Agent in Distress Ch. 06

I looked about the room. The boys looked equally nervous, which supported my suspicion that they were just cheating. I felt it was worth taking the chance of speaking up. "But Mr. Talio," I said, still not used to calling him Victor. "I mean . . . is this really possible? I mean . . . I've been trying to learn this . . . insertion technique . . . and like, I don't feel like it's possible. I . . . don't think I'm alone . . ." I added, looking about the room for support from my male classmates. I got none of course, the bastards all kept silent, leaving me hanging out to dry.

Victor walked over and stood in front of the class, looking down at me with his arms crossed. When he was annoyed, he had this intimidating look that made my spine tingle. "Miss Torina, are you suggesting I made up the whole concept and am wasting valuable class time teaching you something that's impossible?"

"Uh, no, sir," I blurted, now sitting upright and rigid in my chair. "I'm sorry—"

"It's alright," said Victor with a half smile. "It is not uncommon for a student to think that which is beyond their understanding is impossible." Then he moved over to his desk, took a piece of yellow paper, and spent a minute scribbling something on it. Then he walked to the board behind him and taped the yellow paper to it, with the writing facing the wall and hidden. Then without a word of explanation he turned back to the class.

"This is an important skill, Miss Torina, and one that female Arbiters struggle with, so please pay attention," he said, taking a seat on the front of his desk and facing the class. "You cannot barge into the mind like an oversexed teenage boy." He paused suddenly, then said, "Pardon the analogy. In any case, this technique is subtle, you are gently guiding the mind in the direction you want to go. It only works if the mind is already going that direction, or is so inclined."

He kept talking and talking, as he often did, and I felt my eyes droop; I was pretty sure I'd heard this explanation more than once before, and it hadn't helped me do the technique. My head bobbed as he continued talking, the words sounding like a soothing waterfall sound from a bedside alarm clock. It was also getting warm in the class, so I reached up and discretely undid the top button on my white short-sleeved blouse. The other boys were listening to Mr. Talio with rapt attention, which I thought was silly since I knew they had no idea how to do it. The instructor was still speaking, and I grew bored, reaching up to undo my pony tail, letting my shiny dark hair play over my shoulders. After a minute I yawned, quickly covering my mouth, but fortunately Mr. Talio was still rambling on about telepathic projection. I carefully pushed off my dancing shoes, enjoying the freedom as I wiggled my toes.

I knew I'd be much more comfortable if only I could remove my bra. It was the first thing to go whenever I got back to my dorm room. I looked about the room. No one was paying any attention to me in the corner of the class, so I felt it was probably safe. Under my blouse was the tank top I'd wore to dance, and below that my black bra. Carefully checking that no one was watching, I untucked the back of my blouse, then reached under my tank and up to undo the hooks of my strapless memory foam bra. I sighed in comfort at the newfound freedom for my chest, and I carefully pulled the loose bra down below my tank top and out, hiding it in my bag. Certain that no one had noticed my naughty maneuver, I relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of comfort.

"Miss Torina, stand up please," said Victor, suddenly.

"W-what?" I said, caught off guard, my feelings of comfort evaporating, to be replaced by anxiety.

"Stand up, please. Don't make me ask you again," came the reply. Mr. Talio didn't seem angry or upset, and I got to my feet, acutely aware that I was without my shoes and bra. "Now go to the board, please," said Victor, pointing to the wall where he'd put the yellow paper. I looked longingly at my shoes but decided not to draw attention to it, and I padded barefoot to the wall.

"Now grab the yellow paper and read what it says to the class," said my instructor, without a hint of impatience.

Now curious, I pulled the piece of paper off the wall and flipped it over, reading. Then my hand flew to my mouth to hide a gasp of shock.

"Read it, Miss Torina," said Victor, now with a tinge of impatience.

I gulped, shaking my head. I couldn't read this to them!

"Miss Torina, you will see me in my office after class. Now read it, please." I nodded quickly, then turned to face the class. I began reading the paper out loud.

"Miss Torina will undo the top button on her blouse," I said, my hand unconsciously floating up to touch the button on my blouse, which I'd undone only minutes before.

"Keep reading," said Victor, his commanding tone scaring me into action.

