Sutton slips out from under my arm and makes her way to the front of the studio. Her back is to me, blocking my view of Mac, but he must say something to her because she gives a curt nod as she accepts our paper.
She turns on her heel and clutches the paper to her chest, not even glancing down to check our grade.
What the hell did he say to her?
I flex my hands at my sides, each step she takes back to me feeling like a goddamn eternity.
“Mac wants to see us after class,” she whispers.
“Why?”
“No clue, but I’m guessing it has to do with our paper.”
My gut tightens.
It’s probably nothing.
“I can’t look.” Sutton thrusts the term paper into my hands, eyes squeezed shut. “You do it.”
Fuck it. If it’s bad news, it’s best to just get it over with.
I draw a steadying breath and turn the paper over, forcing myself to read the notes scrawled at the top in red ink. “Excellent work. A+.”
“A+?” Her eyes go wide and she grabs the paper. For an instant, she just stands there staring at it, but when she lifts her gaze to mine, she’s beaming. “We got an A+!”
“Yeah, we did.” She flings herself into my arms, her sweet floral scent filling the air as I pull her close. “I told you we aced it.”
“Wait.” She pulls back, her excitement fading. “If our paper was solid, do you think he wants to see us about the internship? Are we finalists?”
I sure as fuck hope so.
“Only one way to find out.”
Mac dismisses the class and we join him on the set along with two other students, Preston, our resident know-it-all, and a quiet girl whose name I think is Kali.
“I know you’re all anxious to get started on your fall break, so I’ll make this quick.” Mac grins and surveys the group, pausing just long enough to make eye contact with each of us. “Congratulations. You four are the finalists for the Sports Stream internship.”
Sutton inhales sharply, but I don’t dare turn to look at her.
Shit’s getting real.
“Interviews will be held the first Friday of December at the Sports Stream office in Pittsburgh. I’ll be canceling class in order to attend, but don’t expect any handholding.” He pauses, letting his words sink in. “The interview process is rigorous, as is the intern position. You can expect to complete a panel interview, an aptitude test, and a live broadcast. This is an opportunity to showcase what you’ve learned at Waverly, and I expect you to do the university proud. Understand?”
There’s a round of assent from the group and Preston’s “Yes, sir,” is the loudest of all.
The arrogant prick probably thinks he’s a lock for the internship.
At least he’s consistent.
The asshole spent the first half of the semester bragging that his father plays golf with someone in the Sports Stream executive suite, so it’s par for the course.
Guys like that always underestimate the competition. He couldn’t possibly conceive of someone like me—someone with a blue-collar background and no connections—beating him at anything. And I seriously doubt he’d put respect on Sutton or Kali’s names either.
Ten to one he’s a misogynist.
“I’ll send each of you an email with the interview details, but if you haven’t already completed a mock interview at the Career Counseling office, I strongly encourage you to do so. It’s great preparation for the real thing.”
I glance at Sutton out of the corner of my eye. She nods slowly, soaking up Mac’s every word.
