Class 101❖Jeff Winger

Dirty Little Secret || eight

The rest of Monday consisted of the Dean running around campus and ensuring all electronics were securely held down. Jeff didn't talk to me after our last class together for the day, so I went home after I ate lunch with my friends. It gave me some time to read, which I was thankful for.

I have five classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a one hour break in the middle for lunch. Today, I was using that break to look through the library, trying to find the book I needed for a report. I thought it was stupid that my teacher had decided to assign a report that had to be at least ten pages this early in the school year, but I don't get to choose the curriculum.

I was honestly thinking of changing my degree to something like education. I had taken a lot of the classes required for it here, and I wouldn't have to keep taking business classes. The only reason I haven't is that I'm also almost done with my business degree. I've always overloaded classes every semester, along with dual enrolling in courses during high school. I was set to be done next semester, so I doubt I'll actually change my degree.

Granted, I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I would work. It was something I'd often struggled with, even before I enrolled in classes. I've never really had a solid idea of what I wanted to do for a career. It's not so much that I don't know what I want, but rather I know I can't make a career out of it. My parents have always told me I was too smart for the things I wanted to do, which is why I'm enrolled in business classes.

"Hey. You're Ellouise, right?" I turned to see Britta Perry, smiling as she walked up to me.

"Yeah," I cocked an eyebrow, curious as to why she was talking to me.

"Walk with me, Ellouise. I have a story to tell you," she stated, offering her arm for me to take.

"You can call me Lou, and uh, okay, I guess," I said. I cautiously linked arms with her, and she led me to one of the study rooms, closing the door behind us.

"Sit down, Lou. It'll be easier to take in that way," she said. She gave me a small smile as I sat down, confusion still evident in my actions.

"You know Jeff, right? You two have been sitting together, instead of him sitting with us, in Vaughn's class. You know, Class 101. You have another class together," she questioned.

"Yeah..." I trailed off, still confused. If I sit with him, and you see me talk to him, I think it's clear that I know him.

"Well, let me tell ya' Lou, he does not shut up about you! When we have our study group meeting, he's always talking about some funny comments you had made during Vaughn's class or a tip you gave him during Redman's class," she shrugged. Her voice showed she was trying to be confident, but it came off as condescending.

"Okay, and?" I asked

"I just want to warn you. Did he ask for your number yet?" she asked. I nodded in response, eliciting a laugh from her. "Did you try to give him a stipulation to only text you about homework? And he passed on it?"

"Well, he didn't pass on it," I explained.

"Did he text you about something besides homework?" she cocked an eyebrow as she stood up and leaned across the table.

"No. Not at all," I blurted out as if it were instinct.

"Wait, really?" she asked. I nodded as she slowly sat back down, her brow furrowed in frustration. She shook her head, looking to me for an explanation.

"What? He hasn't texted me for anything besides homework. He texted me so I would have his number, that's it," I said, trying to seem more confident than I was. I hoped she couldn't tell I was lying through my teeth.