Wren

Chapter seven: Her name is Millie

Cameron arrived the week before classes started and although his halls were further away, and his schedule was crazy like mine, we still would see each other most days, and we would both be in Psychology three times a week together.

"I have first day nerves" Cam says as we walked side by side into our first class, Moira Dawsons Psychology.

"Wow" I observe open mouthed as we walked into the psychology department building, filtering into the lecture hall, which was gigantic, with a sea of seats all facing the projector screen and the teaching area in a semi circle design.

"Can we hide in the back" Cam asks.

I take his arm and tug him into the back row "fine but don't think she won't single you out because you are at the back" I remind him. "She's been doing this longer than you've been alive"

The lecture hall fills with students until not one seat is empty, a good start to the semester, all seats filled and every student present and correct.

A door opens to the far left and Professor Dawson walks out, followed by her daughter, finally. They both look smart and quite serious, her daughter takes a seat beside the projector screen, her long dark hair looking just so as it came down to the shoulders of her crisp white shirt, which she had paired with a smart skirt. She placed one leg over the other, her heels were black but as she drummed her foot, mid air, somewhat apprehensively, you could see the red sole. Her mother stands at the teaching podium and looks around the room, a look that made me feel incredibly nervous, she didn't even have to say anything and she commanded the room.

Cam places his hand on my knee and I look down to the sensation and back up to his eyes, fear being projected back at me as he grimaced, I squeeze his hand and we both focus on the voice that suddenly booms across the hall.

"Welcome... I am Dr Moira Dawson and this is Psychology ... if you are not here for Psychology please leave the room... now..."

The room falls into silence and she slowly smiles "good... then welcome... and let me just introduce you" she says turning slightly and gesturing to her daughter "this is Millicent Dawson, she is a teacher of psychology over at the community college and she will be assisting in my lectures this semester... please treat her with the utmost respect as you would treat me" she demands and she turns back.

Millicent... what kind of name was that?! I mean it was cute, in a strangely formal way.

I watch her daughter the entire time, she stands and glides over beside her mother, so effortlessly as if she was walking on air.

"Good morning" she starts "Thank you for the introduction Dr Dawson. I am pleased to be here with you all" she begins as she addresses us, looking around the room as she speaks "I am here primarily to assist students with any extra help you may require with this course, my role here this semester is to be here for you and to assist before or after class, you will find me in room two zero three an hour before and an hour after classes on Wednesdays, and Fridays, please do find me if you need anything or require assistance with course work" she explains and then she smiles and begins to walk away before turning back quickly and catching her mother off guard as she leant into the microphone "and it's Millie... please call me Millie" she adds before walking back to her seat, her mother gives her a slight look of disapproval.

I smile at that. Millie.

***

"I feel like an absolute imbecile after that class Wren... is it just me or is psychology utterly brain frying... I thought I was intelligent but Dr Dawson just blew my mind... how does she keep all that in her brain... she's marvellous really if you think about it" Cam trails off and then his silence finally draws me back to him as he looks to me curiously "what are you day dreaming about?" He asks.