"She will remove her hair band. She will then take off her shoes. Then she will remove her bra." I dropped the paper, my mouth hanging open in shock. Somehow Mr. Talio had made me do those things, it was impossible! I tried to think back to where the idea had come from, but it seemed like it was all my idea. The room was still warm, I hadn't imagined that.

"You made her do those things?" said one of the boys, incredulous. They were all staring at me now.

"She's not wearing a bra?" said another. Suddenly my arms crossed over my chest, for even though they probably couldn't see anything, I suddenly felt naked.

"Can you make her take the rest of her clothes off?" said Jones. A tiny squeak came from my throat.

"Jones!" said Victor sternly. Then his voice softened. "It doesn't work that way. The things I did were believable to Lana, that she'd want to do them. You can gently influence the mind, but you cannot control it, or make it do things too much out of character. A more . . . prudish girl would have probably refused to remove her bra," he added, giving Lana a look.

I was trembling slightly. Sometimes I'd go back to my room and without thinking just strip off my clothes and flop on the couch, what if I'd done that in the class?

"Can we try it on her?" said Erik, who was sitting in the front and closest to where I was standing.

I paled. Mr. Talio's demonstration had shaken my confidence, and I didn't want six randy 19-year old boys fooling around inside my mind.

"No," said Victor, to a chorus of disappointed sighs. "Let's give poor Lana a break. You may sit down, hon."

I quickly went to my seat, grateful to sit down for fear my legs might give way at any moment.

"So you see, boys and girls," continued Victor. "Telepathic insertion is real, and you will be tested on it tomorrow. I suggest you practice it tonight. Class dismissed."

The boys filed out of the room past me, as I still sat slumped in my chair. I was so distracted I didn't even notice them trying to get a glimpse of my bra-less chest as they passed. Finally I was alone, and Mr. Talio was about to leave the room when he noticed me still sitting there, my eyes cast downward. He came over and took a seat next to me. I looked up, and was surprised to see what looked like genuine concern on his face.

"That was upsetting for you," he said, a statement rather than a question. I didn't look at him, instead I was looking at my hands. My mind was my sanctuary, the hiding place for all my private thoughts and desires. It was terrifying to find out someone could enter my sanctuary and rearrange the furniture, without me even knowing. What else could Mr. Talio do, I wondered? Worst of all, I somehow found the whole thing exciting, as if I suddenly found myself naked and helpless in the presence of my favorite instructor. And why is that thought turning me on, I wondered with alarm.

As if reading my mind--maybe he was reading my mind!--Mr. Talio said, "Lana, this is an important lesson for you. As a woman, your mind is vulnerable just like your body. A young telepath tends to think she is powerful as she learns her new abilities. But there are dangers too, and you must be aware of them. My classroom is a safe place for you to learn these things."

I nodded suddenly. It made sense, better I found out in a classroom than out in the real world on an Arbiter mission. I looked at Mr. Talio. I'd thought he was just having fun embarrassing me, but now I realized he was looking out for me.

"Good, I'm glad you understand," said Mr. Talio, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. Then he grinned. "I had thought of adding one more line to the yellow paper."

My eyes went wide and I looked at him. "What? What line?"

His look was mischievous. "Well, Lana, when you go back to your dorm room, what do you do after you undo your hair, take off your bra, and get comfortable on your bed. Let's say your roommate's gone for the night, visiting her family."

I didn't have a roommate, but he was just speaking generally. I looked at him in confusion for a moment. Then my eyes went wide in comprehension. I quickly tried to purge my head of the naughty images, for fear he was reading my mind. "Uh, I'd go to sleep?" I offered, my voice sounding strained and transparent.

"Sleep, of course. Well, you were already doing that in my classroom without my telepathic insertion," said Victor, with a frown.

"Oh, I'm s-sorry!" I stammered, sitting up straight in my chair.

He waved it away. "It was an unfortunate side effect. I had to turn up the heat to help with our little demonstration," he said, winking at me.

"You what?" I gasped. Realizing it was all a setup for me . . . it was a shock, and somehow fueled my infatuation, that he would go to all that trouble to help little insignificant me understand the material. I felt that twinge of arousal again, and I thought of Mr. Talio's 5th line, the one he didn't write. My arousal increased so much at that thought that I blushed.

