Anne Fine's KilljoyMain characters: Alicia Anna Davie (19 years old) and Professor Ian Laidlaw (49 years old)Summary:In a late afternoon seminar in the politics department of an All 'Scottish University, a student was talking about an essay he had written, and Professor Laidlaw tried to cut him off twice with one of his most characteristic phrases: 'That's right. That's right." The second time Laidlaw heard a small noise and realized it was one of the other students. Alicia Anna Davie started laughing. Laidlaw decided to ask her a question: "I'm interested, Alicia, in your opinion on the thesis of Stuart." (He was a great man for diminutives.). But when he greeted her, the answer was yet another: 'Exactly. That's right,' he burst into uncontrollable laughter. He looked at her with joy; for the first time after time she knew what it meant to be pleased again by another person. Her gratitude, however, was strange. After recovering, she smiled at him and he smiled carefully at her like everyone else to avoid the scarred side of his face. Laidlaw got that scar because years ago he fought a large dog. Then he positively emphasized his disfigurement, making his eyes rounder than usual, swelling the diseased cheek later, it was simply his way of ending a mood of happiness that he knew couldn't last. But when she shouted that he was a bully and slapped him so hard that he almost fell off his chair, he admitted that she deserved it. A giggle, a burst of laughter, a smile, a slap: these are the beginnings of which a sinister duet begins to take shape. Laidlaw found himself fascinated by Alicia despite himself, and despite his ignorance, his satisfaction and his dirty ways. He tried to withdraw, but then he realized that she was fascinated in turn, that his ugliness excited her. She liked his face. This was the root of the problem. Then it was time to go home. They were both on their way home, but Laidlaw decided to follow Alicia. Alicia saw Laidlaw and thought he was going to rape her or something, but he wasn't, so she walked faster and tripped. All her books fell, but Laidlaw offered to help her.