Who: Robin and Ezra What: Ezra catches Robin in his class When: late last week Where: University of California, Irvine Warnings/Ratings: None/Low Status:Complete
“Alright class, I’ll see you next week,” Ezra wrapped up concluding his lecture on John Keats. The students all hurried out of the classroom, which he wasn’t sure if he should take offense to or not. However there was one that lingered behind. One that seemed a little older than most students in his class, and one he didn’t remember seeing before.
Ezra slowly made his way over to the desk where the woman was gathering up her things. “I haven’t seen you in this class before,” he commented. “Thinking of adding it?” he didn’t know all the administrative details of the college, but he was fairly certain there were still a few add days left.
Robin had a youthful appearance about her, but no one could mistake her for being college aged. She was aware that she probably looked out of place sitting among a large group of young men and women just barely coming out of their teens, many of which were having their first tastes of what the world was like and trying so very hard to prep for it before being metaphorically shoved out the door and into the middle of it. It didn’t bother her, though. She had been sitting in classes she didn’t belong in since high school. It was normal for her and that was what mattered at the end of the day.
It was a little flattering that this particular professor asked if she was thinking of adding his class, as if she were an actual student. Very sweet of him.
Robin smiled at the professor standing over her desk. A pleasant, friendly kind of smile. “No,” she shook her head. She closed her notebook and slid it away into her shoulder bag. “I don’t attend the university.”
She didn’t attend the university? Well that was certainly interesting. What exactly was she doing in his class then? He had to admit he was intrigued. A lot of the classes he taught were the core classes, though he did have a few classes geared toward English or Creative Writing majors. But for the most part students typically were in his class because they had to be, not because they wanted to be. And he had certainly never heard of someone being on campus for fun before.
“What brings you to my class then?” he couldn’t help but ask his brows furrowed in curiosity. “Or campus in general.”
“Keats,” Robin replied as though there wasn’t any other reason for her to be there. She got to her feet and picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder as casual as could be.. “I have a deep fondness for poetry, though I can’t write it myself to save my life.” She chuckled lightly. “I wasn’t able to take many poetry classes when I was in university. I saw online that this class was being offered this semester, so I thought I would attend it for a bit.”
“That was a very interesting lecture, Professor Fitz,” Robin went on as she picked up her travel mug, now empty of the life’s blood that was coffee. “You have a very interesting insight on the writer’s mind.” She tilted her head curiously. “Are you a writer yourself?”
This was new for him, but he was glad someone was actually enjoying the lecture and he could care less whether or not she was paying for it. He still got paid either way and honestly he believe education should be free. He would advocate more for that, if he didn’t need the pay check himself. Ah money, getting in the way of everything.
“Thank you,” of course he would always accept a compliment. Who wouldn’t. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he added. “I am yes, though poetry isn’t my strong suit either.” He had written a few poems himself. In those pesky dreams too, even received one as one of those lovely dream gifts and tried it out at a poetry reading. It hadn’t gone over so well. Ezra’s strong suit was narrative, particularly fiction. He had a few short stories published and had been working on a crime novel but that was on pause for now. Thank you, dreams. “Do you write? Other than poetry.” Since she had just stated she wasn’t good at that.
“You drink a lot of coffee?” he couldn’t help but ask nodding at her empty travel mug. Ezra was a coffee addict himself, so he tended to notice these sorts of things.
“Oh,” Robin laughed a faint, but throaty sort of laugh that belied her amusement. “I don’t write. I’m terrible at it. But, I enjoy reading poetry as well as a good narrative. I have great admiration for those who have the talent to string words together to relate an idea or a concept in a captivating way.”
Robin glanced at her travel mug then back up at the professor with her trademark sunny smile. “Yes, I do, actually. I probably drink more of it than I should, but I just can’t help it. It’s something of a vice. I think the coffee shops around here have made a small fortune off me.”
“It’s not as easy as some people would think,” he agreed. He wasn’t a fan of those who criticized writing, but knew nothing about it. He also didn’t get how people got famous from writing fan fiction with no substance to it, but to each their own he supposed. He couldn’t exactly talk considering all he had published were a few short stories.
“I’m surprised I haven’t run into you before.” When Ezra wasn’t teaching a class or at his office he could usually be found in one coffee shop or another. “I don’t know how people get through the day without it,” he commented as he began to walk towards the exit with her. He did have another class to teach soon and of course it wasn’t in the same lecture hall. Why make things easy for him?
“It isn’t,” Robin agreed with an emphatic nod. “I’m a bit envious of those who can, actually. I’ve tried to write a few papers here and there, but my style is just so dry. I get bored reading my own work! Its terrible!”
Sensing the professor probably either had other classes to teach or office hours to keep (or perhaps he just needed a break), Robin walked with him towards the door. “I agree,” she said as she held up her mug. “I’ll probably have at least two more of these before the day is done.”
She paused by the door, her brows furrowing quite a bit. Professor Fitz had been the second professor this semester to take notice of her in their class. Usually Robin could sit in on half a dozen classes sporadically throughout a semester before a professor took notice of her, or even bothered to realize she wasn’t a student. Most of them didn’t care, a few were pleasantly surprised that someone had taken an interest in their lectures, but there were some that did not enjoy her presence one bit. “I really did enjoy your lecture, Professor Fitz,” she said. “I hope it will be alright if I continued to come when I am able?”
“I know how that goes,” he was referring to both the writing and the needing more coffee. Ezra had found his own work boring numerous times. He also couldn’t keep track of the cups of coffee he had per day. Probably not the best thing, but at least his drug of choice was just caffeine.
“Of course,” he replied as they reached the door. “I look forward to seeing you again.”