Career: How to Pass University

"Miss Katy, I see you decided to join us for another week." Dan crossed his arms and watched his reluctant student stop at the threshold of the small lecture hall. She crossed her arms to match his, and stared back at him. He couldn't help notice she had on that same plaid Catholic school skirt she wore so often to class, rolled up, a v-neck baby tee on top, barely covering her, and a paper shopping bag dangling from her right wrist. She's not even wearing a backpack this time, ugh. Even from the front of the room, he could tell Katy was rolling her eyes.

Dan scanned the rest of the classroom, the other students sitting at attention while Katy held the class hostage. He sighed, deeply. "How fortunate we are to be graced by your presence."

There was always at least one student like this, he knew, but this particular semester, he was finding it really hard to handle.

Maybe that's because he'd already had Katy as a student twice before. And it wasn't getting any easier to take her attitude... or general presence in his classes.

Maybe it was because he remembered teaching her older sister, Sandra. Now, she was a respectful student. Polite. Curious. Obedient.

In the doorway, Katy smacked her gum before entering the room. Dan stood still while staring her down. Surrounded by her fellow students in their seats, he hoped this would cause her some discomfort at arriving late and disrupting the 40-person class, again. It was the fourth week of this behavior, in the third semester he'd known her. And even considering his theory on the semesterly obnoxious student quota, this was already too much for Dan.

Did any of this actually make Katy uncomfortable? Dan couldn't tell, but he guessed not based on past experience... and the fact that she still managed to walk down the aisle with that swagger. But he smirked when he realized the only available seat was in the front row, directly in front of the lectern. Well, now you'll have to pay attention, won't you?

"Ooook guys. Let's get back to Forensic Psychology." He glanced at the clock in the back. Thirty five minutes to go.

And despite being pleased at her lone seat option, Dan found he couldn't in good conscious look down at the front row for the entire duration.

------------

He's so fucking lame... is there really no one in his life to tell him this? At her desk, Katy made a show of arranging a pen and a crumpled sheet of paper she had pulled out of the waistband of her skirt.

Katy took psychology courses because she enjoyed the topic, and since she had to choose a major, it would probably be this, but also... torturing Professor Dan was electrifying. Something about him... He tried, sure he did. His signature wardrobe choice of 'I don't try to think about what I wear too much but clearly I also do', with his dark jeans, button down shirts, rolled up sleeves hinting that he works out juuust enough to pull off the cool, youngish professor vibe... It made Katy roll her eyes just thinking about it.

Even the fact he makes us call him by his first name... what a dork.

Her sister had been obsessed with him. Sandra would tell Katy about the cute psych professor who was soooo insightful, soooo easy to listen to. She had even confided she had considered making a move, for fuck's sake!

And what good had all that gushing done Sandra, anyway? She had majored in Psych and ended up some media slave at a corporate office downtown. If anything, Katy expected to do something with her diploma, otherwise, why the fuck get one?

So the trick was to actually earn one, with as little work as possible. Lame, lame, lame.

From her seat, Katy couldn't see the clock in the back of the class without fully turning around, so she decided to play her favorite game: Stare at Professor Dan intently until it made him visibly uncomfortable. She had spent her first semester in his class ignoring him; her second one, inventing and perfecting this game. The best part of teasing this guy was that Katy aced every exam and paper - the best Dan could do was knock off some points here and there for tardiness, or not showing up at all. So Katy managed Bs at best, but it was enough to afford her the luxury of fucking around.

Leaning forward with her elbows on her desk, her face in her hands, she made her eyes big and stared up at her professor. His focus was on the back of the room, and Katy couldn't help feel he was doing it on purpose. She wiggled in her seat a bit, batted her eyelashes. Dan kept his gaze across the hall, but looked tense. Katy pushed her arms closer together to make her cleavage pop out from her low neckline. Finally, she caught Dan glance down - a split second - and look back up, his eyebrows knitted indicating his frustration at his slip. Katy smiled and glanced across at his jeans, directly at his crotch. Game on.

-----------

Back in his office, Dan was furious at how distracted he was as he attempted paper grading. What the fuck is her problem anyway? She's in university, for fuck's sake, and a fairly expensive one. His mind kept shifting back to Katy's front row shenanigans an hour earlier.

