Rude Ruby

07: 7 Minutes in Hell

I stood there, watching him pick up his belongings from the floor, feeling uncertain about what to do next after pushing him so hard.

He then sighed and looked at me. "In my office, Sinclair."

I gulped.

He seemed more demanding than requesting as he took the lead, and I felt like a mannequin that had suddenly come to life, obediently following his command. My mind and body were in conflict, but I couldn't resist until we reached his office. The sheer magnitude of his authority suffocates me under the weight of my emotions. The chilling effect of the air conditioning only amplifies the terrible sensation I've been enduring.

Like suffocating me to death.

Death.

One word I've been avoiding since I arrived in this part of the world.

"Ruby," he called, giving me a puzzled look as I remained standing by the door. "Come in, sit."

I sat on the single sofa, feeling tense, as I observed sir Pedran's peculiar movements while he prepared my tea. No one had offered me any food or drink up until that point, so his preparations made me uneasy. The sound of the spoon clinking against the cup as he stirred the tea resonated strongly in my ears, causing them to ache.

"A bit of chamomile, dear—it makes a lovely calming infusion," he remarked, taking off his coat and revealing an unbuttoned waistcoat underneath. "The herbs have a soothing effect, you see."

He also loosened his tie, obviously uncomfortable with any wrapping. I sat still, seeing additional oddities in his unraveling.

"I don't drink tea," I stated plainly, interrupting his frantic preparations. He turned towards me, visibly disturbed by my rejection of his offer for comfort.

"Well, I... I simply thought a warm cup might... that is..." He stammered, visibly shuddering. I raised an eyebrow, observing him as he struggled to find the right words.

"Generally, it is considered polite to ask about someone's preferences before assuming them," I remarked with a wry grin. "Especially when it comes to a stranger."

He blushed in embarrassment at my reproach. "You're absolutely right, terribly rude of me. Although, you're hardly a stranger, you're my student!" He sank into his desk chair with a sigh, intertwining his fingers on top of a pile of papers.

At bigla na lang nagbago ang kanyang mukha ng ganun kabilis. Mas lalo lang akong nawalan ng rason para gawin ang kaniyang seatwork. My keen perception saw through the foolish facade he had layered over his aging visage. Hindi na ako magugulat sa kaniyang susunod na sasabihin ngunit hindi ko maipagkakaila ang kaba na nararamdaman ko.

My instincts never betrayed me.

Not this fucking time.

"I don't care for your sharp tongue, Sinclair," he interrupted, scowling. "And that nonsense you spouted earlier about passing brains and whatnot? It's foolish talk." 

"I don't waste time with idle chatter like you, Mr. Pedran. Only a few possess the open-mindedness to grasp my philosophies. But in due time, they will revolutionize thinking," I asserted with the same authority. "Being sorted into Ravenclaw wasn't just for my bookishness. A keen mind unravels facades..."

His fake smile disappeared, and his demeanor took on a sinister tone. His eyes seemed ready to pop out of their sockets. "Don't dare display such insolence before me, Rubianna—"

Quickly interrupting, I stood up and made my way to the door, completely fed up. "You invited honest speech, I did not flaunt it." 

But anxiety gripped me once again under his malevolent gaze. The sickness that I had barely contained when first confronting him now surged dangerously. "Open this damn door," I muttered, each word heavy with frustration, as the doorknob stubbornly refused to cooperate.