23. Orion
23
ORION
I pause at the end of the hall when I see Constance Squires leaning in toward Sofia in a leering manner. Anger and dread flare in the pit of my stomach as her features transform into an acrid smile. I’m stuck in place, knowing I can’t step in between whatever is going on in case it’s about me.
I struggle to not follow her around the lab or stick around too long after Film Club. To not watch her all the time.
Perhaps I’m failing miserably at being subtle. I’m sure to flirt with others in the office, making it a type of my personality so that no one has any idea who I’m actually interested in, but that might be backfiring, too.
Dr. Squires stomps away, and I approach slowly, catching Sofia by the arm as the other professor disappears in the stairwell. Soph starts and spins toward me, her eyes wide. My hand trails down to hers, grasping her fingers for a few seconds before she pulls away.
The way she looks around has my gut clenching further in distress. Their encounter did have something to do with me.
Still, I can’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”
Her shoulders pull back, and she stands tall. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
No. Don’t do that. Tell me . I search her gaze and step closer. “I kind of feel like I need to worry about it.”
Her eyes close briefly. “Not here.”
Fuck. Someone’s suspicious of us and our secret relationship. The way she presses her lips together is a clear sign that she’s trying to protect me.
Thank God she has the control because I want to wrap her up and hold her until that tension is gone.
“We should go set up for the short film.” Sofia pushes her hair out of her face and takes a deep breath.
“Yeah. That’s the reason I’m looking for you.” Because she’s always early, and she wasn’t there when I went to pick up the stuff to take to the film location.
Sofia nods, so I lead. We have a lot to do to prep for filming before anyone else gets there. But she’s so quiet behind me.
Not the comfortable kind.
Film Club has grown tense over the last few weeks as they’ve workshopped the script from Michelle.
Leann has been giving everyone more attitude, questioning every decision Sofia makes, to the point that Sofia has had to shut her down.
“Why do you get to make the final decisions? Everyone just blindly follows you.”
“Because I’m the club president.”
“I thought this was a democracy. I didn’t vote for you.”
“That’s because we have the vote at the end of the year.”
But she’s shut down again in the middle of formulating her next comment . “I can’t baby you for the entire hour. Either you’re here to be a productive member of the team or you’re wasting all of our time. So choose.”
Leann gives her a calculated look but stays.
It’s made Sofia so much more serious on campus, so I try not to push. I know she relaxes when she’s at my apartment, so it can’t be me. Right?
Setup goes quickly, mostly smoothly.
That same weird tension is growing as Leann powders Sue’s face to be on camera.
They’re just blocking this out on camera to determine the best shots. It’s a learning experience, after all, and the younger students shadow the older ones.
Sofia is amazing, taking charge when there are questions or disagreements and standing back when they seem to be figuring it out themselves.
Usually, I would be happy that a student like Leann has learned to back off, but since she’s stopped obnoxiously flirting with me, she’s started sending me death glares instead. And that doesn’t bode well, either.
The fact that the attitude shift happened directly after the trip to New York City is what has me on edge. I can deal with a student hating me for half a semester. A whole semester, even, if the other option is whatever she thought was going on before.
But the worry is, does she know about what happened between Sofia and me while we shared a room? Does she even know that we shared a hotel room? Does anyone? Sofia was so careful coming and going.
It’s not something that can be changed now, at any rate, but the worry only tightens around my ribs the longer I think about it.
Leaning against a far wall to observe and stay out of the way, I earn another glare. The teacher in me stares back, challenging her with her own emotions. Are you being a mature adult right now? I ask without a word. It’s the best response I’ve got.
I’m hoping to God that the animosity—although obviously jealousy—is about how solid of a team Soph and I have become during club meetings. Really, I try to stay out of most of it, but this girl has made this project far more difficult and trying than it needs to be.
That has to be it. Because I’m always aware of Leann when she’s around. I’m always careful around her. But students talk.
I don’t think I’ve been too obvious.
But apparently, whatever I’ve done has been enough to garner suspicion.
Staying out of the way works for me today, but there’s still tension with every stomp and huff and look from Leann.
I’m not the only one to earn her ire, either. Sofia takes the brunt of it, but the other students are shooting her looks and rolling their eyes at her behavior, her general attitude.
They were more open with her when she was just self-centered and high-energy. Now, no one seems to want to give her any leniency.
Ryan meanders my way during one of the breaks in shooting. “Is there any way to kick that chick out of the club? She’s annoying as fuck.”
I shake my head at him. “Sorry. Not unless she does something more than having a bad attitude.”
Ryan groans. “No one wants her here, though. I don’t know why she’s sticking around.”
He’s right. She doesn’t seem to want to be here any more than the other students want her here. I have a bad feeling that I know why.
Worry roots deeper.
I leave during a break to grab lunch for the club. Hopefully, my absence will help defuse some of the strain on the group.
But when I return, I see Leann and Sofia talking low, too near each other. Too separate from the rest of the group.
Sofia is taller, towering over Leann with her hands on her hips.
Leann is red in the face, her hands balled into fists like she might throw a punch.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I hastily set the boxes and bags on a nearby table and start toward them, but Collin steps in my way, shaking his head. He looks serious, and I know Sofia can handle herself. She’s the one in charge.
I’ll probably muck it up if I get involved, but my instincts scream to intervene. Taking a deep breath, I stay back with the other students, all of whom are standing there silently, looking at their phones, giving the scene their backs, trying to let Sofia take care of the problem.
How many of them have talked to her about Leann?
Is her inability to do anything formal about it why Ryan came to me today?
Sofia is trying to keep the volume down. They’re already making enough of a scene, and she’s trying to minimize it.
Leann hisses something under her breath, her cheeks so red and her eyes glowing with fury.
I can’t hear it, but Sofia’s response is clear enough for me to catch.
“Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, Leann.”
Well, fuck.