She's clearly managing good grades without trying. So why is she such a... Dan sighed to himself. That... bitch... had been trying to give him an erection in front of the whole goddam class. Sadistic! Too far! He shifted in his seat, just thinking about her purposeful position in the front row. No, no, no. You can't think about students that way. Even if they're clearly fucking with you.

Dan picked up the next assignment in the pile. Katy's. He set it to the side. It would be good enough, he already knew. He wouldn't have the opportunity to fail her yet.

"Professor Dan?" Dan jumped in his seat as he looked up. Oh right. Office hours.

"Hey Kenny, come in."

Dan really did enjoy teaching. And meeting with the students was usually a great aspect of it, getting to really discuss the material one-on-one was where he saw most students shine. Everyone knew Professor Dan held more office hours than most other professors, and his psych classes were pretty popular. To be honest, he reveled in it. Teaching... was his life. He just didn't have time - or, well, made himself not have time - for anything outside it. And teaching three separate courses a semester - a total of 80 students, give or take - was how he managed to make that happen.

But now, he half-heartedly watched Kenny take a seat in front of his desk. As Kenny droned on about his mid-semester research project, Dan found himself looking past Kenny at his door.

What if she shows up to office hours? In two semesters of taking his courses, she'd never done it. They'd never communicated outside class. That's how for granted she took all of it. That in itself was maddening, but if she showed up here... Dan wasn't sure how much of that he could actually take.

He realized Kenny had stopped talking. "Uh, yes, Kenny - I really like the idea, you should go for it. Listen, I gotta get to a meeting - um - a Zoom meeting - so I need you to go, but I love the enthusiasm..." Dan started to stand, to indicate to Kenny it was time to go, but thought better of it. Kenny looked back at him confused, but thankfully took the hint and made his way out the door.

Dan closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. Fuck. This is next-level obnoxious student quota.

He opened his eyes, half expecting to see Katy at his door. When she wasn't, he sighed in relief, his mind combatting the vision of her in that skirt in the office door frame, a vision both terrifying and electrifying.

---

"Dude, that was too far." Mika strode up to Katy in the hall and gently slapped her ass. "You can't keep doing that to Profesor Dan, it's cruel." Katy looked at her friend and the pair burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, Mika, he is so fucking pathetic. It's too easy."

"Katy... c'mon. He's a nice guy. Find some upperclassman to torture within your age range."

"Yeah, yeah. I guess I should pick on people my own size, right?"

Mika gave her a thumbs up and disappeared into her next class. Katy realized she had an hour before hers. Mika is right, I'm being kind of a dick. She wondered why she was such an asshole sometimes. Boredom? Katy continued down the hall and realized she was a few doors away from the Psych department. Dan's office was next door to her favorite psych professor, Professor Silver, the one she actually wanted to study with but hadn't made the cut into her course this semester. Her classes were always packed, waiting lists after registration week. It was the one course, the one professor Katy really wanted to take on before graduation, and she hadn't managed to make it in her previous four semesters at the university.

Katy sighed. Ok, ok.

She stepped forward to Professor Dan's door and nudged it ajar. She saw through the crack that he was at his desk, grading papers. He looked focused, and for a second Katy felt bad about disturbing him in this context. She'd never visited him in office hours before; she'd never even spoken to him one on one before or after class or anywhere not surrounded by fellow students. Suddenly, she felt a little self conscious. Maybe she had been too much of a bully with this guy. To satisfy her boredom? Instinctively, she snapped her gum; Dan looked up.

"Yes? It's open."

Katy cursed under her breath.

"Um. Hi." She gingerly opened the door, but stayed over the threshold.

"Oh. Katy." She watched him look up and slowly close his laptop. "There are no other students here and we're not in a lecture hall. So I'm a bit confused - how exactly can I help you?"

Ugh. Why is he making this hard?

"I, um. I just wanted to say..." She looked up at him from the doorway of his office, meeting his eyes. They were kind eyes, and it made her feel worse. "I... I have to go."

Katy bolted down the hall.

----

What the fuck was that. Dan exhaled and ran his hand through his hair. It definitely wasn't a prank or one of her bitchy moves - she seemed nervous as hell. Is that all it takes to disarm a bully? A little one-on-one? Dan smiled. Sure, that was it. She was just intimidated by him. Well, class will be more interesting tomorrow.