Then I frowned, realizing my romance novel was tucked into the mesh side pocket where the cover was visible. I remembered how the book had fallen out in the locker room when I'd pulled out my clothes, and I'd stuck it in the side pocket. Sure enough, Victor noticed it and pulled it out.

"Bound for School," said Victor, reading the title. I blanched. One of the sophomore girls in dance had given me the book as a way of teasing the freshman, and I hadn't even read it.

"No, Mr. Talio, don't!" I exclaimed, reaching for the book, but it was too late, as Victor opened the cover and read the blurb.

"Young student Bella finds myself under the instruction of a dark and devilishly handsome History teacher who specializes in primitive cultural traditions." He continued reading to himself, while I sat frozen in my chair, awaiting my public execution. I hadn't wanted the book, but the girl had insisted, and now he'd think I had some kind of teacher fantasy.

"Mr. Talio, I--" I started, then stopped when he held up a hand.

"No explanation necessary, Lana," said Victor. "Have you read it yet?"

"Uh, no," I relied quickly. "I just got it, from a classmate. I'm not even sure why I--"

"Uh huh," he said, grinning. "Lana, I'm a firm believer in being honest to yourself. You should be at peace with who you are, and not worry about societal norms, which were probably created by old men long before you were born. Love what you want to love, do not let anyone tell you otherwise."

I wondered if he was telling me to embrace my inner pervert. But I didn't have an inner pervert! "Uh, okay," I said, cursing myself for sounding like a confused child. That must have been how he saw me, a graceless teenager. I was a fool to think a man like Victor Talio would have any interest in a lowly freshman. I was infatuated with a man who hardly noticed me, and probably had sophisticated and beautiful women falling all over him. He'd probably told them about his freshman student telepath, smitten with a schoolgirl crush and broadcasting it to him in the classroom.

"Like at any university," he was saying in his lecture tone of voice. "Your time here at the Institute is a time to explore new ideas and experiences, safely in the confines of the school." He looked at me carefully. "I've heard it said that Xanthian women mate for life, and are fiercely loyal to their husbands."

I felt embarrassed, knowing he was patronizing me. "Well, I don't know if that's still true . . ."

"Regardless," said Victor, "now is your time to explore, to find out what sort of man--or woman--you wish to be that mate for life. How about your sophomore classmates, do you find any of them attractive?"

I looked at him as if he had two heads. Then I blushed. I couldn't very well tell him that next to my instructor, the boys seemed like children.

"Ah hah," said Victor, "So there is someone?" I shook my head quickly, but he wouldn't have it. "Yes, let me see if I can read it from you," he added, winking at me.

"What?" I squeaked, my insides turning to stone. "No, don't," I said, putting my hands up as if that would stop his mind.

"Oh," said Victor suddenly, surprised. He was looking at me differently.

"What is it?" I demanded suddenly, reaching out with both my hands to grab his arm. "What did you see?"

Victor gently removed my hands from his arm. "I'm sorry, Lana," he said softly. "I didn't mean to pry . . ."

He knew! I mean, he hadn't known until now. So now what would I do? I felt like a fool. I'd just confessed my crush on my professor, mentally. And he'd not taken it well. I felt a tear welling up, and I was unable to do anything to stop it from dribbling down my cheek. It was followed by another, then another, me helpless to stop them. Suddenly I felt his hands on my cheek, gently wiping the tears. "I know," I sniffed suddenly. "I know I'm just a kid, with a stupid crush, and now I've embarrassed you . . ." I couldn't even look at him.

Victor moved a chair next to my desk and sat down, gently putting his arm over my shoulder. "No, Lana, you misunderstand. I think you're a beautiful, talented young lady. And now I know why you're not able to read my thought projections at the end of class," he added.

"Well, I just didn't realize you were doing it," I said with a sniffle. "I'll be ready next time."

Victor chuckled. "I'm afraid that won't work, even if you're ready."

"Really?" I said, looking at him with my eyebrows furrowed. "Why not?"

Victor nodded. "Female telepaths often are unable to read certain men. Men they are highly attracted to. It is like nature's defense mechanism - how could you have a lasting relationship with a man if you can read his thoughts?" I was looking at him intently. I'd heard of not being able to read certain individuals, but had never asked why. "So," said Victor, "knowing about your . . . uh . . . crush, as you call it. It explains why you're struggling in some parts of my class."

