7. Sabrina
7
SAbrINA
I smiled back at Professor Gowen as she wrapped up this meeting about my community project. Even though she was my instructor for Law and Order, she was the go-to person who would check in on our L1 community outreach efforts. She was the professor we had to check in with for our projects, and mine was going smoothly so far.
“I’m excited to see this come together,” she admitted. “Not just because I came from that neighborhood where the plans are for the pool, but because I would’ve been one of the first ones to sign up for swim lessons when I was a little girl.” Her grin was almost goofy with that admission. I was so used to her being serious and strict during lectures that it wasn’t so easy to reconcile that version of her with this cheerful one. Then again, hearing someone talk about something they were passionate about always changed their perspective.
“I love to swim.” She sighed, as if she wished she could be in the water now.
“Lucky you.” I shook my head. “One day, maybe I’ll try to learn how.”
“I admire how you’re using your fear to fuel this project. It certainly shows how much you can sacrifice your personal challenges for the sake of a greater good.”
I wasn’t sure about that. I was terrified of the water because I almost drowned as a child. It debilitated me from ever trying to learn how to swim. I mostly wanted to make this fundraising call for a community pool happen because it was something that specific neighborhood really needed after losing funding from the state. That was my strength, seeing what was lacking and fighting to make things right. It wasn’t fair to the people in that district that they got screwed over with irresponsible state treasurers.
“Now, before you go,” she said, losing her smile and donning that serious expression again, “I wanted to ask you about this.”
Oh, shit.
Professor Gowen liked to consider herself more of a guidance counselor than the other instructors, but it was always a team effort here. My reputation as a law student wasn’t specifically monitored by only one or two of them. They always conversed and shared input about all of their students. It wasn’t only because I’d applied for that internship spot. I was under that panel’s attention, but it was simply part of being a law student in this program.
As she turned her phone around to show me, I knew what she was referencing. Elise had given me the heads up earlier.
“What is this about, Sabrina?” she asked as I glanced at the screen.
Every time I saw the photo that was tagged not only to me, but also the department, the university, and the hashtag I’d started for my community project, I wanted to scream. Instead, I bit my lip and kept a calm frown on my face. “It’s not me.”
She raised her brows, setting the device down. “It isn’t?”
I sighed, gathering my courage to explain. “While I don’t judge others for wanting to express themselves in any creative means they choose, participating in a wet T-shirt contest for a fraternity isn’t my style.”
Yet, the photo shared all over suggested it was me standing on the Cricket’s main bar top. The brunette wore my clothes, a similar outfit of mine consisting of a skirt and blouse. Even the shoes matched mine that I wore to school every day. The girl’s face was hidden as she pulled her shirt up and over her head as she flashed the crowd in the bar. But the similarities were striking.
“Hmm.” Professor Gowen pursed her lips. “Please take this as a reminder that we expect our law students to demonstrate propriety in and out of the classroom.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I left, full of scorn and frustration that I had to face this brand of cyber bullying. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right for that jerk to frame me. And that was what made it even worse. He wasn’t trying to hide it.
Nick Grant. He was the one who’d shared the posts.
I spotted him leaning against the wall as I exited the building. Barely casting him a glance, I held my head up high and joined Elise who was waiting for me.
“I just want to know why he’s targeting you,” Elise said as she matched my stride.
“It’s not to flatter me,” I deadpanned.
“But, still…” She couldn’t stop staring at him as we walked by. “You can’t deny he’s… he’s…”
“An asshole? A bully? A rude, insensitive?—”
She elbowed me. “He’s coming this way. Shh.”
I rolled my eyes, not understanding why he’d focus on me. Ever since I ran into him last week, he was everywhere I looked. The art buildings weren’t adjacent to the area of campus that housed the law facilities. He had no reason to be near me. None whatsoever.
Except, apparently, to bully me.
Get in line, asshole.
“Any more contests on the horizon?” he asked as he reached us.
I wished I could run away from him. Avoiding bullies had to be the smartest option. But in these shoes? Not happening.
All I could do was ignore him. Holding my head high, I looked ahead and pretended he wasn’t there.
When I didn’t reply, he knocked his shoulder against me, sending me off balance.
“Look, dude, I don’t know what you’re trying to do,” Elise said, returning to her self-appointed role of being my defender. There was no mistaking how attracted she was to him, but hot or not, she would stand up for me. Little good that it ever did. “But my friend here?—”
“Has a secret naughty side, huh?” Again, he brushed against me.
