paused and shifted his gaze from the painting to Glen. "Oh, I got called unexpectedly. It wasn't even planned."

The lecturer's voice interrupted them and they both turned their attention towards him. "What a nice art." He crouched slightly to better look at the painting and continued. "I'm a lover of nature too."

Williams straightened his body and crossed his arms. "Senior Williams, pls over here." One of the female art fresher called William's attention towards her. He uncrossed his hands. "A moment." He said as he went to her aid.

The lecturer continued with Glen. "What's your name again?" He suddenly asked lowering his voice."

Glen instantly felt uncomfortable frantically glancing behind him to look at the lecturer. "G-Glen…"

He groped Glen's shoulder and pulled himself more closer to him. Glen became uncomfortable, sweat droplets trickling down his face and could feel the stubble of the lecturer brushing against his cheek's giving him the Ick.

Why's he being so touchy?

He glanced awkwardly at the lecturer and came to a halt when he met his perversed grinning expression.

His teeth shoned all out. "Your eyes, it's a work of art. Will you let me paint it sometime?"

"N-no…im g-good." He said averting his eyes uncomfortably.

He paused and snickered drawing more closer. "Everyone is shy at first, but they'll get comfortable sooner."

He grinned and groped Glen's shoulder more tightly causing him to feel shivers on his body before retracting his hands. "Let's talk more sometime." He wandered to the rest of the students.

Glen groped his shoulders, lowering his head as he felt revolted by the lecturer's sudden creepy behavior. He suddenly recalled his past incident with Phil and felt nauseous covering his mouth grimacing.

I don't want what happened back then to repeat itself, I just want to graduate in peace.

His thought trailed off as he sat in a daze continually groping his shoulders in a hunched position. Williams languid voice suddenly interrupted his dazeness. "Glen."

"Y-yes?" He replied— awkwardly glancing at the lecturer as he assisted other students like nothing weird had just occurred.

William cocked an eyebrow concerned. "What's wrong? You look uncomfortable."

"I-I'm fine, I think it's…just hot in here." He replied averting his eyes and lowered his head even more.

He notice Glen kept groping his shoulder and abruptly grabbed his hands off his shoulder concerned. "Did u hurt your shoulder?."

He flinched blinking his eyes still looking uncomfortable. "N-no, don't…don't mind me."

Williams stared at him crinkling his face discontented with his answers, when it's so obvious something was going on with him.

"That's it for today. Let's all round up."The lecturer said dismissing the students. They all packed their bags boisterously as they exited the studio.

Glen awkwardly glimpsed at the students as they exited the building and returned his gaze back to his painting board. "Ah…I stopped halfway."

Williams chortled out a faint smile. "It's okay, I can help you finish it during your free time. Text or call me when you return back to the studio. My schedule is light today."

"O-Okay." Glen picked his bag from the floor and hung it on his back.

Senior Williams is very caring…it can confuse people.

"Glen, it seems you didn't finish your work." The lecturer said as he approached them wiping the lense of his glasses with a clean white cloth.

Glen became wary slightly shrinking his shoulders.

"Don't sweat it Mr Roy, I'll help him later. He won't fall behind in his practicals."Williams didn't seem to understand Glen was uncomfortable around the lecturer.

"No, you're busy and a student at that. You need to focus on your studies." The lecturer insinuated as he wore his glasses adjusting it.

Glen became extremely wary. He didn't want to be alone with the lecturer any further, he's a perverted man in his 40s that is targeting vulnerable students.

He thought of perversed scenarios that could happen if they were to be alone—but he didn't want to say anything. Williams might not believe him and would most definitely probe in, if he refused letting the lecturer assist him.

"Don't worry about nothing Glen, the studio is open for you to finish your work." The lecturer said exhuding a pretentious smile like he was a really good and chummy lecturer.

"Alright Mr Roy." Williams turned to Glen and continued. "You should meet Mr Roy in the studio later if you want to finish your painting. Don't forget that little marks matter most."

Williams didn't even ask Glen if he wanted the lecturer to help him or not. They just had to go and decide for themselves.

"Glen you should hurry to your next lecture." Williams said tapping his shoulder with his usual soft smile.

Hah…"OKay…" He gripped his bag straps and paused momentarily in an aggrieved expression before striding outside the studio.

As he exited the studio he glimpsed at the studio window and saw Williams and the lecturer having a chummy conversation. He became more aggrieved about the whole situation.

How do I tell him that Mr Roy is a creep? Who would even believe that a lecturer is prying on me. A guy at that.

He chortled out an internal derisive laughter.

It's definitely going to sound ridiculous. He winced despondently and strode off lowering his head.

On his way out his eye met chloe talking with her friends—she glanced at his direction unexpectedly and steadied her gaze with a beaming expression and hurried to him after dismissing her friends. "Glen!" She yelled his name enthusiastically as she approached him.

He paused."Chloe."

"Where are you headed?" She enquired giddily.

"To my next classes." His eyes wandered to her hands and saw a small milkshake drink.

She jolted in realization cause she thought he wanted it. "Here!" She handed him the small bottled milkshake. "I was about heading for my classes."

"I..im fine." He pulled his hands away, but Chloe forced the drink into his palm. "Don't worry, it's yours now." She snickerd balling her hand to her face. "Why are you always so wary? I think we are around the same age."

"R-really?" Glen held the drink with two of his hands politely. "Y-you didn't have to."

"How old are you Glen? I'm twenty one." She enquired giddily.

Fiddling with milkshake, he replied. "I'm…t-twenty one too."

Her expression beamed. "Wow. Glen and I are the same age! Let's be formal from now on! You can stop being so polite and wary of me."

"Ah…okay." He averted his eyes settling it to the milkshake in his hands. "T-thank you for this."

"No biggies!" She grinned joyfully and jolted abruptly in realization. "Right! I have to go for my classes now. See you later." She hastily scampered to her major as she waved Glen.

After Glen's classes. It was his free period he pondered for a while as he rested his head on his desk. He wondered whether he should go finish his painting at the studio.

The thought was mentally exhausting for him, he ruffled his hair frustratingly—abruptly bitting his nails. He suddenly came to a stop and mustered up the courage as he made his way to the studio. He knew he would be playing with his grade if he didn't go back to finish his work.

What could possibly happen to him in a school environment with lots of people around that would be worse than what Phil did to him? His thoughts jumbled for a few minutes.

He eventually arrived at the studio and paused momentarily outside the door. He inhaled and exhaled before hastily knocking at the door.

"Come in!" The lecturer's voice sounded from inside the studio. He turned as the door swung open; it was Glen. A sudden wicked smile emerged on his face as he stopped what he was doing.

Glen faltered as he stepped inside the studio entrance gripping his bag strap—lowering his head in a hunched position—wary of Mr Roy. "I-I have to finish…my painting." Bead sweats trickle down his face to his neck. His grips still coming strong on his bag strap.

"Take your seat." The lecturer said adjusting his glasses as he exhuded a menacing grin with his teeth all visisble and his eyes obscured by the reflection hitting his glass lens from the window.

The demeanor around him became ominous. He didn't know it would be Glen helplessly coming back to finish his work so quick.

Glen knew what he was walking into, he just didn't want to fall back on his art classes. He stood there momentarily puzzled—bitting on his lower lip aggreived. He wished he would just get over it as soon as possible and leave.