Chapter 14: The Office Hour

Ella Lattone's POV

I sighed as I was looking at the slides. It was too much information that I was not familiar with but thanks to the introduction that I have last week since the start of the semester, I can say that I was liking this kind of information. It was fresh and new.

I smiled as I was looking at the professor who was happy to give so much more information on the slides. I tried to keep up and I know that I have to read even more after this. Here goes my freedom but at least I don't have to think about anything.

"Okay, there will be a quiz next week and I hope that you will be using all the resources that are available at your convenience. You can email me or Cam for any questions that you might have. Have a good weekend everyone," Max said as he was smiling around the class. Cam, no Hayes, was going up to talk with him about something. I don't think it would be about the quiz right?

Then, an idea was forming inside my head as I saw that Cam, no Hayes, was smiling at Max and they were laughing before I have to get out of here for another class will take place here. I sighed as I was looking around.

I think I need to confront Hayes after all.

He will have office hours today and I hope that there will be no one to take advantage of the office hour. It was the start of the semester. No one will be rushing toward the TAs to get some insight on how to answer the exam.

I sighed before I was looking at Hayes and then I decided that I will be doing the office hour after all.

I was waiting outside the office after lunching with Daisy. She was talking about a certain someone, Windell, that he was being obnoxious in the lab as they were arguing about what the composition of the meteorite. I rolled my eyes.

Isn't that has been established by other people? Maybe it was a new kind of meteorite that I don't know about. They were doing a planetary experiment after all.

I was waiting outside the room when I saw Hayes was walking with Windell. The peas in a pod. It seems that they were inseparable. I wondered what was their relationship with each other.

I mean, maybe it's familial or friendship. Not Eros love perhaps.

'But you don't know that,' my mind said as I was looking at them approaching before Windell nudged Hayes toward me. He turned to look at me and his green orbs were gleaming with delight.

"Ella, what a surprise to see you here. Do you want to talk to someone or?"

"I came here to talk with you," I said honestly before his eyebrows shot up. I was looking at Hayes before Windell was moving but I don't know what he was doing after all. Hayes turned to his friend before he gestured me to the office.

"Excuse me, but I think I have somewhere else to be," Windell said before Hayes was grimacing. I don't know why but I will try to shake that off.

"After you," I said as I was urging him to unlock the doo. I did not have been called for my TA position but I hoped they will call in now. I have been waiting here forever and I was getting restless.

"Come on in," he said as he was pushing the door opened and I was looking at the office. It has a few tables and I was looking at them. They have a stack of papers and there were maps everywhere. Not the usual kind, it has some seismic, topographic, and all that maps.

The one that geologists or scientists of the earth used.

"So, what are you asking me?" He asked as I was looking at his eyebrows. I cannot look into his eyes and felt nothing. I sighed.

"It's about the quiz next week," I said before Hayes arched his eyebrow. I bit my lower lips.

"I don't get it in the classroom and I hope that you might help me with it. I supposed you don't have any papers on the last quiz to prepare me, do you?" I asked him as he was scratching his jaw that was covered with today's stubble.

"Hmm, let me check," he said before he was moving gracefully. It was nice to see at his backside before I moved my eyes away from there. It was always not a good sign if you have feelings for your TA.

"Ah! Here we are. I think this is from a few years back and I don't think Max will be using this for the quiz next week," he said as he was handing me the papers. I took it and I saw the intricate question that I know my head will be spinning if I spend my time alone on these papers.

I turned to look at Hayes as he was looking at me.

"Hayes, will you help me?" I asked him before I realized that I was using his surname. He arched his eyebrows, surprised to know that I will be so formal with him.

"You know you can call me Cam, right? You don't have to be so formal, Ella," he said as he was chuckling at me.

"Come on, let's hear it," he said. I shot my eyebrows, did not understand his instruction.

"My name. You will say it now and I want to hear it," he said before he was smiling at me. I was opening my mouth to protest before I closed it again. It's just his name. Nothing serious like having sex with him.

Woah, where did that come from?

"I'm waiting," he said as I sighed before I took a deep breath.

"Cameron," I said his full name before he laughed.

"Cam, just Cam but if you want to call me that, I will not hold it against you," he said before he was looking at the paper.

"Shall we tackle this paper then?" He held out the paper before I was grinning at him.

"I thought you never ask," I said before we spent his office hour to go over the paper.

Cameron Hayes' POV

"So, here, you might want to describe the ideal explanation of what would happen to the volcano. Will it blast intrusively or extrusive? What about the mineral composition of the magma after that and before it got out of the volcano and such," I said as I was looking at Ella who was nodding in understanding.

"I see, so that's why I don't get the marks from the mock quiz that I answered and sent it to Max. He said that I need to make sure that I explain it enough. Now I got the point on that," she said as she was making some notes. I looked at her before her blonde mane was moving in waves.

I was so wanted to touch it.

I cleared my throat before Ella was looking at me with her big blue eyes. Now I wanted to look into that eyes forever before my gaze dropped to her lips. I closed my eyes immediately before I was looking away.

"That should do it, I think. You got all the basic for the quiz and I think you will do splendidly," I said as I was smiling at her. She was grinning before she was making a few notes on the paper and I was not ready to let her leave yet.

Wait, what?

Ella was ready to move out of the office and before I know it, I was stopping her as I was grabbing her arm and turned her around to see me. She was surprised before her blue orbs were staring at me.

"Yes?" She asked as I was gripping her arm. She looked at it before I released it, realizing that I was holding her for too long.

"Look, I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere with me?" I asked as I was looking at her. Double surprise. She blinked at me.

"What do you mean? And please tell me the truth, Cameron. I know you don't ask me out so why don't we cut to the chase?" She asked me as she was arching her eyebrow at me. I sighed before I was closing my eyes and I took a deep breath.

"My family was making a family reunion and I wanted you to pretend to be my girlfriend because I don't want my mother to plot behind my back to shove girls in front of me. Happy now?" I asked as I opened my eyes to see that Ella was smiling at me.

"Wasn't that so bad?" She said as she was pretending to be thinking. God damn it, woman, just say yes already.

"What is it for me?" She asked as she was looking at me. I blinked a few times at her.

"If I agreed to go with you, what would I get in return? Playing with you, Cameron, it was always given and take. You take what I have and you will have to give me something to replace it," she said before my mind was running all possibilities. Then, I spurred out the nonsense.

"Have dinner with me then,"

"What?" Ella asked me as she was blinking at me.

"I never had anyone to go to dinner with so it would be like you were the only one that ever done it with me. Take it or leave it, Ella cause the deal only stands today," I said as I know she was making some pros and cons in her head. I think I know how she thinks too much. She looked at me before she was biting her lower lips. Then, she made a decision.

"Deal but you have to give my word that you will never, EVER, go on a dinner date again," she said as she was holding her hand out. I grinned at her.

"Don't worry, I doubt people will ask me and if they did, I will have to turn it down anyway," I said as I was shaking her hand.

Because the only person that I enjoy bullying was you.