Page 18 of Emily: Hello Kitten

My sister is getting everything she wanted in a wedding. She’s going to be a princess. My mom is still offering to change the seating arrangements so I can sit with some ‘eligible guys’.

Not to mention I have four texts from my dad saying I should lie to anyone who asks what I study and say my major is business instead of English. He even said I could say ‘law’.

When the door to my dorm room opens, I grab my bag, eager tonotbe here, but Beth points at me. “You!”

“I’m just about to—”

“Oh, no, it’s Friday. You don’t have class. You can wait to study. Dinner’s not for another hour. You’re going to answer me!” she insists, slamming the door.

“Sure. So, I know everything about the wedding now. It’s great that Danielle suggested the pink dress since I’ll have to wear that,” I start.

She lets me list things off while her lips get tighter and she starts tapping her toe. When I run out of things to say andstillhaven’t thought of any excuses to get me out of this situation, she attacks.

“What the hell happened in Dr. Hayes’ office! You came out looking all flushed and squirmy! Did he try to seduce you? Did you seduce him? Did you get him to agreenotto come? I need to know! I don’t have a dress and—”

“He’s coming,” I whisper, cutting her off.

Her eyes focus on me with a deadly calm that makes me squeak. “Repeat that,” Beth orders.

“You heard me!” I exclaim.

She lunges towards me, but I duck and make it out the door. I get to the common room on our floor before she catches me and shoves me outside. We stare at each other as she fumes.

Beth likes to choose her words carefully, but that just makes me twice as terrified. “You’re supposed to have some spine.”

“I know! I gave him every logical reason we talked about!” I insist.

“Then how is he still going with you?”

“He’s very hard to say no to,” I defend.

She pinches the bridge of her nose. “He’s our professor, Emily.”

“I know. I told him that plenty. I laid out the problems,” I say.

She still doesn’t look at me. “He’s our professor.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“And if he gets fired because of you and people will assume you’re willing to sleep your way to As, is that worth sleeping with him again?” she asks slowly.

Dizziness makes my vision blur as I lean back against the building. “He asked if I wanted him to come after working me up, and I said yes.”

“Did he kiss you?”

“No.”

“Did he touch you?”

“Not inappropriately.”

“A teacher touching a studentisinappropriate!” she says, taking a step closer to me. “He’s an older man. You’re his student. Text him no. Now.”

I pull out my phone and let her watch me. I type my text.

You can’t come to the wedding.

As my thumb hovers over the send button, I show it to Beth and she nudges my thumb, hitting send.

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