White tennis shoes squeaked on the linoleum floor. Outside, rain drizzled down from gray clouds to weigh down the world with its woes. Unfortunately for the rain, Katrina moved too quickly with too many things on her mind to be caught in its melancholy mood.

Her blond hair was down today. She had a fuzzy red cap on for warmth, a multi-colored scarf and a buttoned up, maroon velvet pea-coat. Underneath was a warm blue sweater, but it couldn't be seen. Her jeans were too long and bunched up at the bottom, the hem becoming stringy and very wet from the numerous amount of puddles she'd run through. A messenger bag bounced annoyingly on her side, but it couldn't be helped. Katrina was late for her appointment, though it wasn't her fault. The busses didn't run in sync with her life.

She swung around a corner and her shoes screeched as she slid.

"I'm sorry I'm late Professor, the bus left without me."

Katrina's cheeks were flushed after running from the stop (she'd managed to catch another bus that took her a little closer to the literature building) and her hair strewn about from its wild fly in the saturated wind. But her eyes were bright and disposition almost equally sunny.

Alexander manages to glare at her for all of two seconds, and then he shrugs philosophically and gestures for her to take a seat.

"So. What is the problem this time, Miss Sullivan?"

He really has to work at not gazing at her hungrily, because this expression, that turn of the head, that gesture... She has so much of Kevin in her, it hurts.

Salt in wounds, anyone?

"Well," she sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk, pulled off her cap and set down the bag, "You know how sometimes you just have these days where you can't concentrate at all no matter what? How sometimes your mind gets all in a fuzz? Y'see, I had a Chem test and my professor says I can make it up but I keep getting things mixed up and...yeah.." she looked off to the side. It wasn't a really good excuse, was it?

The thing was, she got used to these tutoring sessions with Professor Barclay. She didn't want them to stop. But with all the help he'd been giving her she was needing them less and less. The reason she was giving him was perfectly legitimate, but for some reason she felt like she'd be given that look again. She just knew that he was going to make some comment about his not being a science teacher.

Her shoulders bounced in a shrug and Katrina deflated just a tiny bit. This was making her seem stupid, she knew it.

Alexander doesn't want them to stop. He doesn't actually want them to continue, either. He's gotten very good at wanting two things at once that completely contradict each other, these days.

He leans back and steeples his fingers.

"I am not certain I understand your problem, Miss Sullivan. If it is concentration, there are a few techniques I could suggest. If it is chemistry, then I am afraid I cannot help."

"That makes two of us," she mumbled gloomily while she picked at the frayed end of her scarf. In truth, she didn't really care what he did to help her so long as things didn't really change.

She could do two things. One, she could ask for his assistance. Two, she could say 'thank-you for your time' and walk away. She didn't fancy either of the choices. It was awkward, having to ask for something when you weren't sure what you needed and Katrina wasn't too keen on leaving her treasured 'study time' in the dust.

Which was the lesser of two evils?

She shrugged again. Not much of a decision maker, was she?

Alexander frowned. It's not an annoyed frown, it's a frustrated and confused frown. It's one of his more honest expressions, actually.

"Hm."

He's considering suggesting some of the techniques he used to use to put himself in the proper state to perform magic. They definitely work, after all...

... he's never checked her for potential. He doesn't want to know.

Trying not to sulk she asked, "'Hm' what? S'there anything we can do?"' Whoops. She hadn't meant to speak in first person. It kind of implied a little bit of togetherness that they weren't supposed to have, even if it was innocent togetherness.

'We.'

He ignores that. Pretends she never said it. She never said it. Do you understand? Never. Not at all. He never heard anything of the kind.

"Well..."

And here he describes an exercise in focusing one's entire attention on something. It's not very complicated, though it is actually rather difficult to get exactly right. Still, it should be suitable for her purposes.

And she's not going to be trying to do magic with it, anyway.

'Course not. She doesn't know anything about magic. Doesn't believe in it anyway.

She listened patiently, looked slightly confused and said, "Ok, um..should I try this now or wait till I get back to my dorm or..what?"

Goodness, she felt so stupid.

"Are you sure you understand it?"

He had explained it rather quickly, of course. And he actually does repeat things in private tutoring sessions. Just not in regular class. The two are not the same thing at all.

Katrina tried to keep the worried look from her face, she really did. Maybe she was stupider than she thought.

"Maybe if you write it down?"

She didn't know why this was so difficult nor why her mind was having a difficult time grasping the concept. Then again, hearing something is completely different from experiencing it.

He shook his head.

"Let's go through it."

Yes, he's going to lead her through the exercise. It will be a bit like hypnotism, although his version of that usually involves magic, and this won't.

"OK." And she made sure to do everything exactly as it was explained to her. Determined, no matter what, to do her Professor's exercise correctly.

And Alexander avoids parts of the way he learned this exercise, because that involved his grandmother putting her hands on either side of his face and making him look at her.

He doesn't think he could handle doing that with Katrina. Also, touching students is inappropriate.

"Have it now?"

It was a bright smile, fueled by the excitement of having gotten the technique down. It probably wasn't perfect but it made her happy anyway.

"Thank-you, Professor, that helped so much! How'd you learn it, anyway?"

Her head tilted with a curious look. Despite having learned what she needed, Katrina seemed content to stay seated and find out a little more about ther teacher.

There is the impression of a door closing, between Katrina and Alexander. It's a thick steel door, and very cold and imposing.

"My teacher."

His tone does not invite further questions.

"Oh." That was definitely something that could be categorized as a let down.

"Yeah, um..thanks Professor. I-I guess I'll just go.."

She actually gathered her things quite quickly, both embarrased and eager to get away from such a harsh face directed at her.