"Is it true that you once fell asleep during one of your own lectures?"

The professor's stunned expression revealed that he hadn't expected anything like this when he called on the student. The rest of us sat there stunned, too, finding it incredible that anyone would ask such a thing in the middle of class. But we also felt a little guilty, because we'd heard the rumors and speculated if they could be true. Now, finally, someone had dared to ask.

The student sat there with a triumphant smirk on his face as the professor struggled with embarrassment at the front of the room.

"I don't see what this has to do with what we've been talking about," he began, "but since you asked, I'll tell you what happened." The professor then explained that the school's administration had asked him to represent them at a conference. He agreed to go if it wouldn't interfere with his teaching. The school arranged for him to come back late at night after the conference so he could still give his lectures the next ...