Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 107077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
A whole fucking month?
How the hell am I going to make it through that long on my own?
I haven’t paid any attention to the lectures. I’ve spent a good portion of this semester scrolling through ESPN, checking out lifting regimens, and watching TikTok. There’s some funny shit on there.
Mallory and the other girls take diligent notes, complete my homework, and turn in any assigned projects. All of which received As. The only thing I do is show up to class and take the actual tests and quizzes. Even though I glance over the information the night before, I usually eke out a D.
There’s no way I’ll pass this class on my own.
And she damn well knows it.
Dr. Nichols rifles through a bunch of papers before setting a thick stack on the podium. My gaze drops to them in curiosity before realizing it’s everything I completed throughout the semester.
All right, obviously I didn’t complete any of it. Not technically. I added my John Hancock to the top when necessary.
“You know, Mr. Stevens…I thought it quite odd that your homework assignments along with your project had been exceptionally well done. The details added and the fleshing out of ideas speak of a student who has a high level of mastery over the material.”
She flips through a few examples before holding them up as evidence. “Wouldn’t you agree with that assessment?”
I clear my throat and shift my weight. Unfortunately, I know exactly in what direction this convo is heading. I’ve watched enough crime dramas to recognize entrapment when I see it. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“There’s no I guess so about it, Mr. Stevens. This is exemplary work.”
Again, she flicks through the stack before pulling out half a dozen exams. “And yet, all these tests tell a very different story. They suggest the person taking them has almost no grasp of the concepts.” There’s a pause as her cool, gray eyes sharpen. “I’m sure even you can understand how that would be confusing…right?”
Since that seems more like a rhetorical question, I remain silent. There’s no point to incriminating myself any further. We both know what the truth of the matter is.
“You failed one test miserably and barely scraped by on the others. Homework is fifty percent of your grade, which means that you’re passing this class with a C-.”
A bad feeling flares to life in the pit of my gut as I wait to hear how she’s going to fuck my life up.
Because I can tell it’s coming.
Like a runaway train barreling down the tracks.
“Instead of automatically failing you, I’ve decided the only fair thing to do is wipe your previous grades from the book.” She angles her head. “Since you didn’t actually earn them. The remainder of the semester will hinge upon what marks you receive moving forward from this day. Do you understand what I’m telling you, Mr. Stevens?”
“Yeah,” I say with a grunt. “I get it.”
A slow smile curls around the edges of her lips. It’s probably the first one I’ve seen from her. It’s a little frightening.
Maybe more than a little.
“Excellent.”
The words escape before I can stop them. “I hope you realize that if I fail anything, I’ll get benched.”
Her eyes become even more wintery. Any second, my balls will freeze and fall right off.
“Then I suggest you not only study but work hard so that doesn’t occur. The grade you earn in this class is now in your hands. Not mine. And not your harem’s.” She gathers up all the paperwork before shoving it toward me. “My advice is that you relearn all this material, because you’ll see it again on the final.”
When I stare at the thick pile in dismay, she snaps, “You are now dismissed.”
My fingers bite into the stack, crumpling them as I swing around and stalk out of the lecture hall.
Fucking dragon.
When I strolled in here the first day of class and got a good look at the professor, I had a sneaking suspicion she’d find a way to make my life hell. It might have taken a few months, but I wasn’t wrong.
5
LOLA
I slip my phone from my back pocket and glance at the screen as I hustle my way across campus. At this early hour, I’m still bleary-eyed and barely functional. I was up later than anticipated last night. A homework assignment that should have taken an hour took almost three.
I didn’t fall face first into bed until after two o’clock, and then my alarm failed to go off. Or maybe I forgot to set it. At this point, I have no idea. All I’m trying to do is make it to class before it begins. Dr. Harrison is a real stickler for punctuality, and I don’t want to do anything that will land me on his shit list.
Since I barely had time to throw my hair up into a ponytail, there was no way I could make a cup of coffee to go. And I’m definitely feeling the effects of it. At this point, I’d consider trading my future firstborn for an extra-large Robusta.