James stared longingly at his whiteboard, the problem he'd been working on still incomplete as his lectures and exams kept stealing his time away. In all honesty, he hated to be a professor, but it was the only way in which he'd get paid for his research. It wasn't usual for mathematicians to be able to spend all of their time solving problems without useful applications for the industry; if they did so, chances were they didn't get an income for that. Most of them ended up just like James, looking for a place at a University where they would divide their mental resources between the things they loved and dealing with insufferable kids who had no idea of how to put 2 and 2 together.
Someday, he thought. Someday I'll be able to dismiss my students and dedicate every single minute to just... think. Work. Solve. Work some more. Find solutions to all the problems my peers aren't able to understand, because I am smarter. Brighter. Better. Time, it's all I need. Time.
Taking a deep breath, he lowered his gaze to the pile of exams in front of him. Most of them hadn't passed, which meant that in a few minutes his office would be flooded with students wanting to review them and crying to see if he'd feel sorry for them. Needless to say, he wouldn't. When Jim heard the first knock on the door, he closed his eyes for a moment before straightening himself in his chair. "Yes" he said. "Come in. Ah, yes. Take a seat" he offered, narrowing his eyes a little. Jim recognized the boy's face, but he didn't remember his name. Whatever. He'd probably failed anyway, otherwise he wouldn't be there. "What can I do for you?"
