From Campus Pauper to Billionaire Campus King

Chapter 7

The morning class was a blur of economics terms Isaiah barely understood, with his mind still reeling from yesterday’s event.

Suddenly, the roar of a high-performance engine shattered the quiet ambiance of the campus. A sleek and cherry-red Porsche screeched to a halt directly in front of the classroom building with its polished surface gleaming in the mid-morning sun. Every head in the lecture hall snapped towards the windows.

“It’s Walter!” Someone whispered, followed by a ripple of excited murmurs.

“And Jules!” Another voice added, louder.

A chant began. It was low at first, then it grew in volume. 

Walter and Jules! Walter and Jules! Hottest couple! Walter and Jules!”

The classroom door swung open with a dramatic flair. Walter Sterns, who was impeccably dressed, strolled in with an arm wrapped possessively around Jules Norvel’s waist. Jules, blushing under the attention, was basking in the cheers. She had her hair perfectly done in order to look perfect and highlight her dazzling smile. They were the undisputed king and queen of the campus social scene, and they made sure everyone knew it.

Walter, who was still holding Jules close, walked her down the aisle, passing rows of adoring students and directly towards the front of the class. Her seat, by some cruel twist of fate, was right in front of Isaiah’s.

Isaiah kept his gaze fixed on his textbook, a dense tome on microeconomics. He traced a line of text with his finger and pretended to not see the couple. He would not give them the satisfaction of getting his attention so he made sure not to look up.

Walter, however, was clearly not content with being ignored. He stopped beside Jules’s desk, directly in front of Isaiah. He leaned down, pulled Jules closer, and kissed her. A long, exaggerated, and open-mouthed kiss. Right there. And as he did, his eyes flickered, meeting Isaiah’s downcast face. He was making sure Isaiah saw it and felt it.

The class erupted in whistles and cheers.

Isaiah’s grip tightened on his book. He could feel the heat rising in his neck, but he forced himself to stay still and to breathe. “Don’t react. Don’t react,” he thought to himself.

Walter pulled away from Jules with a triumphant smirk on his face. Then, with a theatrical flourish, he lifted Jules into his arms, a move clearly designed for maximum impact. And then, he dropped her, not so gently, onto Isaiah’s desk.

Books, pens, and papers scattered across the floor with a loud clatter. Isaiah’s economics textbook slid off and landed with a thud, with its spine bending at an unnatural angle.

Isaiah’s head snapped up, his carefully constructed composure shattering. “Hey! What the hell, Walter? Look what you did!” he yelled, his voice raw with sudden fury. He pointed at his scattered books and then at the bent spine of his textbook.

The cheers of the class transformed into mocking laughter.

“Aw, is Fetch-Boy jealous?” A voice from the back called out.

“Looks like someone’s still hung up on Jules!” Another taunted.

Walter stepped back, his smirk widening. “I would be careful if I were you, Fetch-Boy. If I hadn’t already reported your little stunt to my insurance company, the one that insured the twenty-grand ring I got for Jules that you lost. I’d have you beaten to a stupor right here. So count yourself lucky.”

Isaiah pushed himself out of his seat, his eyes blazing. He didn’t care about the insurance, or the ring, or the class. He didn’t care about anything but the sheer and deliberate malice of the act. “Get the hell out of my sight, Walter! And take your cheap trophy with you! I don’t give a damn about you, or your insurance company, or that pathetic ring!”

Walter’s face flushed, his eyes narrowing to slits. His jaw tightened. “What did you just say to me?” He stepped forward, nose to nose with Isaiah, his hands clenching into fists. The air crackled with tension. It was clear he was ready to fight.

Just then, the classroom door opened again, and Jenny Reeds stepped in, her eyes sweeping over the chaotic scene. Her gaze landed on Walter and Isaiah, whose faces were inches apart, and then on Jules, who was still perched on Isaiah’s desk, looking smug.

“Walter! Jules!” Jenny’s voice cut through the murmuring class, sharp and authoritative. “What in the world is going on here?” 

She walked purposefully towards them, her eyes fixed on Jules. “Jules, if you and your boyfriend don’t behave yourselves, I will personally see to it that you are removed from the beauty ambassador contest with FrontView Talent Agency. Do I make myself clear?”