I lean my head to my palm as I watch Melody standing across from me with her arms crossed, the coffee table being the only thing between us.

"And yeah that's what it happened." I shrug, waiting for her response.

It's odd of her to stay so quiet after hearing such juicy gossip. It's not like you get to see your professor fighting with his girlfriend, or whatever that she was, every day. Yet Melody squints and eyes me suspiciously.

"Is this professor of yours old?"

My eyes widen as I back away. "What does his age have anything to do with all the stuff I just told you!"

"I don't know," she drawls and sits on the edge of our TV table. "So?"

I study my nails because I might have accidentally forgotten to mention that Wright is around my brother's age. He has to be if they were classmates, right?

"I mean, he has a Ph.D. so obviously he's older than me."

"Hey, you know I didn't mean it like that. What's his full name?"

My gaze jumps to her. I shake my head and my curls fall over my shoulder. "No way in hell am I telling you that." She scrutinizes me and I hold up my hands in defeat. "Fine! Jeez." I straighten myself and sit cross-legged on the couch. "He's not old, grey, and wrinkly if that's what you're asking." I drum my fingers on my knee.

"Are you sure you're not getting a tad bit obsessed with him?" She tilts her head to one side, a single strand of raven-colored frizzy hair hangs next to her face.

I gasp, "What!"

"I'm serious," she stands tall and makes her way to our little kitchen. With her back facing me she goes on. "Just think about it, ever since you've solved that problem, you've been borderline obsessed with him."

I sit on the armrest of the sofa to be able to see her as she moves around the kitchen gathering the ingredients for preparing our dinner.

"He's all you think and talk about." She pauses and turns to me, a carrot in her hand. "Wanna know my opinion, hanging out with Brian will do you good. In fact, you should spend more time with him, it'll get your mind off of these things."

I push my hair behind my ear. "I told you I don't want to do the whole dating thing right now."

"Take it slow, didn't you say he's a nice guy?" she asks and places the carrot on the cabinet. Picking up a knife she starts chopping it.

I lift a single shoulder and look around the house. "He's a bit too nice," I mumble.

She laughs and glances at me. "What's it with you and hanging out with jerks."

A breathy laugh escapes from me as I hold my finger up. "It's not that. It's just, I don't do good boys. Bad boys are more my type." I grin and she giggles.

"You can try doing a good boy, it might change your mind." She air quotes 'doing' and I roll my eyes playfully.

As Melody empties the carrots in a pot I glance at the window.

"At least a good guy won't break up with you on the morning of your midterm in front of your apartment's building, in the middle of the street," she mutters.

I decide to ignore her comment and jump to my feet. "I'm not being obsessive over Wright, it's just I really need to publish the solution under my name."

She looks up from the packet of noodles in her hand. I can see the engines turning in her head, forming an answer so I continue, "It's not just about the eleven grand. It'll validify me in the mathematicians' society. I'll save myself from drowning in student debt when I go after a higher degree because it has to land me a scholarship. And let's be honest, who won't give a job to me with a freaking medal in maths shining in my resume?" I arch an eyebrow and plant my palms on my hips. "Exactly! No one. This will fix everything."

She sighs. "I don't know Rae, what if it doesn't?"

I shake my head and pace up and down the small area. "It has to, it will."

I peer outside the window, at the lights slithering through our neighbors' windows.

At that peaceful moment, suddenly I remember today Melody was going to meet a publisher or something for the novel she's been writing ever since she moved into my flat. I got so caught up with everything it slipped my mind. I spin on my heels.

"How did your meeting go?"

Her head snaps up and her brow furrows. "Rejected."

I cover the small distance and stand on the other side of the cabinet gazing at her. "Why!"

"Apparently it wasn't good enough, pointed out a bunch of stuff, the usual. The overall point was, the manuscript is not worth investing," she says, keeping her head down, eyes fixed on the pot she's stirring, trying to maintain an indifferent posture.

"What bullshit, I'm sure it is, they're just a bunch of idiots for not recognizing your talent."

A side of her mouth curls up. "You haven't even read it yet."

"Because you don't let me and it doesn't matter, I've seen you working on it, and without even reading the novel, I can tell it's a masterpiece."

That cracks a smile on her face. "Thanks."

"You know, I can always be your first reader." I wiggle my eyebrows and she giggles shaking her head.

"You don't know anything about literature."

"But it doesn't mean I haven't read anything." I plant my hands on the cabinet.

"Oh have you? I thought you used to spend all your spare time doing rich kid stuff."

I huff playfully, "Well yeah, that too, but alongside that, I used to read from time to time."

She laughs, "Sure."

I gaze at the window again, recalling the times I used to spend my holidays with Everly and Olivia. Going out on exotic dates with Alex, trying everything that the world had to offer, anything that could've been afforded by money.

Eventually, the dinner gets ready and we eat together as she fills me in with the events filling her day.

Near midnight, we head to our bedrooms, I shut the door behind me and survey my bed, contemplating if I should sleep or not. With a sigh, I walk past the bed and sit behind my study desk, opening my notes filled with scribbles of a solution for the Reimann surface problem.

Professor Wright's face pops up in my head, the way a corner of his mouth lifts up but never turns to a smile, along with a single arched eyebrow breaking him out of his usually stern face.

I blink multiple times as I catch myself smiling, and shove away the mental image.

Cursing under my breath, I roll my eyes. Me? Obsessed with Wright? Impossible.

With that being settled, I continue working on the problem, perfecting my solution.

∞ ∞ ∞

Well, what do you guys think? Is she starting to get obsessed with our professor? =))) or maybe the solution? xD

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you so much for reading, don't forget to tell me your thoughts and vote! =)

Okay, one more thing I need to say is, so my plan was/is to complete this story before my exams, which starts on 5th July and ends on 15th July (because it's obvious I won't be able to update during that time and I really don't want to put this book on hold for 10-15 days). But the problem is, while I was planning this story, Melody's life and Brian were not a part of it, but now they are... and now I think I won't be able to wrap it up before my exams >_<

So, obviously I'll be continuing the daily updates, but if I don't get the chance to write chapters ahead of time and prepare them beforehand, there is a good chance, this story won't be updated during my exams... so yeah, I apologise from now if that happens.

Well, that's it guys, the next update is tomorrow and all I can say is, prepare yourself 'cause drama is coming! ^^

Stay safe, lots of love, happy reading! <3