Saving Professor (Part 13)

“Hey, hey, Petra.”
Petra spun around at the sound of her brother’s voice.
“Oh. Hey, Collier. How was Asher Alexander?”
“He was okay. He’s kinda…”
“What?”
“He’s sort of… weird.”
“Like how?”
“I don’t know, really. He’s overly dramatic and thinks too highly of himself.”
“Fun stuff.”
“You know, you’re going to go there tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Collier sat on the couch. Petra sat beside him.
“How was Mr. Murphy?” Collier asked.
“He was awesome. We got through a lot today! I can’t believe how much I learned! And it only took a few hours.”
“Lucky. Alexander took forever. Oh, yeah, another thing—call him Alexander, not Asher or not Mr. Alexander. He went into great detail telling me why.”
“Why shouldn’t I call him Asher or Mr. Alexander?”
“Don’t even get me started. Well, now that I think about it, I can’t really remember it, anyway.”
“What else should I know?”
Collier told Petra everything that he had learned that day. Then Petra told him about her adventure in Professor’s office.
As soon as Petra had finished telling the story, Professor walked in.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Professor,” Petra apologized. “Were you waiting outside?”
“It’s fine, it wasn’t that big a deal. I decided that you two needed time with each other. It’s been a long day.”
“Is there anything you need to tell us?”
“Nothing much. Dinner’s ready.”
Collier and Petra followed Professor down the hall and into a meeting room on the right. It had been set up like it was a dinner room. There was a platter or roast beef and potatoes in the middle of a table, and three plates set up.
As they sat down, Petra asked, “Professor, why don’t people come through this hall anymore?”
“I haven’t told you yet?”
The twins shook their heads.
“This is now off limits to the regular staff. All the rooms are now reserved for you two. Someone’s setting up a study where you will meet with Mr. Murphy. You also have the bathroom across the hall. We have this room for eating in. The next room over is a pantry with a refrigerator. You can have anything in there, as long as you don’t eat too much.”
Petra knew what was in the freezer. She had gone snooping in there before.
“So even the ice cream?” she asked, trying to be casual. She didn’t want him to know that she’s already been there.
“Yes, the ice cream,” Professor answered, his eyes halfway between narrowing and smiling. “But the ice cream you can only have every other day.”
“Then what are we supposed to have the other days?” Collier asked after quickly swallowing a mouthful of potatoes. “Kids run on dessert, you know.”
Professor laughed.
“Yes, I know, I know. That is why we have the fruits.”
“Come on. Fruits?”
“Fruits are a surprisingly satisfying dessert. Especially with whipped cream.”
“Hey, well, you never said anything about whipped cream before! That’s awesome!”
“Now just because I am giving you permission to eat what you like doesn’t mean that you can eat anything. Your dinner will be what Mrs. Sheralton makes and your breakfast needs to be breakfast food. And before you ask, Collier, no, whipped cream is not included.”
“What if I want eggs? Can I have that?” Petra asked. “Who would make them for me?”
“Mrs. Sheralton is a great chef. She’s the lady at the front desk. You may ask her to make breakfast for you ask long as she is not on the phone. You should learn how to cook your own food, anyway. She should be able to teach you how.”
Petra smiled. She already knew how to. She had tried out the stove while snooping around. She had successfully created an omelet. Well, her attempt was at least almost successful, with the exception of a burned pan and a spatula that was now half melted.