Second Day

Marcus woke up, his head hurt less and he'd found bottled cold brew in the campus convenience shop which he'd stocked up on. After a sip he showered and hit the cafeteria, with his head not screaming he got an actual breakfast and went to find a seat, he saw Josie and her friends chatting in the corner and began to head that way when he noticed Anastasia sitting alone staring at her breakfast. Against his better judgement and Daemon's screaming he sat down with her.

"Hey Stasi," said Marcus sitting down.

"Mark!" she said with a smile, "I," she started, "I missed you yesterday."

"Sorry," said Marcus, "I had a headache so I figured the classroom would be empty, "Make any friends?"

"Other than my roommate?" said Anastasia.

"At least yours talks to you," said Marcus.

"You made any friends?"

"A few," he said, "you met Josie, she introduced me to her roommate Lily and her friend Wei."

"Seems like she has a crush on you," said Anastasia.

"I hope so," said Marcus pausing, "we have a date on Saturday."

"Your first date?" said Anastasia with less excitement in her voice than she was trying to force, "she definitely seems like your type."

"Yeah," said Marcus, "with a smile."

He walked Anastasia to her class, she was uncharacteristically quiet on the walk and while he knew something was bothering her he had a rather loud voice in his head telling him to make his escape.

"Will I see you later?" asked Anastasia.

"I've got office hours with Professor Banks," he said watching her sink, "but if not tonight I'll come over tomorrow night."

Daemon screamed, Anastasia smiled, "thanks Mark, I really need some best friend time."

His intro to statistics class was lead by a man who seemed to see the world in binary and talked like a chat bot, he found it hard to stay awake having no one to talk to or any interest in what was being said. His last class was into to astronomy led by a middled aged woman who was dressed very professionally but seemed just sad, even when she smiled to welcome them her eyes didn't. As the class ended and the students filed out the professor turned and accidentally spilled her bag all over the floor, students stepped around it but Marcus knelt down and helped the professor.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"Not a problem," said Marcus as he helped her organize everything, under the pile of papers was a romance novel, a rather smutty looking one from the cover, he made and effort not to react and handed it under a pile of papers to his professor.

"See you Thursday Professor Klein," he said with a smile.

"Thank you mister?" she asked.

"Vallen," he said, "or Mark, or Marcus."

"Mr. Vallen," said Professor Klein with a small but real smile, "thank you again."

Marcus moved arcoss campus excitedly, not, as he got to the right building he found Professor Banks' office and knocked nervously.

"Come in," came a voice.

He entered and found her sitting reading something, a book with a familiar cover...his book.

"I didn't know I was teaching a published author," she said with a smirk.

"Guilty," he said standing awkwardly.

"You can take a seat," she said with an easy smile, "though after reading your work I don't see why you're here."

"Can't two authors talk shop?"

"They can," she said, "though I'm not an officially published author, and a certain douchebag author who shall remain nameless has done a pretty good job boxing me out of the industry."

"Well what if I could help," said Marcus thinking of Jess.

"You couldn't," she said, "I mean," she put the book down and turned away, "if you could help me with that, I'd be really grateful."

"I'll make a call," he said.

"Wait, Mark," she said, "you'd really go out on a line for me? You don't even know me."

"I know your writing," said Marcus, "it's no trouble."

***

Jess sat in her living room relaxing, she'd been on so many dates recently she needed a night to herself, especially after moving her daughter into school. Everything seemed to be coming together, Marcus' book was already paying dividends and with two more ready to go she knew it would keep her going for at least a few years. The dates had mostly been good, though they were men her age a few actually made good impressions, one good enough to come back to the house and get a similar treatment she'd given her hot young author. Her phone rang and a shiver went through her, speak of the devil.

"Well if it isn't my favorite author," said Jess, "to what do I owe the pleasure, need an advance on your next book?"

"I'm not calling about me," he said, "I'm calling about a friend looking to get her work published."

"Her?" asked Jess with mock disappointment, "should I be jealous?"

"We're not as close as you and I are," he said, "not yet."

"So confident," said Jess, he had every right to be but it was still a refreshing trait, "I'll bite, who is this friend."

"Cassidy Banks," said Marcus.

Jess paused and thought, she knew the name but it took a moment to remember why, "Doom Tower?"

"Correct," said Marcus.

Jess thought back, the spat with the name on those books had ruined Banks' career but she had quite a following, people who were disappointed by the series after she left, it might take some cajoling with her boss but she smelled opportunity.

"I'll do you this favor," said Jess, "but I want something from you."

"Quid pro quo," said Marcus, "are you trying to take advantage of me?"

"Mhm," purred Jess, "I'll talk to your author, you'll meet me say, next Saturday and we'll finish what we started."

"Deal," said Marcus, "but it won't be the end Jess, it will only be the next chapter."

He hung up and Jess swiped through her phone for the man who she'd invited over after their date, she needed him, now.