Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Slowly, I slid the pop in, out, in, out of my mouth—lips forming an “o” around the candy ball.
“Not necessarily a new... topic,” he said, “but... a point of view that is uniquely yours.” Adonis shook himself. I could practically hear the phrase get a hold of yourself! go through his head. “It said on some website that inhumanity is one of the main themes of The Grapes of Wrath, so you hand in five pages based on what someone else told you the book was about.
“Do you agree the main characters were treated unfairly and without compassion? Maybe you don’t,” he said, shrugging. “Life’s hard, man. You fall into the gutter, it’s up to you to get yourself out. No one owes you a hand up.”
I slid the pop further in and softly gagged. Adonis flung around the desk and gave his back to the class. I giggled as he continued speaking to the whiteboard.
“If that’s your take, then write it. As long as you back up your thesis with the text and other supporting literary works, I’m intrigued to discover what the classics are to you. To some, The Great Gatsby is a masterpiece. To others, it’s overhyped, sexist drivel. Tell me why.”
“Uh, Professor Adonis?”
His back stiffened harder than stacked bricks. “Yes, Miss Sinclair?”
“Are we limited to only these twenty? Can we make a case for another book?”
He took a beat to reply. “What did you have in mind?”
“Frankenstein.”
“Hmm. There are certainly a lot of themes to mine there and—”
“Sorry, Professor.” A smirk danced on my lips. “I didn’t get that.”
Slowly, he stopped pretending he needed to write on the board and faced me. “Frankenstein would be a great story to explore, and it almost made this list.”
My hand traveled down, finger skating down my throat to the network of silk ribbons holding my flimsy split dress over my breasts.
“Though, to keep it fair and simple for everyone,” Adonis forced through gritted teeth. “We’re sticking to the approved list.”
Tongue swirling around the lollipop, I loosened the ribbons.
“But you’re free to reference Frankenstein or another work to support your analysis.” The man sounded like he was in physical pain.
“Professor.”
Adonis seized the chance to look away from me and focused on Eva. It didn’t stop me for a second.
I wasn’t worried about anyone seeing me. No one but me was sitting in the front row. I strategically placed my notebook, binder, and bag to block everyone’s view but his. Only his.
“What about doing a modern take?” Eva asked. “Like analyzing how the characters, or how society would respond differently if the story was set today. So many of these classics feature misogyny and non-consent like it’s a given. I’d like to write how the same story of a middle-aged man and his predatory relationship with a teenage girl would end with him in prison, not living his one-sided happy ever after.”
“That is exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for, Eva. Well done. I can’t wait to read it.”
She preened like she never received a compliment before.
My ribbons dangled on the desk, no longer attempting to do their job of scantily covering my cleavage.
Professor Anthony was fighting so hard not to look at me, veins shown stark on his forehead. It wasn’t working though, because another part of him was straining just as hard.
“Really, Professor? Anything goes?” Alice asked. “Because Eva gave me an idea to do a gender swap. Like how Cinderella is a classic fairy tale, but if you take all that and turn Cinderella into a guy, all of a sudden the story is ridiculous and you’re wondering why this guy doesn’t stick up for himself. He needs rats and a fairy to grow him a backbone.”
Skimming the hem of my top, I slipped it off my breast, freeing the rock-hard pebble that used to be my nipple. My sweet candy treat teased the poor thing stiffer.
“—I was thinking I could—”
“Enough!”
I jumped—smothering a laugh as I quickly covered up and innocently popped the candy in my mouth.
“Professor?” Alice cried.
Adonis scrambled. “Enough— Enough talking, everyone. Miss Warner is speaking. Let’s have some respect,” he said, claiming his seat. “Go on, Miss Warner.”
For the first time since we entered his class, Professor Anthony delivered his entire lecture seated and behind his desk. When he dismissed class, I fixed myself and packed to leave. Yes, I spent the whole lesson teasing myself and getting pornographic with the lollipop until it was nothing but a plastic stick.
“Miss Sinclair, hang back for a minute, please. I’d like to discuss your last paper.”
I let everyone stream past me, then stepped up to the desk as the last person closed the door behind them.
“I know what you’re going to say,” I breezed. “I didn’t go deep enough on this week’s paper. But I didn’t connect with this prompt, Professor.”