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For the next week, the gang decided to make sure that I didn't have much time alone. The way college schedules worked out, there were only a few places during the week where either Toby or one of our friends wasn't free to spend time with me. Or when everyone else was in classes, Jack was free and was happy to take his turn. They were all great people, but Jack was definitely my favorite, and we had become good friends. He and Toby had encouraged me to keep the job at the gym, and I felt good about it. The investigation was moving slowly as such things were always expected to, not only from the business end of things, but because the gym's owners had encouraged me to press charges, and even filed an amicus brief for my case because Michael had damaged their reputation in the process. But a restraining order had been filed right away, so if Michael even came on the property while I was at work, he could be arrested. That went a long way towards making me feel more comfortable about being there.

Friday morning, though, there was a gap in the schedule that we couldn't fill. Everyone had classes, and Jack had an appointment that he couldn't move. So Toby made a couple phone calls, and got permission for me to sit in the history class that he and Tiffany were taking. Then we'd all have lunch together at the dining hall. Sitting in my first college class actually made me feel a little nervous, even if I wasn't actually a student. The other students in the room were curious, and a couple came over to meet me. Tiffany introduced me to one or two of her friends, and Toby greeted a small group that came over all at once. Most of the others heard my name by then and were content to wave from across the room, or simply busied themselves with their pre-class activities.

Just as the clock hit the right time, in walked the professor. My jaw dropped. The first thing I noticed was his size. Although a tiger, he was as big as a Kodiak bear. He must have Siberian blood, I pondered. But it wasn't just bone structure. He was inordinately well built, and if he spent time in a gym, it was to augment what he was already doing. He had a bit of a rough look about him that said he was no stranger to manual labor. But it wasn't just his shape that caused me to gape. This giant tiger was dressed in something that almost looked Victorian. He had on a button-down shirt and an argyle knit sweater. The next layer was a waistcoat that, due to the still warm season, he had opted not to button closed. But it was held together by a watch chain running from the pocket on one side to a button on the other, and over that a tweed suit coat and matching pants. His shaggy feet stuck out beneath, themselves demonstrating the strength of his body, by the size and solidness of its foundation. And he smelled lightly of bay rum and masculinity. It was hard to decide where the cologne ended and his own scent began, but it was an alluring mixture. He took off his square glasses and looked around the room. I managed to get my jaw closed just in time as his gaze found me, and he smiled, walking over to me as I sat between my two friends. He spoke with a slight accent, though I couldn't quite make out what it was.

"Ah, and you must be this young man that Toby called to me about. Craig, was it?" I nodded and took the offered paw. His shake was heavy and firm, but not crushing. I could tell it would have been if he had wanted it to. "I am Professor Druff. Welcome in mein class," he said. "I hope you enjoy the topic of today's discussion. And please, the two of you would please stay a moment afterwards?" Toby and I agreed and I thanked him for the welcome. Then he went up to the lectern, starting before he had even reached the front of the room. He was already well into the discussion before he had gotten his notes out of his briefcase and settled everything where he wanted it. I could tell, he was well practiced at his job, and knew where he intended to go. Throughout the lecture, he rarely looked at this notes, except to quote specific figures and stats, or to get a quote exactly right. But he turned the pages regularly so that he was always at the right spot when he needed them. Not only that, but it was not ninety minutes of Professor Boring standing up there running his mouth and everyone scrambling to take notes. He frequently asked students questions about what they had read in the previous assignment, or for their comments on the events they were discussing, using their input to augment his instruction. I was very impressed. This was nothing like what I expected a college class to be. He even brought me into the conversation a few times, inviting my opinion since I clearly could not know the background reading material. He was very gracious about it, thanking me for my thoughts and not simply discounting my ignorance because I did not have very detailed knowledge of pre-Roman Etruscany, which was the topic of the day.

The class ended much sooner than I felt like it should, and the students had brought the time line up to the point just before the founding of Rome. They had covered a few hundred years of pre-classical European development, and the time had flown by. But the class did come to an end, and most of the students filed out, either on to lunch or to their next thing. While Toby and Tiffany packed up, we all three waited for Professor Druff to come back to us. He finished packing his briefcase and did so.

"Toby tells me, you had a rough time of it recently and are not to be alone right now."

I glanced at my tiger. He nodded to me and smiled reassuringly. Looking back at the professor, I took a moment to think before nodding. This close to us, I could smell his musk more strongly again, and so I needed a minute to swallow before I was ready to answer. "Yes, sir. I, uh, had a bad experience at the gym with a guy who wanted... uh... he didn't know where his boundaries should be. He tried to force me to give him, uh, certain attentions. And I took it harder than perhaps I ought to have."

He waved this last off. "There is no such thing. If he violated your person, then he was in the wrong. One should always allow for the other person to say no, even when one feels that there is mutual interest. No matter how strong one comes across."

"Well, I definitely wasn't interested, and he wasn't letting go so easily."

"That is not a good thing. I am sorry to hear of it, but glad to have met you. You are a smart young man, and are always welcome in mein class. Thank you for your participation today. If you would like to audit the class, please do join us. You don't have to enroll, just pick up a copy of the book and join in. We will not tell the administration, because formally auditing still costs something and you have to be enrolled. But I am glad of what you brought to the class today, and would like to see you again."

