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More time than I realized must have passed while I’d been lost in thought. A deep voice pulled my attention to the front of the room, Professor Stewart gazing up at a full audience of students that had filled in around me.
A bit flustered by my lack of awareness of the people who had shuffled in while I was thinking of Ta
The professor started right in.
“Before jumping into today’s discussion, I want to remind you that the end of semester project will be due two months from today. As I’ve previously advised, and as many of you should know from the class syllabus that all of you should have read by now-“
A few nervous chuckles sounded around me at his pointed stare. Very few students actually paid attention to the class syllabus, but I wasn’t one of them. Always prepared…that was me.
“-that the final project for this class will be a detailed analysis of previous case law, arguments, and judicial decisions in the particular topic that you are assigned. Not only will a twenty-five page analysis of your topic be due at the end of this semester, but you will also be asked to present oral arguments against and in defense of your subject.”
Pacing away from the podium, Professor Stewart crossed the front of the room to snatch a folded sheet of paper from Clayton’s desk.
Holding it up for the class to see, he explained, “Due to the magnitude of this assignment, each of you will be assigned a senior student advisor who will work with you on your given subject. On the date of your oral arguments, your advisor will act as your opposing counsel. These student assignments were generated randomly, and the seniors selected have been contacted. Included in the papers being given to you is the contact information for the senior student who will be working with you. I suggest opening a line of communication with them tonight in order to begin preparing.”
He dropped the folded sheet of paper back on Clayton’s desk. Taking it, Clayton added it to a stack and pushed out of his seat to walk up the stairs between aisles, handing a stack to the first student in each row.
While he did that, the professor said, “Take the paper that has your name on it and pass the rest down the line. I’ll wait to begin today’s lesson until every person has their assignment.”
Patiently waiting while the students quietly took their paper and passed them down the row, I snatched mine from the top when it finally reached me. I passed the remaining papers down as my finger slipped between the folded sides of mine and popped the staple holding them together.
Excited to discover what area of tort litigation I would be arguing, I smiled to see my topic was Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, my eyes sca
Bile crept up the back of my throat, my stomach twisting and turning beneath my skin and my heart beating with a heavy thump to see that fate fucking hated me.
Ta
There was no way in hell I would be able to work with that son of a bitch on this project.
My head snapped up toward the front of the class, my panicked eyes meeting Clayton’s.
He must have sensed something was wrong because his brows shot up his forehead in question. Lifting his phone from the surface of his desk, he shook it back and forth to silently tell me to text him my problem.
I pulled my phone from my bag and shot off a text.
Ta His eyes lifted to meet mine, his expression sympathetic. Breaking our stare, he looked down at his phone as his thumbs raced over the screen. My phone vibrated in the next second with his response. Let me see what I can do. I’ll try to manually change it. If that doesn’t work, I’ll speak to Professor Stewart after class. His response helped relieve some of my panic, but until I knew for sure that he could get this changed, my heart would continue beating an erratic rhythm in my throat, a buzzing sound in my ears from the rush of blood making it impossible for me to listen to the class discussion.