I tightened my arms on my books so I wouldn’t lose them.
“Shit. My bus stop is back there.” She cringed, looking back before glaring at Nick again.
“Go on. I’ll catch up with you later,” I told her. I hated that we were pulled apart more now with our majors in different directions.
“Leave her alone,” she warned him before jogging off.
As soon as she was gone, he leaned closer, taunting me with that unique scent. Sandalwood, like he’d burned incense. Spruce and clean soap, like he’d just showered. And then something else like paint or clay. I hated that I noticed a single thing about him.
“You’re not going to catch up with her later, though, are you?” he teased. “Because you’ll be too busy like the slutty whore you are, huh?”
I bit my lip, resisting the urge to look at him.
“You’re not fooling me.” He slung his arm around my shoulders, and I quickened my steps to evade him. “You’re not fooling me at all, Sabrina. You might look like a prim and proper law student, so obedient and well-behaved.” Draping his arm around me again, he tugged me close to his hard, hot body. “But I can tell that you’re just the same as any other desperate slut.”
Releasing me, he pushed me hard enough that I tripped.
I caught my breath, stiffening as I stopped from falling into that same damn fountain again.
I’d been looking ahead with tunnel vision so deeply in an effort to ignore him that I hadn’t realized how near I was.
It was a close call. Another foot over, and he would’ve pushed me into that low-lying wall that held the water of the ornamental fountain in the square.
You jerk!
Swallowing hard, I straightened and then exhaled a breath of relief.
As he laughed at my reaction, he flung his arm at mine, upending all that I held.
Papers flew.
Books fell.
My purse shot out too.
And of course, it all landed in the water, splashing or skimming the surface.
You’ve got to be kidding me!
“Oh, damn,” Nick taunted as he backed up. “Looks like you’ll be wet again .”
Bottling in a scream, I spared him a glance and was proud of myself for not snarling or engaging in this with him.
“Go on.” He set his foot on the concrete ledge and got his phone out to video me. “Don’t mind me. I’ll share it with the wet T-shirt contest page again since you’re such a regular at showing your tits.”
I pressed my lips shut tight together as I climbed in to retrieve my things.
As I got my belongings, I ignored the laughter and taunts.
While I shook off the water, I refused to react.
Turn the other cheek.
In one ear and out the other.
The second I let them see me cry or frown, they’d dig in harder. And I couldn’t let them see how they hurt me. Giving them that satisfaction was out of the question.
Head held high, I kept it all in. I showed no emotion as I climbed back out, shook off my shoes to get rid of the water, and continued to class.
Nick stayed back, following me, and that only made me more suspicious. He’d clearly chosen me to be a target of his attention.
So why cut me slack now?
Elise was right in a superficial way. He was hot. Sexy, brooding, and mysterious. In any other circumstances, as in I had the time and energy to worry about a guy in my life, it would’ve been flattering and exciting to have his attention. Since he was only present as another bully, though, I refused to believe I could ever be attracted to him.
I squeezed out the water the best I could as I headed to my next class.
But as I sat down, I realized my misery was far from over.
“Like, you can try to get attention another way,” Rachel taunted as she took a seat behind me, kicking the back of my chair.
I clenched my teeth, ignoring her. I never wanted anyone’s attention, dammit.
“It’s sad that she needs to be the center of attention like this ,” Tiffany said before the professor could enter the room. “Wet T-shirt contests?” She laughed, twittering like the mean girl she was.
In one ear and out the other…
One day, they’d be nothing but a bad memory.
All I had to do was focus on doing my best and getting ahead to get out.
“Hey, watch it,” Rachel said, kicking my chair again. “You’re getting water all over.”
I exhaled as I squeezed more water from my notebook.
“Maybe if you used a bag, you wouldn’t lose all your shit in the fountain like that.” Rachel giggled. “Oh, wait.” She snapped her fingers. “You did have a bag, didn’t you?”
Her use of past tense was correct. Yesterday, she cut the straps on it so it would be ruined.
“Hey, you can just pick through the garbage tonight and find another one, right?” Tiffany whispered as the professor entered the room.
I breathed through the anger and hurt, staring ahead and waiting for the class to start.
She wasn’t worth my anger.
None of my bullies were.
Nick didn’t deserve the energy it would take for me to fight back.
Tiffany and her minion would get nothing from me.
No satisfaction out of making my life hell.
No matter what, they would not win at this. I was too determined to make something out of my life to let them hold me back.