"Party tomorrow off campus. Computer Science majors only," Mindy said as she handed a slip to a passing student. The girls had spent a good chunk of their week passing out flyers for the upcoming party and word was spreading like wildfire. Charlotte had excitedly volunteered to help them out and even managed to enlist others as well.

"How many people do you think will show up to this?" Lexi said as she handed a flyer to a student passing by the Computer Science building. The clear sky called many outside to bask in the sunshine.

"Honestly, I have no clue. Hopefully everyone!"

"Yeah, I feel like we've passed out a lot already. If we get even thirty people, that would be a good start. Anyways, you ready to head to class?" Lexi asked trying to hide any visible signs of the turmoil she was experiencing. Class with Professor Miller was next up on the agenda. While she didn't totally believe the threats he made earlier that week, there was still the unknown of how he would actually treat her. She hated to admit it, but a part of her was itching to find out.

"It's still early. We have fifteen minutes!" Mindy said as she tucked the remaining flyers into her purse.

"Yeah, but I like to get there early."

"Mhmm and this wouldn't have anything to do with wanting to see a certain someone a little earlier?" Mindy crossed her arms while tilting her head with a smirk.

"No! Just, shush. Let's go." Lexi laughed and the girls made their way into the building. The closer they got to the door, the more Lexi's pulse sped up. When they walked through the doorway, they found the classroom void of any other people, forcing a sinking feeling in the pit of Lexi's stomach.

"See, I told you this was way too early," Mindy said as she led the way to seats in the middle area.

After about five minutes students began filling the space, and Tom made his way in as well. When Lexi's eyes met his, a zap of electricity sped through her. She smiled and she could see a semblance of a smile on him before he turned his attention back to where he was walking. His white button-down shirt and navy blue slacks were similar to what he wore to the Dean's dinner, but it seemed like something about him had changed. His movements seemed smoother compared to the first day of class. Lexi took in everything she could about him, from the small, miniscule shifts to the nearly inaudible sounds.

After the space filled up, Tom gave out a warm smile to no one in particular and spoke, "Good morning, class!" Lexi smiled in return and prayed that things would just be as normal as possible between them. He hadn't looked at her again since he walked in, and she wondered if he already forgot she was there.

"So, I trust you all have done your homework. I thought it would be a fun start if we had one or two people come up and share what they wrote about. Do we have any volunteers?"

Charlotte's hand shot up and a couple of other students timidly raised their hands. Tom scanned the classroom and as soon as his gaze landed on Lexi her heart sank. She knew exactly what a look like that meant. "Ms. Foster. How about you kick us off?"

As if she had yelled aloud, the whole class' attention shot to her and pink swept her cheeks. "Um, I, what?"

"I'd like for you to come up and share with the class what you wrote for your phishing attack assignment," Tom said as he leaned against the desk that was behind him. He kept his tone and expression even, letting up no information as to what he was planning.

"I, um, I didn't raise my hand though." She shifted in her seat hoping the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

"I know. I just want to hear from a couple of students. So, you're up! Come on up!" He smiled and went to sit in the first row of chairs behind the first long wooden desk, waiting for his instructions to be followed.

A wave of ice slid through Lexi's body. Never in her life had she addressed a room full of people. The expectant looks on everyone's faces made her heart beat faster and the sound traveled up to her eardrums. She gave a quick glance to Mindy, who smiled with an encouraging nod.

"Okay, um, I just, um, need to open up the assignment on my laptop," Lexi said, stumbling over her words.

"Take all the time you need. We'll all be waiting." Lexi could've sworn she heard a hint of amusement in his voice. Yet, she had no time to dwell on it since it felt as though she was being sent to the electrocution chair.

She shuffled up to the podium at the front with her laptop and gulped down the rise in her throat. Nameless faces painted her vision and she looked to Tom for further instruction. "Go ahead and introduce yourself to the class, what year you're in, and then share what creative phishing example you came up with for this assignment." He tucked his lips into his mouth and set his hands behind his head.

Lexi knew she was shaking. It was clear on her hands in front of her as she pulled up the assignment. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The class remained completely silent as Lexi's mind went blank. Tingles erupted along her skin and the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach kept growing.

She glanced around the room and couldn't make out any faces except for Mindy who was smiling so hard and kept nodding. Her gaze shifted to Tom who set his hands down and seemed to have softened his expression. C'mon Lexi. Say something! Anything. Go fast! Just get through it!

