[center][h2]Harriette Moore[/h2][/center][sup][color=gray]Barclay Waterfront University Campus : 1000 hours[/color][/sup]
[i]Just focus... get your head out of the clouds, Harriette.[/i]

The morning felt like it was just dragging on, and her mind was being weighed down by her earlier conversation with Rowen. In terms of previous interactions with the professor, that one hadn't even been that bad in hindsight - so why did she have this heavy feeling? Harriette's thoughts were stormy and unfocused, but she could only hope the sleepy students of the morning class couldn't tell. The first day back after break, most of them were interested in anything but the lesson, so her chances were pretty good. While the class was shuffling out, Harriette was idly sorting papers. It might not have been apparent to the students that she was wrapped up in her own head, but it was obvious to the English professor she'd been assisting. 

"Are you alright?" The professor asked. He seemed more curious than anything, which Harriette supposed was the nature of scholars. All busybodies. Slowly her hands came to a stop, the stack of paperwork in her hand having been neatly stacked a couple times over already. 

"Yes," she said. She didn't offer anything else in way of an answer at first, but it didn't seem like the man was keen to go anywhere without a little more reassurance. [i]Nosy,[/i] she thought, but kept her silence.

"Well, if you say so. You seem tired," he said, and this time Harriette could hear the sympathy in his voice - but it wasn't what she'd honed in on. He'd said she looked [i]tired.[/i] It nearly broke her right there. She didn't hear his next words about how the first day back was always rough, or how he hoped the rest of the day went better for her as he stepped away to go to his office. [i]Tired.[/i] Harriette bit her lip, upset and nearly trembling. The old man didn't mean anything by it, but didn't he know you shouldn't tell a woman she looked [i]tired?[/i] 

Taking a deep breath, Harriette collected her things and hustled out of the classroom, heading right for the nearest women's restroom. She was glad to see that no one was in there at the moment, so when she slammed her bag on the sink and stared into the mirror she didn't feel like she was making a scene. [i]I [b]am[/b] tired, but like hell am I going to [b]look[/b] it.[/i] Studying her face's reflection, Harriette determined that she could use a little touching up. There was a frown on her face that wouldn't seem to budge, which was probably making her look worse than she wanted to. She spent some time reapplying her makeup, and once she was more or less satisfied Harriette checked her schedule. There was plenty of time before her next class. 

[i]Alright. Let's try and get some work done,[/i] she thought. She opened the door and exited the restroom, only to run smack into a a shorter woman who just had to have been holding a drink in her hand. The collision itself was nothing, but it startled the younger student and the contents of her cup went flying, splashing the both of them.

"Oh my God, I'm - I'm so sorry!" The girl screeched, waving her hands in mild panic. She started babbling, running into the restroom and returning with wads of paper towels in her arms, which she shoved into Harriette's hands. "I didn't expect someone to - sorry, sorry! At least it won't stain I think?"

It smelled sweet. It was probably juice, which most definitely would stain. Harriette summoned all of the patience and calm she could find within herself and let out a long sigh.

"It's fine. I have a change of clothes. You - take care of yourself," she told the girl. Briskly, Harriette headed down the hall. Then down the stairs to the lobby, out the door of the college and to the parking lot. Unfortunately though she could eat in the faculty lounge, she couldn't park in the faculty lot, but the walk gave her some time to cool down. This morning sucked, but maybe with every little thing piling up now it would make the afternoon more tolerable. [i]Alright, universe, just get everything out of the way now,[/i] she thought to herself as she reached her car and popped the trunk. As if granting her facetious wish, Harriette's phone chimed off a new message.

[indent][color=lightgray][b]LR:[/b] essays on desk from morning class, by tomorrow. thx! 😉[/color][/indent]
"Still with the act. She must have had a great break," Harriette murmured to herself, reading the text over. Honestly, she was glad for the distraction right now. Working on something like grading essays was something she could focus on, and tune out the rest of the world in the process. With a quick glance around to make sure no one was around, Harriette ducked into her car and changed her top before making her way back toward the building.

While climbing the steps to the front entrance Harriette paused, noticing a long and thing crack in the concrete. When had that happened? Was there some kind of cold snap recently? Her eyes trailed the line and found that nearby where it ended, another one ran up part of the brick of the building's exterior wall. It was odd, it didn't move with the bricks at all, instead running straight over them like it was draped there. Harriette lingered, staring, but a gust of November wind urged her inside after a few moments. She headed towards a familiar office to collect the work assigned, and then looked for a quiet place she could settle down in. Unfortunately, but not unsurprisingly, many of the campus' study rooms were packed with people already. Friends catching up, students getting a head start on projects. Harriette would much rather keep looking than go back to the office, so she made the trek to the opposite end of the building in hopes of finding a room that wasn't at capacity. 

She poked her head into one, and blessedly it wasn't full. In fact there was only one person in it, a student with his arms folded and head pressed against the table. Was he catching a nap or something? Harriette went in and placed her things down on a table. She didn't get the sense that the student was sleeping... maybe dozing at best. If she were in his position she would hate to wake up and see a stranger in the room with her, so she quietly cleared her throat before announcing her prescence.

"...studying?" She asked first, a lame joke for an icebreaker. Once she got the student's attention she gestured to the paperwork she was spreading out. "Do you mind if I work in here?"