Thread: The Professor With the Thorn in His Side (PassTheHatchet & dearestdarling)

Audrey's mind was completely blank with fear as he herded her into the darkness, her eyes welling up with tears. She felt like a deer in the headlights, unable to form an escape plan, despite having taken a couple of self-defense classes the year before. In class, there was light. It was safe. If you messed up, you got another turn. In real life, she was totally screwed. Her arms and legs felt like heavy jelly, unable to form a fist or kick. Her throat was tight as she gasped for help, but the clink of glasses and the hallway walls muffled her too-soft cries for help. She felt as though her knees were about to give out from fright, and it took everything she had to just keep standing. But like an angel sent down to save her, the men's room door opened in a flash and her attacker fell to the ground hard, nearly jerking Audrey down with him. It all happened almost too quickly to process-- the man who had tripped the creep had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, his voice rough and forceful as he slung him out the back door, as though he were tossing out a sack of trash. She fell against the brick wall behind her, trying to stabilize herself and comprehend all that had happened in just a few short moments. The tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes trickled down her cheeks, but instead of crying out of fear, she felt nothing but waves of incredible relief. The man who had saved her had turned back to her, and she hastily wiped away the stray tears that had escaped, taking a ragged breath. Her vision was a little blurry, and she closed her eyes, trying to collect herself. H-he didn't hurt me. Yet, she breathed, trying to fill her lungs with the air they desperately needed. She felt exhausted, the stress she'd been in was like the equivalent of running a marathon. Her hair was a little mussed from the effort of trying to escape, her face flushed and hot. She thought she could her her savior breathing heavily too, from the effort of hauling the creep away. He spoke again and her eyes opened, still a bit watery, but there were no fresh tears forming. I thought I did too. I must've left my pepper spray at home... It's pretty useless, there, she said softly, trying to make out this man in the darkness. Being alone with a stranger in the back was the last thing she wanted now, after what she'd been through. She didn't recognize his voice, though it should have been familiar to her. Maybe because she was still in shock. She slowly lifted herself from the wall, hugging herself tightly. I don't know about you, but after that, I need a drink now more than ever, she joked weakly, looking up at his shadowy face. Come on, I definitely owe you one for saving me.... She took her purse from his outstretched hand, fumbling for her phone and turning on the flashlight app, so she could see where she was going. In the bright little patch of light, she could now make out the guy in the hallway... And she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Adam? she stuttered out, taking a step back on her still-wobbly legs. Um-- I-- why are you here? And what are you wearing? Wow, clothes really do make the man. He looked much better in a tshirt and jeans than he ever did in slacks and a tie, but the image did not compute with her. He was the last man on earth she could see going out to drink, especially dressed like a normal person. She realized that she'd called him by the 'wrong' name again, but she wasn't in his classroom... And could he really blame her, under the circumstances?