**Day 1 cont.**
What the heck!
Are these people for real?
I was actually happy that I might soon be out of his hair, but now this.
We are stuck with each other, as it seems.
"Hey! What's the matter? Someone pats my shoulder.
I was quick to come back to my senses.
It was Lily, the person I was speaking to earlier, or should I say she was busy trying to tell me how legendary my professor or husband is.
"Hey, close your mouth before a fly enters," she says, reaching out to close my mouth.
But I was quick to move away.
"Oh! Sorry about that; it's reflex," she says.
I nodded at her, showing her it was okay.
"Did you hear the legendary professor's going to lead our team? I'm sure it'll be the best field trip ever," she says.
Well, that's the problem for me; I don't think that I can stand him anymore.
No, not because he is old or something like that.
The truth is, he is so handsome for someone his age, whatever that is.
It's just because, well, he literally blackmailed me into becoming his wife.
What kind of monster does that?
"Hey! You've zoned out again," she says again.
What's wrong?" she asks, a bit worried.
Gosh! The girl talks too much.
"No, nothing," I answer, getting bored already.
"Ok, if you say so," she shrugged her shoulders.
"Uhmm, they have finished calling out all the names; we are to be leaving in an hour from now; let's go," she says.
I nodded at her while looking away, going far away to my room.
"But really, I'm so excited..."
She stopped talking.
Why did she stop talking?
I looked up at her and saw her mouth hanging wide open.
She looks shocked, or something like that.
I was about to ask her what the problem was this time when, finally, the problem revealed itself.
Sir, you're here?" she asks.
Yeah, it's Professor Abraham, the one and only.
"Uhmm, good morning, sir. I am Lily Anderson," she says, extending her hands to him.
I could see the hesitation in his face for a while, but he finally shook her hand.
"I am really so glad to finally meet you in person; you are like a legend," she blubbers again.
Oh my goodness! Can't this girl stop chattering?
"I wish I had a camera with me; I would have taken your picture as a memento, she adds.
I had to roll my eyes at that. It's not like he is some celebrity that she is busy swooning over.
"And I am also on your team, sir; I'm so..."
"That's good to hear." He cuts her off, looking at me.
"Oh, this is my friend, Nina." Then she trails off.
She just touched her forehead.
"How stupid of me; she is your wife," she says.
Then we all stood there in awkward silence.
He cleared his throat.
"I need to speak with you," he says, looking directly at me.
It seems like she finally got the invitation.
"Oh! Let me get going then; see you guys later," she says, walking off after patting my shoulder.
The pretty blond girl is fun to be around, but only when she isn't chattering.
"Phew!" I exclaim.
We're making friends already now, aren't we?" he asks.
Why am I not allowed to have one? I ask.
"Of course you are," he answers.
"Well, I thought I wasn't allowed to," I said, rolling my eyes at him.
He moves a little bit closer to me.
"You shouldn't be talking to your professor in public like that," he whispers.
What! This old man is really funny.
How am I supposed to talk to him then?
"Well, I thought I was supposed to be your 'wife' in public? I ask, making sure to air-quote the wife.
"You've got a point there," he says.
Yeah! Ain't I right?
To my huge surprise, he pulls me into his arm, straddling his hand around my shoulder.
As if on cue, everybody's eyes fell on us.
I started wishing for the ground to open up and swallow the whole of me—everything.
"Come on, let's go; we will be leaving this camp in an hour," he says, pulling me with him, not letting go even once.
We started walking over to the students and the other teachers, who also looked like they were about to leave and start parking.
I spotted Lily Anderson with the other students. It looks like they are having a funny conversation and laughing over it.
I wish I would be part of them, you know, all the fun and stuff, but here I am, stuck with this no-fun old man, and even if I try to go to them now, I'm sure they'll treat me differently, considering that I am 'a teacher's wife.
It's like one of Lily's friends noticed me, and they all turned towards us and started giggling.
I can also see the looks of admiration and jealousy all over their faces.
If they are jealous of me because of this man, well, I'll gladly tell them that they can replace me anytime they want.
Hey!" Lily waved at me.
I waved back at her and smiled.
At this point, he was supposed to let me go so that I could go meet her, but he didn't; he just stopped walking and turned to face them.
Seeing that, Lily and her friends walked over to us.
The other three looked like they were ripped from a Barbie movie, all dolled up.
And I bet it cost a lot of money.
They were all swaying all over the place, as if they were going to break it.
Oh my gosh! Are they trying to entice the professor?
I looked up at his face and saw him looking in their direction.
What a loser!
No! No! I'm not supposed to be talking about my teacher like that; I mind-smacked myself.
The four of them have now reached us since it wasn't that far.
"Come on, Nina, won't you join us?" she asks.
Before I could answer, he cut me off.
"She needs to start parking her clothes; you too should; we will be leaving in an hour," he says.
"Both the groups? One of the Barbie girls asks
"No, just group one; we have to go ahead of them if we want to make it in time before dusk," he answers.
"Oh! That's so lucky of you guys; I am going with team B, but I wish I was in your group, sir, she says, batting her eyes.
She has moved in a little bit closer to us now, and by the way he was holding my hand right now, I was certain he was uncomfortable too and wouldn't wait to get out of here.
"Maybe there is something we could do about that, sir?" she asks, giving him a devilish smile.
I'm no player or anything like that, but I am certain that the look she is giving him right now is bad.
Uhuh," he said, clearing his throat, and he made sure to move miles away from her while doing so.
"I am sorry about that, but there is nothing we could do about it, except if some students want to exchange groups with you, then you can speak with the head instructor, and I also wouldn't recommend that," he says.
"Uhmm, we can switch teams." I find my mouth speaking.
The look that he gave me at that time was enough for me to just catch fire.
"Really?!" She asks, excited.
"No, that's not going to happen; you are staying with me," he says, and to emphasize his point, he pulled me more into his body so that my head was resting on his chest.
Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable right now or what? This is outrightly not acceptable, not in any humanity law I know of.
I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let me.
Ok, I've got to go; see you guys later," he says, pulling me away.
Lily waved her hand at me while the rest of the girls, especially the one who wanted to switch groups, glared at me.
Great! Now he has also made me an enemy.
"What were you thinking back then?" he asks.
"About what, sir?" I ask, pretending to be ignorant.
"Come on, you know what I'm talking about," he says impatiently.
I wanted to deny it again, but then he cut me off.
"Listen carefully; don't even try to change your group, not even by mistake or otherwise, he says with an edge of warning in his voice.
He lets go of me and walks away, just like that.
Oh goodness gracious! Give me the strength to put up with this man before I explode and do something I might regret later.
I walked in the opposite direction that he went, just to make sure that we didn't bump into each other.
I've been looking forward to this field trip ever since the day I found out that I was selected, but now I just feel like flying back home and leaving it all behind, but I won't. I won't accept defeat so easily.
I am Nina, and I never accept defeat.
Now all I need to do is make sure I avoid my professor as much as possible.
I know it's easy now, but it's doable.