----

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Dan watched the minute hand settle on the top of the clock face. He scanned the packed lecture hall.

9:00am. Well, she's late again.

And why am I even thinking about this one student?!

He faced his class and started his lecture. The seat in the front row was empty. Every few minutes Dan found himself glancing over at it, revisiting the image of Katy so immaturely taunting him in his line of vision. With every moment of distraction, he felt himself get heated; speak faster, grow impatient with his lecture.

That brat. She's in my head.

And how dare she not even show up today!

At 9:43, Dan uncharacteristically ended his lecture early, and dashed out the hall to the confusion of his students.

-----

"Katy. You cannot be serious." Katy laughed as she watched Mika look her up and down, her mouth gaping open.

"Katy! It's just..." her friend giggled, "violently disrespectful at this point!"

Katy winked and smoothed her skirt. Then she looked down and unbuttoned another button on her Oxford shirt, and straightened her black blazer.

"What? I look so... professional. Isn't this just what my professor wants from me?" She gave Mika an innocent look.

"You are bad. He should kick your ass."

"Pfft. Whatever. I could kick his ass."

Katy unzipped her backpack and took out a pair of glasses. She pinned up her hair and let some strands fall loose.

"You're not even the least bit subtle, 1998 Britney Spears." Mika picked up her bag. "I gotta go. If you get in trouble, don't come crying back to me."

Katy watched her friend go and looked at the clock. Oh good. If I head over now I'll be early.

-----

Dan walked down the aisle of the lecture hall, pleased to see the rows of students occupied. At the front, he dropped his bag and looked up, ready to scan for his missing delinquent.

Holy fuck.

When his eyes met hers, she stared back. Her hair was barely staying pinned up. Too many open buttons on that shirt; from his angle he could see the soft edge of a neon pink bra. Her tight blazer wasn't enough to cancel the effect of that peekaboo shirt; in fact, it made it worse. Even with her eyes on his every move, he found himself glancing lower... her legs crossed under the desk, that same signature Catholic mini skirt teasing the upper half of her thighs.

Holy fuck.

And glasses? As if it's all serious? Really? Fuck you too, Katy.

Dan raised his eyes to the rest of the waiting class. "Kenny! Is Kenny here?" He saw the hand go up towards the back.

"Good. Kenny, why don't you get up here and share with the class your, uh, research insight from the other day."

While Kenny took his place at the front, Dan headed behind a castaway lectern at the far left of the room, cursing the obnoxious student quota, cursing Katy and her professional protest, cursing his massive erection he was so desperate to hide.

-----

You can't hide behind that lectern for all 45 minutes, pervert. Katy grinned as she watched Dan squirm to the sound of Kenny's stupid research insights. Uh huh. Use your student as a human shield. But I know what you're hiding.

Katy discovered a new game while Dan hid in the corner of the room. Every time he looked back at the clock, he had a habit of glancing down towards the front row; when he did, Katy was ready to cross and uncross her legs. Pavlov's fucking dog. How's that for psychology?

By 9:45, she had done it no less than six times. Feeling victorious as Dan dismissed the class, she smirked and collected her things. She stood up to pack her bag, and felt someone come up behind her. Katy froze.

"You'll see me after class," Dan's warm whisper in her ear sent a shiver down her body. "Office hours start in 20 minutes. I trust you know how to find my office."

Katy didn't dare look up. Slowly, she took off the glasses while still feeling his towering presence behind her.

"Oh no, by all means. Keep your 'glasses' on," Dan taunted her, holding out his hand and nudging hers back up to her face. "I don't want you to miss anything I'm going to show you."

Katy watched him put his bag over his shoulder and walk out the lecture hall. Still frozen in place, she realized she was the last person left in the room.

Fuck.

-----

"Professor."

Dan turned as he walked through the psych department. He felt his cheeks get hot as he registered the voice of his colleague and office neighbor. "Professor Silver. How are you?"

"I'm fine." He watched her look him up and down while they walked. Her dark hair was loose, swaying with every step she took; her heels clacking against the tiled floor.

"You seem... worked up?"

"I... uh... it's nothing." He smiled weakly at her. "Just a classically tough student I'm trying to get through to."

