I think this is what they called a parallel.

"Hooooly shit, I got so wasted last night at that kegger. I just threw up, like, everything."

I watched as my roommate stumbled back to her bed from the bathroom with a still half-boned face, collapsing into her bed as she told the tales of her wild adventures last night. Meanwhile, I sat across from her, zipping up my boots, thanking my lucky stars I hadn't gone to that kegger.

"You should've been there, Cassy," She blurted out, grabbing her covers and throwing them over her half-naked body, getting ready to sleep as I was getting ready to leave. "You would've loved it. There were so many hot guys."

I glared dryly at my roommate, but I didn't think she noticed. She had already closed her eyes and was drifting off to sleep. Thank God.

Finishing up with my boots, I grabbed my bag and my jacket and then ventured out the door, leaving behind my sleeping roommate whom no doubt would sleep right through her alarm and miss her class in four hours. Maybe I should've cared, but I just didn't. I wasn't her mommy. I wasn't even sure I was her friend. Or if I wanted to be.

Two months into college, and I had barely survived living with a roommate—Ashley as her name was—who constantly tried to drag me along to parties and frat houses and even a sorority once, but I had declined every time. I thought college would be right up my alley with people my own age, there to learn and to still have a good time, although with the impending doom of failing our classes hanging above us.

But as it turned out, college life wasn't my cup of tea after all.

For two months, I had been miserable, fighting my way through my classes and watching my grades drop with every assignment, while dealing with a roommate I really hated, and yet I pushed on, because if I didn't...

My whole summer would've been all for nothing.

Pressing my lips together as the memories of last summer popped into my mind, I suppressed them and moved on. Instead, I made it to my bike and unlocked it, jumping on and peddling down the street to get to my class in time.

It was for the best, I reminded myself.

After spending an entire summer getting privately tutored by one of the world's most renowned (and people-shy) mathematicians, Harry Devon, I had ended up learning more than I needed. Not just about math, but also about life, and in this case, about how sometimes, even though you thought you had found the right thing for you... it wasn't always meant to be.

And sadly, that also applied to my current situation.

College hadn't been what I expected, but I told myself it was only for a few years, then it was on to another chapter of my life. My classes were tough and the professors were even tougher with their grading, but in the end it would all be worth it. Now more than ever, I felt lucky to have gotten the help I had gotten. If it hadn't been for his help...

There it was again.

Forcing my mind to other thoughts when the pain resurfaced and started clawing at my heart, I stepped in my pedals and shivered out a cold breath that turned white in the frosty morning air.

Summer had long ago ended and we were well on our way into autumn. The leaves had turned brown and red, and the temperatures had chilled down to below freeze point in the mornings and evenings. And yet, I had stubbornly put on my stockings and boots this morning instead of pants, clinging to the memory of warmer days.

Braking up harshly all of a sudden, my mouth dropped to the ground and my bike nearly skidded along the pavement as I rounded the corner of the street and made it to the science building.

Or at least what used to be the science building.

In a large cloud of smoke, surrounded by six fire trucks, ambulances and a dozen police cars, the science building on the far part of campus was in a mayhem. Students were hoarding around the blocked off perimeter and were taking pictures and videos at what appeared to be the remnants of a severe fire.

– The science building had burnt down.

"Oh, my God," I got off my bike and started pulling it up to the nearest crowd where a policeman was talking to some students. I walked closer to hear what had happened.

"...it was like, everywhere when I got here last night, and the flames had already spread to the main building," One student with dreadlocks said. He looked horrified up at the building as the policeman wrote down his statement with a serious face.

"And did you see anyone enter or leave the building around this time?" The policeman questioned.

"Nah, man. Just a bunch of other students screaming and shit," He shook his head and ran a hand down his neck. "Where are we gonna have class now? I mean... are they like... canceled?"

I let the words sink in and realized what had happened. Somehow, the school had caught on fire last night, and even though it seemed to be almost completely contained and put out by now, the fire had taken down a large chunk of the science building. A few stories had collapsed and the rest was just black and charred with soot.

I couldn't believe I had slept through all of it. The howl of the fire trucks had to have rolled right past our dorms, just a few blocks down the street.

Then again, with my roommate's busy party schedule and late home-comings, I had grown a habit of sleeping with earplugs and sleep masks. That might've been why I hadn't heard anything.

Now, looking up at the burnt-down building, I wondered the exact same thing that the dreadlocks guy had wondered; Where were we going to have our classes?