"It does?" I said, suddenly feeling hopeful, thrilled to hear his negative reaction to my crush hadn't been from a lack of interest in me. But he could still have no interest, I reminded myself.

Victor was nodding. "Don't worry, Lana, we can work around this, but we'll need to do something before tomorrow's test. Come see me in my office after you're done with classes," said Victor, getting to his feet. "I will give you a crash course."

"Really?" I said. It was probably the only way I would ever pass the test. "I have my martial arts class that finishes at 6 . . ."

"Grab a bite to eat and come at 7," said Victor. "I should be back in my office by then."

We both left the class then, and I was feeling much better. It explained why I was having so much trouble, and Victor seemed confident he could work around it. I might actually pass the test, and his class. But as the day wore on, I was reminded of the demonstration, and I began to wonder if Mr. Talio had planted anything else in my mind? And the more I thought about how vulnerable my mind was to his powerful telepathic skills, the more nervous I got. Only I wasn't just nervous, I was excited and aroused, and I couldn't understand why. I should have been angry and indignant at him, for meddling inside my head. Instead, I was having a thrill. It made no sense to me, but I couldn't deny what I was feeling.

Fortunately, practicing sword fighting and sparring completely wiped those thoughts from my head, and it wasn't until I was in the locker room and showering that the thoughts of Mr. Talio returned. What was the 5th line he wanted to write? I suspected it was to have me masturbate in class. Would I have done it? I couldn't believe that, but what if I had. I giggled at the thought of masturbating with six boys only feet away. As I was toweling off, I looked at my comm device. It was 7 o'clock, I was late! Scrambling, I threw on a new tank top and skirt and rushed out of the locker room, my wet hair hanging damp on my shoulder and my bag bouncing on my back as I ran for the Communications building.

It was 7:15 when I knocked on the door, and heard him tell me to come in.

"Hi Mr. Talio," I blurted. "I'm sorry I'm late, I lost track of time--"

"It's quite alright my dear, we'll discipline you later," he said from the other room with a chuckle. "I'll be right with you, just finishing up some work. And call me Victor, we're not in the classroom."

I felt a thrill run through me at the word 'discipline.' "Uhh, ok, Victor," I said, softly. Somehow using his name seemed to lift a subtle barrier between us, and I wasn't sure it was a good thing. I looked around the office, which consisted mostly of bookshelves, photos and plaques. I moved over to the bookshelf, looking over the titles. I saw one that caught my eye, "The Barbaric Logic of the World of Dellune." I was reaching for it when I heard the scrape of a chair as Mr. Talio stood in the next room, I quickly pulled my hand back, turning to find Victor standing there, smiling at me.

"Hi," I said, shyly. He looked so handsome in a dress shirt and sport coat, and I just stood there like a fool smiling at him. He approached me and gently took my bag from my shoulder, then placed it on a chair. "Have a seat," he said agreeably, pointing toward the empty chair. He sat down across from me, then leaned forward a bit.

"Lana, because the test is tomorrow, and knowing you have trouble reading me because of your, uh . . ."

I blushed at his reminder that he knew I had a crush on him. He continued, seemingly grateful that he didn't have to put it in words. "Yes. So the same thing that makes me unreadable to you, also makes it difficult for you to project toward me. Even more so -- the body naturally doesn't want you to be able to control your loved one mentally."

I blushed even deeper at the 'loved one' comment. Then I frowned. How was I ever going to pass his class now? I raised an eyebrow. "I'll just get over my crush!" I said helpfully.

Victor laughed, then stopped at the stricken look on my face. He cleared his throat. "Well, we probably don't have time for that with the test being tomorrow."

Of course, now I felt stupid. My shoulders slumped, and he quickly stood and walked over to a cabinet, retrieving what looked like a brandy decanter. "I have a better idea. If you will drink this mind enhancer, you should be able to temporarily read me, and project to me. While you can't use it during the test, I find if a student learns how to do it with the enhancer, it'll help you learn to do it without a chemical aid."

I stiffened. Every young woman was wary of spiked drinks.

Victor anticipated my caution, so he poured himself a small glass and drank it. "Harmless, my dear, it simply enhances your perceptions for . . . 20 minutes or so. We use it quite often in classes. But it's not allowed during a test of course."

"Oh, alright," I said, reaching out to take the glass I offered. I drank it - it tasted like tea.