I nod.
“Are they even in the class?”
Cleo shakes her head.
“No, and that’s the worst part. They’re just doing it to bully me.”
I feel the rage rising in my chest.
“Bitches,” I bite out.
She nods, tearing up a bit.
“I know. Luckily, the TA gave me an extension, but I’m still going to be automatically knocked down a grade for turning it in late, which sucks.”
“Goddamn,” I frown.
“I know,” she sighs. “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I were a good student because that would be like knocking an ‘A’ down to a ‘B.’ But Algebra isn’t exactly my strongest subject, so it’s more like a ‘C’ being knocked down to a ‘D.’ Honestly, one more incident like this and I’ll be failing the course.”
“Shit,” is the only thing that I can think to utter.
“Yeah, I’ve never been good at this whole school thing,” Cleo says in a rueful tone. “Basically, the only reason I even enrolled in college is because I don’t want to be like my mom. You know about Jeannie and her criminal behavior, and I’ve always thought it was partly because of her lack of education. You know my mom didn’t even finish high school,” she adds.
I nod slowly.
“Yeah, but not everyone who drops out of high school ends up in jail,” I add in a low tone. “Jeannie is just…well, she’s never going to change her ways.”
“I know,” Cleo sighs. “But I thought that education would be my path out. It would uplift me, and all that bullshit, right? At least that’s what society tells you when you want to improve yourself. But…”
“But?” I tilt my head.
The curvy girl smiles sadly.
“But now I’m not so sure that college was the right choice for me because I’m racking up tons of student debt while not learning anything. My classes suck and I’m being bullied by the girls who live in my suite. So yeah, I might as well just go back to junior high,” she gripes.
“I get it,” I nod. “It sounds like a wretched situation.”
“It is,” Cleo grumbles. “I don’t mean to whine, but this is not what I expected. But what about you, Brody? I mean, what was your college experience like? Hopefully, better than mine.”
I chuckle at that.
“Well, I didn’t go to college exactly. I went to art school, which is a little different. It was a two-year program, and I actually wanted to be there because I’ve known since I was a child that I wanted to be a photographer.”
“Really?” Cleo asks, amazed.
“Yeah, it was always my goal, so the Savannah College of Art and Design ended up being a good fit. The two-year program was amazing and it helped me jumpstart my career. It helped me build industry connections, put together a portfolio, and had incredible professors. So yeah, it was a pretty decent experience.”
Cleo nods and sighs.
“Well, we can’t all be that lucky because unfortunately, that’s not how it is for me at all. I can’t wait to get out of Coleman U, but it’s going to be a while. I’m only a freshman,” she adds in a rueful tone.
I squeeze her hand.
“Yeah, but the years fly by. I know you don’t believe that now, but trust me, today you’re a college freshman, and then in the blink of an eye, you’re a college graduate. And who’s to say that things won’t change? Those girls won’t be around to torment you forever.”
Cleo nods.
“I hope so because I’ve already put in a request with the housing office to move. I told them it was urgent and described some of the problems I was having, and the lady seemed sympathetic. So hopefully, I’ll find myself in a new living situation soon.”