This coming month of November, the Mississauga campus was hosting a science convention, thankfully on the other side of the building where the fire seemed to not have spread to, but that meant that the science building and pretty much the rest of the campus was packed pretty tight with conferences, classes and other events for the rest of the whole month. Spokespeople from all around the world were meeting up here to teach, lecture and learn about all things science, right from physics, biology, chemistry and yes, even math. In other words, all free classrooms had to be thoroughly booked, so that provoked the question of what us students were going to do about our classes.

"Attention, everyone!" A loud, amplified voice suddenly spoke with a shriek from the grass, a couple of yards away. Everyone, including myself, turned towards the sound and found a policeman with a megaphone standing surrounded by a crowd. "Can I have everyone's attention please? We need everyone to return to their dorms and await further notice about the course of your classes! For now, we need you to vacate the premise and let the firemen do their job. If anyone has any information regarding the fire, we ask you to please report it in over at the station. Thank you very much for your cooperation!"

I exhaled loudly and looked around as everyone begrudgingly left the interesting scene and started heading back to their dorms. I myself grabbed my bike and started trudging back to my dorm, deep in thought, but mostly frustration.

Of course I was distraught about the fact that the campus had burnt down, but I was more frustrated about the major problem it would put in my daily routine. Maybe that was selfish, but it had taken me two months to find a rhythm that kept me sufficiently busy enough without having too many breaks to think about what I wasn't supposed to be thinking about. Or more specifically, who.

But now, this fire would surely mean cancellations of classes, and that meant time left to spare. Most of the students would probably enjoy that, but not me.

I needed the distractions.

Biking back to my dorm, I came back to my dorm mate lying exactly where I left her, now only snoring not-so-quietly against her pillow. I walked right past her and slumped down at my desk, running a tired hand through my hair.

There was nothing to do but wait now. The school board members would have to meet up and come up with a solution for its students, and until then, there was nothing I could do.

Sighing, I therefore stood up and walked over to my own bed before dropping into it, much like my dorm mate.

– For once, it appeared she had actually gotten the right idea.

~~~

It took about a week for the board to make all the new arrangements come through.

Saturday, we all got informed that as of Monday, we were set to have our first classes at the St. George Campus downtown, and due to unfortunate circumstances, would be getting a few new teachers since our old professors' schedules would clash with the conferences here, as some were hooked up for lectures during the medical conference that was set this month. To avoid too much overlapping and chaos, they decided that for the three months we were to have our classes at the St. George Campus, we would keep with the new substitute professors over there until we came back. In the meantime, we would all get covered for the train fare back and forth – which was about the best news in all of this mess.

So by Monday, I was following the crowd as we arrived at St. George Campus and were met by a kind board member who was going to show us to our respective classrooms. The campus was enormous and we all got our maps of the place, but by the end of it, I was every bit as lost as the rest of them. Thankfully, the board member, Mrs Hampfort (I think I caught her name was), guided all of the students to their first class for the day, and for me, it was my least favorite class; Calculus 2230.

Normally, med students didn't have to take math, but as an undergrad student aiming for a bachelor degree in science to get into a medical program, it would look good if one took least one course of math – although it didn't look too bad to have more than one on your transcripts.

As for me; the quicker I got done with math, the better.

"Right in here," Mrs Hampfort smiled and gestured into a classroom that was placed in the middle of a long hallway filled with posters and trophies. "Go take your seats. Your professor will be here shortly to welcome you all and tell you everything you need to know. If you have any questions, don't be shy to ask them."

I tuned out Mrs Hampfort's words and instead walked in with the stream of other students who went for the best seats. I grabbed one in the back and slumped tiredly into my chair, finding my notebooks and my pens. It felt like the fucking 90s, sitting there with a rubber eraser while the rest of the class got out their iPads and laptops; Equipment I couldn't afford. In a way, I hadn't minded the retro, though. At least not until my hand started cramping mid-class. So far, I had made due using the campus computers in the library and/or borrowing my roommate's in between classes to write up my assignments. I knew it probably wouldn't last me in the long while, but until I could afford one, it would have to make due.

I was deep into my doodles, ignoring everyone's chatter around me, when the door to the classroom finally opened.

Everyone looked up, and I heard the girls next to me gasp as the professor stepped inside, carrying a leather bag and a stack of papers in his hand that looked scarily much like a pop quiz.

But whereas everyone held their breaths as they awaited their new professor's first words, my breath got stuck in my throat and nearly went down the wrong pipe as I laid eyes upon him.

Him. The last man I expected to ever see in a classroom.

Harry fucking Devon.

• • •

I guess the blurb kind of spoiled that one.