10. Help From an Unlikely Source

Every step toward Dr. Pappas's classroom sent dread into her stomach until she thought she might be sick.

It was already midafternoon, and so far, she'd gotten no sideways glances, no sudden invitations to Dr. Ng's office, or anything else that might have made her think Dr. Pappas had told everyone he saw her at a sex club.

Didn't mean he wouldn't use it as blackmail. He was probably waiting for just the right opportunity.

Tania considered darting into the restroom to give herself time to calm down, but the closest one was the one she now refused to use. She'd spent too much time edging herself in the corner stall and didn't need the reminder.

She wanted Daddies who would give her comfort and support. Instead, she got overly controlling assholes who thought they could dictate her life and choices.

Not. Happening.

They could kindly fuck right off. Thankfully, she'd never see them again.

And it hurt way too much to think about them or what might have been.

Knowing she couldn't delay any longer, she trudged in and took her seat, but didn't look at Dr. Pappas.

"So good of you to join us, your majesty," he said, giving her an ugly smirk. "Did you have a nice weekend?"

Before she could reply, Jason, Owen, and Hassan moved to surround her. Owen took the seat in front of her, while Jason and Hassan took up positions on her right and left.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

Owen did not whisper and stared at Dr. Pappas as he spoke. "If Dr. Ng isn't going to help, we will."

To her shock, the rest of the students moved until she was seated in the center of a crowd of young men. Although she hated needing their protection, she'd be forever grateful to her classmates. Tears burned and she sniffed in a desperate attempt to keep them at bay.

"Don't you dare cry," Hassan murmured. "It'll be really freaking weird, and you're not going to let him see that he's gotten to you."

"He isn't getting to me. Y'all…" She choked out a watery laugh. "I'm taking all of you out for drinks tonight."

"Also weird," Jason muttered. "We don't like you, remember?"

Before she could reply, Dr. Pappas said, "If you're quite finished playing musical chairs, shall we get started?" He gave her an ugly glare, which she returned with interest. In an act of what had to be sheer spite, he tossed a stack of paper on Owen's desk, then added, "Surprise pop quiz."

Owen frowned as he took one before passing the stack to his neighbor. "Dr. Pappas, this is material we haven't covered in the lectures."

"Do you have a problem with that, Mr. Nakamura?"

Shaking his head, Owen pressed his lips together and went silent.

"At least the dickweed curves," Hassan muttered under his breath.

To their credit, none of them seemed to blame Tania, but she wasn't about to delude herself and say Dr. Pappas wasn't hitting the class with an unfair quiz to punish them for protecting her.

For a moment, she considered going to Dr. Ng, but doubted it would help. After ignoring documented sexual harassment, he wouldn't give two shits about an unfair quiz.

The quiz paper finally made it to her, and she scowled. Owen was right. She suspected Dr. Pappas had planned the quiz for much later in the semester, probably as a warmup for the final.

Although she'd studied ahead, it was going to be a challenge, and more than a few of her classmates were barely keeping up as it was.

She lifted her head and smiled at him, baring teeth. "Since you already know we're all going to fail, we're having a surprise group project."

"Excuse me?" His face flushed with anger; Dr. Pappas put his hands on his hips. "There will be no talking during a test."

"The test you know we won't pass without Tania's help?" Jason asked. "Dr. Ng might not be willing to say anything to you about what you're doing to her, but I think he'll have a lot to say about this."

"Maybe I should tell Dr. Ng where Miss Andersen spends her weekends." He licked his lips, then stepped to the side where he could see her. "I'm sure he'd love to hear all about it."

Her blood iced, but she didn't dare let him know he'd gotten to her. "I?—"

"Nobody cares what a nerd with no social life does with her time," Jason snapped. "She's a crazy cat lady in training, and you know she's the only one weird enough to have studied ahead."

Wow, Jason. Tell me what you really think.

He wasn't exactly wrong, but Tania's building didn't allow pets. She'd get a kitten or two eventually.

"Fine." Dr. Pappas shoved his laptop into its case and zipped it shut. "Class is canceled."

Without another word, he walked out.

"What a fucking tool," Hassan said.

"Amen to that," someone replied. "I'm gonna bounce and get something to eat."

"Actually, it's an opportunity," Tania murmured before her classmates could leave. "Who wants to shove this quiz right up his skinny ass?"

"I could think of something a lot more painful to put there." Owen turned in his seat to face her. "What's on your mind?"

"Gentlemen, let's get to work." She opened her laptop and found the correct section in her online textbook. "We're going to finish this quiz and slip them under his office door."

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