Page 255 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 1
I couldn't laugh this off. I couldn't just dismiss what I had heard. It was true.Isn't it?I quickly washed my hands and walked through the hall toward class. The professor was already talking when I opened the door. I had never been late for a class before. The door made a loud banging noise when it closed and everyone in the huge lecture hall seemed to turn and look at me.
"Penny Taylor!" the professor called from the front of the room.
Fuck, how does she know my name?There were 200 students in this class. Her knowing my name was not a good thing.
"How nice of you to join us."
A bunch of students in the class snickered.
I found a seat near where I was standing, but when I went to go sit down, the girl put her backpack on the seat to block me.
Damn it!
"Psst, over here," a boy said who was sitting several rows ahead of where I was standing. I didn't want to sit next to a guy I didn't know. But it seemed to be the only option.
"See me after class, Penny," the professor said and turned back to the board as I sat down.
What the hell?People came late to class all the time. It shouldn't have been a big deal at all. Was she going to give me a lecture about how I was a horrible person too? Well, I didn't want to hear it. Part of me wanted to get up and leave the class right now, disrupting it for a second time.
"Geez, what did you do to set her off?" the boy next to me whispered.
"Right? People come late to this class all the time."
"Do you think it has something to do with that thing with Professor Hunter?"
Of course he knew about that. Everyone knew about that. I shrugged and tried to pay attention to what the professor was saying.
"Hey, I'm not judging you. Hell, I actually owe you a thank you. I was getting a C in strategic management. And rumor has it that you just scored me an A."
"Yeah. You're welcome." At least someone was happy with me. I wasn't even sure I was happy with myself anymore.
"I'm Eli by the way. I'm in Sigma Pi with Tyler." He stuck his hand out to me.
I shook his hand. "I'm Penny. But I guess you already know that."
"Yeah, everyone knows who you are."
He did look familiar. I had probably seen him at one of the Sigma Pi parties before. "Did Tyler tell you to look out for me or something?"
"He didn't really put it like that. He just said he knew I didn't know anyone in this class and neither did you."
"Thanks for letting me sit next to you. I'm not sure anyone else was going to let me sit next to them."
He smiled and turned back to look at the board.
***
I shoved my notebook into my backpack. "Thanks again for letting me sit with you, Eli."
"Of course. What do you think Professor Thornton wants to talk to you about?"
"I have no idea."
"I'm sure it's nothing bad."
"Hopefully. I guess I'll see you Monday?"
He smiled. "Of course. But I guess I'll actually see you this weekend at the Sigma Pi formal too."
