“Professor Hayes… are you sure you have the
right person?” I asked cautiously. Even though
the Nintendo Switch was a dead giveaway, I
couldn’t believe that the Adam Hayes, the
brilliant physicist, had been catfished.
He stared at me for a moment, then showed me
his phone lock screen. It was a picture of me,
happily drinking a strawberry Frappuccino on
my couch. Ethan had brought it over when he
visited… before the catfishing started. He’d
asked to take a picture of me, and, at the time,
I’d thought nothing of it. Now, I realized
Professor Hayes had probably bought that
Frappuccino.
Seeing my shocked expression, he took a step
closer. “Still denying it?” He was so close now,
and the sandalwood scent was intoxicating.
“Professor… this is going to sound crazy, but I
think… I think my sixteen–year–old cousin
catfished you.”
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<
He frowned.
“The person… the person you were playing Call
of Duty with… was my cousin.”
“You and I spoke on the phone. I remember your voice.”
“It really was my cousin.” I pulled out my phone. “See? This is my real Instagram.”
He glanced at it. “I don’t care which account you use. Add me back.”
“Professor…” I started to explain, but my phone rang.
“Sis, I brought the papers you asked for. Where
are you?”
Speak of the devil. I gave Ethan the room
number and told him to hurry.
<
Professor Hayes remained impassive, picking
up a book and pretending to read.
I couldn’t help but steal glances at him. He was
sitting in his leather chair, long legs crossed, elegant fingers turning the pages. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating his face. He looked so… perfect. I couldn’t understand how someone like him could get involved in something like this. How could he
fall for Ethan’s ridiculous charade? Was he that oblivious?
My phone rang again, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Sis, which building? I’m lost.”
I sighed and went downstairs to meet him. I
finally spotted him waving a folder in the air. “Sis! Over here!”
“Great. Come with me.” I grabbed his arm and
2:40
<
0000
87
practically dragged him toward the stairs.
“Whoa, where are we going? Are you taking me
out to lunch?” he asked, oblivious.
I smiled. “Nope. I’m taking you to meet your
boyfriend.”
“Huh?” He stopped dead in his tracks. “Sis,
you’re kidding, right?”
I opened the office door and shoved Ethan
inside. “Professor Hayes, here’s my cousin.
Punish him as you see fit. Don’t hold back.”
The room went silent. Awkwardness hung thick
in the air. Ethan, in his high school uniform and
backpack, stood there, looking pathetic.
Professor Hayes, in his crisp white shirt and
black slacks, stared back, his expression
unreadable.
Ethan glanced at Professor Hayes, then quickly
looked away, shuffling his feet and nervously
— L
く
picking at his fingers.
“Weren’t you all about the deception?” I
whispered to Ethan. “Go on, introduce yourself.”
Under my intense stare, he mumbled, his voice cracking, “Hi… uh… I’m Amelia… I mean, I’m……. I’m SweetLittleStrawberry, your, um, online girlfriend.”
Professor Hayes sat down in his chair, his
fingers tapping lightly on his desk. His gaze was neutral, but the air felt thick with a teacher–like authority. Ethan wouldn’t even look up. From behind, I could see his shoulders shaking. He was probably crying. I felt a twinge of sympathy, but he deserved it.
After a long silence, Professor Hayes turned to me. “Amelia, your cousin deceived me. As an
adult, don’t you think you should take
responsibility for his actions?”
<
2:40
87
“Yes,” I replied, looking down. “I’m so sorry, Professor Hayes. I’ll cover any financial losses you incurred.”
“The financial losses aren’t important.” He took
off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s just… now I have no one to play Call of Duty with.”
“Huh?” I was confused.
“Your cousin broke my heart. Don’t you think you should make it up to me?”
I glanced at Ethan, who was still pretending to be an ostrich. “My… my cousin broke your heart?”
Professor Hayes nodded seriously. “Yes. I
bought him Starbucks, sent him gifts, played
games with him. It was online, but I was serious about it.”
<
I was speechless. Seriously?
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m emotionally
damaged. I need companionship. Since your cousin has to study for the SATs, I guess you’ll
have to do.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
He smiled faintly. “I’ll be counting on you,
Amelia.”
Walking out of the office, I was still in shock.
Adam Hayes, the unattainable Professor Hayes,
was now… my online boyfriend? This was
insane.
Back in my first year of grad school, I had a
crush on him. It started when I saw him on a
rainy day. I’d woken up from a nap and opened
the window to let in some fresh air. Professor
Hayes was walking by, holding a black umbrella.
His white shirt was pristine, his sleeves slightly
く
rolled up. He looked like he belonged in a
movie. Suddenly, he stopped by a willow tree
and bent down. When he stood up, he was
holding a tiny, scruffy white kitten. It was so
thin, and it made a strange, raspy meow, almost
like a duck’s quack. I learned later that stray cats sometimes eat pebbles when they’re
starving, and it damages their vocal cords. A
cat that quacked was kind of funny, but Professor Hayes didn’t laugh. He gently wiped the rain off the kitten with a tissue and held it close. His pristine white shirt got muddy and wet. And my heart did a flip.
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