Lexi cleared her throat and let the words flow out quicker than her typing speed. "Hi, I'm Hannah. I'm a sophomore. My phishing attack would be prompting a user to confirm their login information." Her answer to the assignment wasn't what she had written out but rather the first thing that came to mind.

"Okay, Hannah. That's it? What kind of login information would you confirm?" Tom asked.

Lexi shrugged as a lump began to grow in her throat. Tom drew his eyebrows together and opened his mouth, seeming as if he was going to say something, before closing it again. He let out a breath before speaking. "Okay, well, thank you for sharing, Hannah," he said as he got up from his seat. "Who's next?"

Lexi quickly made her way back to her own seat and hunched down. "How bad was it?" she whispered to Mindy.

"Um, no! Wasn't bad! You did great," Mindy whispered back with a slight lilt in her voice.

"It was terrible." Lexi pulled her hands over her face. The adrenaline high running through her was creating an icy hot sensation along her skin. Mindy lightly squeezed her arm before they both turned their attention back to Tom who asked Charlotte to share.

"You don't have to come up. You can just say it from your seat," Tom said to Charlotte.

What an asshole. Of course, he made me go up. Lexi crossed her arms and took a deep breath in. Okay, at least it's over and behind me. She turned toward Charlotte who was sitting on the other side of Mindy. Their new friend began speaking confidently and eloquently about her personalized phishing attack and Tom seemed well pleased with her response. Now she's just showing off.

Once Charlotte was done presenting, Tom practically sang her praises to the rest of the class, prompting Lexi to grind her teeth. "Alright, I think that should be good. Let's get right into the lesson for the day," Tom said before plugging his laptop into the screen share tech.

He ran a hand through his hair and Lexi's stomach fluttered. She chided herself for remembering when her hands were running through it at one point. Lexi. Don't even go there. He is cashing in on his threat and you need to show him you're not affected.

***

She had to hand it to him; Tom was good at his job. The lesson flew by and she found herself engaged in the topic and even learning a couple of new things. "Alright, that's all for today, class. I'll post your results to your homework online." Tom unplugged his laptop and shared the instructions for next class' homework assignment before dismissing everyone.

Lexi let out a breath and began shoving her things into her black bag. A tall classmate she hadn't noticed earlier came to stand in front of her, forcing her to look up. He had light brown hair that was slightly overgrown and fell loosely over his face. Lexi was quick to notice the dimples that emerged when he smiled at her and she smiled back. "Hey, uh, Hannah right?" he asked with a baritone voice.

"Yeah." She nodded and slung her bag's strap over her shoulder.

"I'm Wes. I'm on the basketball team." He grinned and Lexi wondered why this cute boy was coming up to her.

"Hi, Wes on the basketball team," she responded with a polite smile.

Wes let out a laugh before leaning to the side to let students pass. "I, uh, I was wondering if you were the one hosting the party this weekend?"

"Yeah, my roommate and I are hosting together." She glanced behind her to Mindy who was chatting with Charlotte. Both were likely waiting for her to finish up before heading out of class together.

"Cool. I was just wondering if I'd be seeing you there." Wes held on to the straps of his backpack and shifted on his feet.

"Oh, yeah I'll be there, why?" Does he want the class notes or something?

Wes chuckled and shifted again. "I, uh, thought we could hang out. You seem pretty cool and I thought your presentation was pretty cute."

A flush of heat ran through Lexi's cheeks, and she hoped they weren't as red as she thought they might be. "Oh." She smiled and looked down before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, sure. Yeah, we can hang."

"Cool, I'll-" Before Wes could finish his sentence a deep voice startled them.

"Do you guys mind clearing out of here? I need to get ready for my next class," Tom said while jerking his head towards the door. He folded his arms across his chest and clenched his jaw.

"Yeah, sorry Mr. Miller, just needed to ask Hannah something," said Wes before turning back to Lexi with a boyish grin. Mindy and Charlotte waved goodbye and began making their way out of class.

Tom cleared his throat. "Hannah. Actually, can you please hang back? I need to chat to you about your presentation today," Tom said before giving Wes a chance to speak to Lexi.

Lexi furrowed her brows. Ugh of course. He probably wants to rub it in my face.

"See you Saturday," Wes said before turning around and walking out the door behind Mindy and Charlotte.

"Bye." She smiled back but it quickly faltered when the silence hit her eardrums. She took a deep breath and turned to face Tom who was still leaning against his desk with arms crossed.

***

Ugh I always feel for Lexi when I read this chapter. Public speaking is never easy. You have wins and misses, but the best thing to remember is that both are okay! ♥️