Editor's Note: this submission contains references to suicide and humiliation. If this is a trigger for you, please do not read.
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Dr. Mueller stared at the curvy-looking girl in his class, more often than the other students. She had light brown hair and wore dark framed glasses, and also wore a Ramones T-shirt for today. She usually wore punk rock shirts. That was part of the reason he liked her. But he also liked her for less-than-pure reasons.
He stood in front of the class, a man with salt-and-pepper hair and beard. Despite being in his late 40s, girls across campus rushed to attend his classes for his soothing voice and, some may argue, a very attractive academic appearance. Even some faculty secretly fancied him in the way he carried himself as a confident, highly intelligent figure.
Dr. Mueller gave a lecture on Lolita and how it highlighted Nabokov's desire to have sex with young girls.
"So, Nabokov was a pervert," Dr. Mueller stated. "So much that Stanley Kubrick adapted the novel in 1962. And that there are different Lolita costumes present in modern-day society."
The girl with the Ramones shirt, Sonya, spoke up. "Seems pedophilia is a timeless theme that it is easily commercialized."
Dr. Mueller pointed at Sonya. "Good observation."
He secretly lusted after Sonya, but despite Sonya being one of the more vocal students in her class, she currently held a D in class and she flunked already. He learned she was 24 and this was her second attempt at taking college courses.
Hours later, Dr. Mueller finished all of his classes. He heard a knock on the door. The professor got up to visit the door to see Sonya standing in front of him. His heart beat rapidly. Why is she here?
"Dr. Mueller," Sonya said. "I am worried about my grade. I should have spoken up sooner."
Dr. Mueller nodded. "Understandable. Would you like to come in?"
Sonya walked in. Dr. Mueller caught a few of her curvy ass covered in torn jeans and quickly averted his gaze as soon as she sat down. His student adjusted her glasses and she spoke up. "I've been having a hard time this semester. I haven't really talked about it, but I often thought about..."
Her voice trailed off. Dr. Mueller sat down. He leaned in closer to his student. "Go on."
"I...I thought about killing myself."
"Oh, god, Sonya...that is very serious. How long have you considered this?"
Sonya's shoulders slumped and she took off her glasses and set them on the table. "I...I tried to kill myself for years. I first started cutting myself at age 13. Tried overdosing at 16. And after I dropped out of college the first time, I took a .45 gun to my throat and tried to pull the trigger...but I couldn't...oh god, I couldn't..."
Sonya sobbed as she covered her face. Tears seeped between her fingers when Dr. Mueller wheeled closer to her and touched her shoulder.
"It's all right, Sonya," he said. "It's all right. And you are thinking of killing yourself because you feel you will fail my class?"
Sonya cried but Dr. Mueller grabbed a tissue and wiped her tears. She jerked back. "What are you-?"
"Ssshhh. Answer my question, Sonya," Dr. Mueller probed. "are you thinking of killing yourself because you feel that you are failing my class?"
"I..." Sonya looked deep into Dr. Mueller's dark brown eyes. "I am, and I am failing everything."
