Seneca State University - Sophomore Year - The Beginning

Chapter 3 - Financial Aid Girl

Cathy finally made it to the student union with Kiara. It wasn't as far as she thought. She had to ask a couple of people to point her in the right direction. It would have been easier with Brent, but she was too embarrassed to be around him. Kiara hung around in the student lobby to stare at whatever they were showing on the television while Cathy walked into the bookstore. She had to buy three more books for her business classes. She finally found what she needed and waited in the long line of students to ring them up. When it was her turn, she plopped the three heavy books, that were the size of the bible, on the counter. The cashier smiled at her and rung them up.

"That'll be $500."

Cathy blinked. "$500?"

"Yes, how would you like pay? We except all major credit cards."

Cathy dug out her wallet and handed the cashier her credit card. She watched her scan it, then frown.

"Do you have another credit card? This one is no good."

It was the only credit card she had. "Hold on a minute," Cathy told her and took out her phone to check the balance on her card. She could hear the students behind her snickering. She tried to ignore them as she stared at the screen. She only had a $100 left."

"I'll have to get one book. You could leave the others off," she told the cashier. Her face turned red when she heard the whispers behind her.

"Oh my God, she doesn't even have enough for her books."

"Must be a financial aid student. Why do they bother come here when they know they can't afford it."

The cashier frowned at her and sighed. "Fine," she said, "but you're holding up the line..."

A group of students burst out laughing behind Cathy. At this point, she was so humiliated, she was close to tears.

"Cathy! There you are!" She heard a male's voice call her name and turned around to see Brent walking to her.

"Sorry, I'm late. Thanks for letting me borrow the money, this morning, I misplaced my wallet," he said loudly so everyone could hear him. "Didn't mean to make you short on cash. Here you go," he handed her five hundred dollars bills.

Cathy could only stare at him.

He quickly gave the money to the cashier instead who smiled at him flirtatiously as she rung up the books.

"Brent, you're such a rascal. You almost embarrassed this poor girl. People were beginning to think she was a financial aid student. I mean it's not like we get a lot of rich Black girls here."

Cathy's mouth dropped open at hearing that.

Brent took the books after she rung them up and grabbed Cathy's arm pulling her out of the bookstore.

They stood in the lobby together. Cathy was too shocked to say anything. She was still trying to figure out what just happened. The cashier really had some nerves to say that to her and Brent just dished out $500 like it was change to him and paid for her books. It was too much.

Brent took advantage of the moment to put her new books in her book bag for her. Then he draped it over his broad shoulders. "It's a little heavy. I can carry it to your dorm if you want me to."

Cathy snatched the bag away from him and nearly dropped it on the floor. It was heavy with the 3 new books added to the ones she already had, it felt like she was carrying bricks. She left it on the floor in front of her and stared up at Brent.

"I can't take your money. This is exactly what Shenequa was talking about."

"What? No...I owed you for the glasses..."