That very afternoon, at the School of Architecture in Valle Giulia, Flavia and Alessia were sitting together with their classmates behind the large drafting tables of classroom 16, listening to the introductory speech by the new Design professor.

She had introduced herself as Serena Pinzini, a piece of information that was a mere formality for all the students in the course who had already read her curriculum on the faculty website. After the surprise of learning that she had been appointed a full professor, the students were even more shocked to see that the woman looked no older than forty. By the standards they were used to, she would be young even for an associate professor. But more than anything, a university classroom was the last place where they expected to see a woman with her appearance and demeanor.

«Wow, she's so young, I wonder how she got the chair!» Flavia muttered.

«I know how she got it; she got something else too,» Alessia insinuated.

«Come on, don't jump to conclusions... maybe she ha skills.»

«No doubt, I know the type of skills she has! Look at those tits... and those huge lips...»

«She doesn't have big lips...» Flavia retorted. While she might appreciate the aesthetics of the new professor, she also understood the reasons for her classmate's envy and hostility.

«And the tits?» Alessia whispered again.

«It's not her fault she has them like that, right?»

«Who knows, I say she bought them. How daring to go around like that!»

«What do you expect, she can't hide them, can she?»

«Sure she can, she could wear a baggy sweater, or a big shirt, instead of that...»

«...that entirely subdued sweater with a jacket and the lab coat over it?»

«She could button up the coat.»

«Have you ever seen a professor button it up?»

«How could Streppa leave us with this cow!»

Flavia frowned and saw the genuine disappointment on Alessia's face. Then she looked at Professor Pinzini, then back at Alessia, and had the distinct impression that apart from a fifteen-year age gap and academic rank, the difference between the two was really slight. Same height, same proportions — although the professor filled out a sweater more voluptuously than Alessia could, but not by much — same panther-like movements under an overdose of psychotropic drugs, and the same voice of a quail that had just guzzled a barrel of honey.

However, Flavia had to admit that the content of the professor's presentation had not only been more subdued than the sweater she wore but was also appropriate, timely, and concise.

Serena Pinzini further sunk Alessia's heart by explaining how important physical models were for her: «The technology of the analog is still the most advanced available for storing and processing concepts,» she asserted.

Flavia grimaced and took advantage of the general murmur: «What a load of crap...» she commented in a whisper, but saw the teacher piercing her right away with a gaze so stern it completely changed her mind about those panther-blue eyes.

«She couldn't have heard me!» she whispered again, astonished and incredulous.

«You're crazy? Of course not...» Alessia reassured her.

«But... did you see how she looked at me?»

«No way, you imagined it; she was annoyed with the class.»

After calling for silence and adding a couple of books to read during the course, Serena Pinzini began walking among the various projects.

Flavia had been surprised to recognize the books mentioned by the professor. She kept an eye on her until she finally approached her and Alessia to check their work.

«There's something I need to discuss with you, Miss Felicetta...» said the teacher.

«Yes, of course,» Flavia agreed without hesitation. Moved by a cautionary politeness, she didn't know what to expect from a teacher she found competent and precise on one hand, but retrogressive and averse to new things on the other. «What is it about, Professor?»

«This course requires mandatory attendance, as you surely know,» she said in a tone that Flavia found unpleasantly high pitched and saccharine. «Yet, I noticed on the attendance sheet that you've had many absences.»

«I had an arrangement with Professor Streppa who allowed me to miss some December classes, on the condition of showing him more work during the redesign,» Flavia explained.

«That's an issue... unfortunately, I cannot make that concession. I have to ask you to sort it out differently with me.»

Alessia was frozen with tension, as if convinced that wide eyes and complete immobility made her immune to misfortune. She silently listened to the conversation, striving not to show signs of life.

Flavia, on the other hand, appreciated the new professor's effort to be cordial and remained composed. «And what would you like to propose to me?» she asked calmly.

«I need you to come by my office at least once a week to review the basic construction lessons. I assume it won't be difficult for you to arrange to meet with me.»

Faced with the professor's forced smile, Flavia noticed that she hadn't been given any choice. Behind the polite manners with which the teacher had spoken to her, there had been no negotiation. Serena Pinzini had laid down her terms without leaving room for appeal and had managed to do so, from beginning to end, with impeccable situational kindness.

Unable to avoid giving the impression that she was asking for a favor, Flavia expressed her willingness to the professor. With the titles of the two books proposed to her just moments ago swirling in her head, she hesitated on the embers of curiosity as she saw the teacher about to turn and move on to the nearest group of students.

«Why specifically those two texts?» she hurriedly asked her.

Smiling at her like a trade show hostess, the teacher paused in front of her to allow her to elaborate.

«I am referring to the supplementary books you've assigned us.»

Serena Pinzini gave a self-satisfied smile. «In this course, I want you to learn how to use your imagination, to develop creative thinking,» she replied with a demeanor of a patient primary school teacher. «Those books are very useful in showing you how to do it.»

When the voluptuous teacher turned away, Flavia elbowed Alessia, who was still in a state of suspended animation. «Hey, Ale, you can breathe now!»

«Ouch, I almost had a heart attack!» she sighed. «What were you thinking asking her that?»

«We're in an Architecture course, do you think it's normal for us to read Rodari and Calvino?»

Flavia remembered perfectly the contents of The Grammar of Fantasy and Invisible Cities, received as gifts during her first Christmas in Claudia's life. She mulled over thoughts that were six years old for a moment, then told herself that, as far as imagination and creativity were concerned, reality had taught her more than Pinzini could ever conceive. As for Flavio, she thought he still had more than a little to learn in that regard.