Tiffany and Toby made encouraging noises in response to this. "Thank you, uh, Professor Druff. I think I might like that, if my work schedule will allow it. I start a new job next week."

"I hope that it does. You are a nice, handsome young man. Just like your friend, Toby here. And smart like Tiffany. You would be a good addition, I am thinking." He shook my paw again, and then headed out. Tiffany, Toby and I stood up and looked at each other.

"Wow, Craig, that's great!" Tiffany said. "Druff is not necessarily easy to impress. He must really think you're smart."

Toby grinned. "That, or he thinks you're too handsome to let go. I have heard rumors about The Druff being rather sweet on some students around here. Nothing confirmed, but there are a few whispers."

Tiffany swatted lightly at Toby. "Hey, now! Don't discount Craig like that. Just because he isn't enrolled, doesn't mean he isn't smart enough to be!"

"Oh, I can tell he thinks Craig is smart, too," Toby said, kissing my cheek. "I just wonder if there isn't more than that. He did say Craig is good looking, after all."

"Well, we foxes do have a natural beauty," I said, false-preening.

"Oh, yes, absolutely. There's just a line of dirty, nasty cheetahs chasing you," Tiffany said, rolling her eyes.

"Not fair," I cried. "Michael's a jerk. But I've had some nice guys admire me, too."

Toby intervened before the remark could sink in too deep. "Come on, the others will be waiting. It's lunch time, and we've probably already lost to the line."

The mention of food got us moving in a hurry, and we made our way across campus quickly. The conversation switched to other topics, and by time we got to a table with Michelle, Charles, and Roger, the teasing had been completely forgotten. However, the class came back up again, and I had to tease the others.

"So, I'm wondering," I began, "do any of you actually take classes in your major? Toby's in engineering and he's taking History, Physics, and Logic. Tiffany's also in history, but she's studying architecture. What are the rest of you not studying your majors in?"

Roger laughed. "You've never heard of GECrs, have you?"

"Geckoes?" I looked - and felt - confused. "You mean those small, fast lizard guys that sell car insurance?"

Michelle laughed. "No, GECrs. It stands for General Education CRedits. Everyone has to take some, and some students like to stagger theirs out, so they're always taking one or two things that aren't in their majors, as a means of relief from studying nothing but the same thing all the time. Or they want a specific class from a specific teacher, and they can't get in until later in their careers because the class is full or they have to take other classes at the same time. There are a lot of reasons to take GECrs at various times throughout your college career."

"And as for my physics class," now it was Toby's turn, "that's actually part of my engineering major - dynamics is a critical part of electronic engineering. And logic will actually help with circuit design, should I need to go that route on a project. Tiffany and I decided to take the history class together because we have heard The Druff is a great guy, and we both still needed the social studies GECr."

"That," added Tiffany, "And it satisfies my major's 'world architectural design' requirement."

"Wow. This college stuff is pretty complex," I reflected.

"You get used to it," said Charles. Remember, we've been at this for three years already. So we've had plenty of time to figure it all out. You've only been here for a week, so there's a lot still to learn. Plus, it's easier to learn when you're on the inside, and have an advisor."

"Advisor," I asked.

"A professor from your major department who helps you figure out what you need to take, and when and how to take it. Makes sure you're on track to graduate on time, or if not, how to get you back on track. Basically, it's someone who keeps you from wasting your time on the wrong classes so you don't waste extra money on extra semesters that you don't have to."

"If Professor Druff could be my advisor, sign me up!" I grinned.

"I'm pretty sure he'd like that," said Toby. "I still think he's taken a bit of a shining to you, no matter how unattractive Tiffany thinks he thinks you are."

"I didn't say anything against him," Tiffany defended herself. "I just think you're jumping to conclusions about The Druff, based on a few scattered whispers."

"Yes, well, I don't think he'd mind being your advisor, whatever the case, hon." Toby smiled genuinely. "You guys should have heard the complements he gave my fox after class, today. He all but begged Craig to come back regularly.

Everyone cheered me on at that. Michelle added, "Yeah, The Druff is pretty great. I've had him, too. He teaches several European history courses that bleed over into literature credits."

"Any truth to the rumors that he likes to play with the young men in his classes?" Toby asked.

Michelle looked thoughtful. "Nothing that I can confirm, anyway. This is the first I've heard of it, actually. But that doesn't make it a lie either, I suppose. But anyway, if you can, Craig, I think you should take him up on the offer."

"You know, I think I just might," I said, thoughtfully.

"Talk to Jack and Geoffrey," Michelle advised. "I bet we can get your schedule worked around his class."

"Good idea," said Charles. "I work out at Blue Planet, too. Geoff is a bang-up guy, and a recent enough grad of NU himself. I bet he'll let you."

We agreed that it was worth the try, and I would go with Jack today to talk to Geoffrey about it when he went in to work. But if I was going to make it in time, lunch needed to end so that I could get home in time to meet him. We cleaned up our trays and said our goodbyes as everyone scatted across campus to their post-lunch classes and labs, and I scurried home to catch Jack.