Professor Silver smiled. "Sure. Your 'obnoxious student quota.'" She put a hand on Dan's shoulder and squeezed. He took her cue and stopped walking, facing her in the hall.

"Take it from me. I've dealt with plenty of these types over the years." She put her other hand on his second shoulder and Dan thought he might melt as her eyes, a piercing blue, met his.

She continued, "You need to put - her? Him?" She searched his face as she replied - "right, her - just put her in her place before it gets worse. Some of these brats need discipline where no one has given it to them before."

Dan shuddered. It seemed easy enough for her to say... she had an aura of authority that made even him feel shy... and he'd been teaching here two years longer than her.

"Thanks. I'll... figure it out."

Dan smiled and hurried the rest of the way to his office.

-----

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Katy paced across the empty women's bathroom. What the hell do I now? Can he even get me in trouble for this? Her mind was racing. She hadn't done anything illegal, just inappropriate. Right? After all, this was a university... not a high school...

Could he fail her for this? No way... but, it slowly dawned on her, he could kick me out of his class. Then I lose my easy grade and fall behind a semester. Ughhhh!

Katy leaned against the sink and looked in the mirror. Ok. This is fine. I'm a paying student - I work my ass off to pay this tuition. I have rights. Right? I'm just a young adult anyway. I don't know anything about anything. I'm here to learn after all.

He's... he's the problem.

He's being a bad teacher.

Katie stood up and smoothed her skirt, and fixed the clip in her hair, pulling it back tighter and more organized.

That's right. He's the one who should be freaked out.

Half-believing herself, Katy left the bathroom and headed for the psych department.

------

The door to Dan's office was ajar. Katy knocked anyway.

"Come in."

Katy swallowed and slipped through the door. Dan's office was roomy somehow. His desk was at the back of the room, a shelf full of books behind him. Two chairs were parked at the other side of his desk for students. He had some diplomas and photos hanging around the walls on either side; Katy would bet anything the photos were ones he took himself. A beach, a mountain landscape.

There was a small, tattered loveseat to one side, below a window (Probably where he sleeps when he doesn't go home? Those were the rumors, anyway).

Katy hesitated after familiarizing herself with the office.

"Sit down, Katy. Stop wasting my time. You'd already know the office if you had ever bothered to visit before."

Katy took one of the seats across the desk and set her bag down beside it. Dan's tone was surprising; she had never heard him speak with such authority before. Definitely reserved for discipline, no way he speaks like this in regular office hours.

He leaned across the desk, forcing her to make eye contact with him. Katy squirmed. Dan sighed.

"What the fuck, Katy?" His whisper was aggressive. It made Katy want to shrink back in her seat, but she held onto her mantra from the bathroom mirror - He's being a bad teacher - and made herself sit straighter.

"I asked you a question. What the fuck are you trying to do?"

Feeling disarmed, Katy found herself unable to speak. She reached for a pen on the desk and took it between two fingers, softly running them up and down the pen's length in an effort to keep her composure. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dan's eyes flicker toward the movement of her fingers.

"I swear to god, Katy. Stop fingering that goddamned pen right now."

Katy pulled her hand away and set it in her lap. She cleared her throat.

"You -" she looked up, her eyes meeting his. "You're a bad teacher."

She watched Dan recoil at her words and looked down at her hands, using all her energy to keep from smiling.

It was silent in the room for way too long.

Katy dared to look up.

Dan was glaring at her.

To Katy's surprise, something stirred in her. His arms were tense, with muscles bulging as he aggressively gripped the edge of the desk, he seemed to be holding himself back. His chest was heavy with his controlled, deep breathing, underneath the rising and falling fabric of his button down shirt. Katy dared to meet his eyes. There was an aggression she had never seen there before. Dan was still glaring, but his vision had wandered, spacy, like he was no longer present. He had the aura of a man desperate to keep his composure but equally fired up to do something unthinkable.

She realized what had been stirring in her; it became clear as Katy felt a rush of wetness pooling between her thighs, warmth radiating suddenly throughout her crotch. She felt cowed before him, a sudden puddle with him positioned as if ready to pounce.

"I - I -" she stammered. "I'm sorry." Her own words betrayed her as she felt the tingling between her legs intensify. She shifted in her seat. "Too far-"