7
CLAIRE
It’s everything I can do to keep my focus on the professor at the front of the class. I feel his stare burning through me but refuse to look in his direction.
Johnny’sstare.
The guy who has been weird as hell to me lately has a name. And somehow, it’s strangely fitting. Almost like I knew it without knowing it, if that makes sense.
It doesn’t, not really.
Class finally ends, and when it does, he seems to be looking for ways to drag out his departure, which results in me taking my sweet time putting my stuff into my backpack. If he’s waiting to get me alone, he’s going to have to try a little harder. Professor Brown has office hours following our period, so he’s shit out of luck.
Once he finally takes his leave, I count to thirty in my head, secure the zipper, and sling the bag over my shoulder.
That should be plenty of time for him to have gone, right?
I make my way to the front of the class slowly, but Brown stands from her desk.
“Ms. Cooper,” she says to me. She shuffles a few papers around and then pulls one out.
I approach her desk, grateful for the continued delay in my departure. “Yes?”
She smiles kindly, showing her incredibly white teeth. Professor Brown is probably in her late thirties or early forties. She’s well put together with her black dress suit and perfectly pinned back dark hair. The giant rock on her ring finger tells me that her partner is either seriously in debt or she doesn’thaveto be a working woman and chooses to be anyway.
"Your advisor, Sid Martin, reached out about the scholarship you've applied for. He mentioned you were trying to find an extracurricular to better your chance of acceptance."
I nod. “Yeah, I spoke to him yesterday, and he said he’d look for some options.”
She holds out the page to me. “If you’re willing, I think you’d be a great fit for our tutoring program. I went over your transcript, and you meet all the requirements and then some. It offers flexible hours and will easily fit into your current course load.”
I take the signup form from her and briefly look it over.
Brown continues. “And if all goes well, I’d be willing to write a letter of recommendation to the scholarship committee.”
With that, my attention goes back to her. “Really? You’d do that?”
That could be the huge push I need to help me win this chance to return back to the east-coast. To my life.
“Absolutely.” Brown smiles again. “Your endorsements from your home school are beaming. You’d be doing me a favor, honestly. It’s been a while since I’ve had a bright pupil like you to help with our tutoring program.”
I can’t help the blush that covers my cheeks. “Thanks.”
“Is that a yes?” She raises her brows with hesitant excitement.
What do I have to lose? This seems like a no-brainer—a perfect opportunity laid right in my hands for the taking. I'd be a fool to turn it down. Not only is English Literature my favorite subject, but it's also my best. Being a tutor should be a piece of cake, especially at the freshman level.
“Definitely.” I grin back at her.
“Awesome!” Brown tries to contain her enthusiasm. “Okay, just fill that out and bring it to class on Wednesday.”
"Will do." I go to leave, but a familiar scent catches my attention near the door. I stop abruptly and carefully poke my head out of the room to see Johnny leaning against the wall. I bite at my lip and ponder an escape route.
I guess I could just camp out in Brown’s room during her office hours—tell her I want to get ahead on my reading for the class. She’d totally buy that, given she already thinks I’m an overachiever.
But then I’d have to skip math. And what if Johnny stays there anyway and continues to wait? I’d run into him either way.
Clearly, I’m being a self-centered fool. He couldn’t possibly be out there to catch me when I leave, is he? Maybe he’s killing time for a friend, anyone other than me.