THREE

AURELIA’S POINT OF VIEW

It felt as though everyones eyes were on me and it was as I stood in the huge hall filled with at least fifty students, only the best of the best were allowed in his class and well….a few students who could have their rich parents bribing the way through for them but I was a part of the top five students, I could not afford to have anyone upstaging me or removing me from my spot here.

He looked at me with a blank expression, but I knew better. it was like I could see the devil on his face as he stood in the center of the hall, staring at me with his icy blue eyes. it was funny how his eyes were the color of my favorite shade of blue.

“Tell the difference between the Mark Anthony v the United States and the Mark Anthony v the United States of America,” he asked, and instantly I heard papers rustling as different students tried to search the cases to avoid disappointing him

Suddenly, he yelled “YOU, YOU AND YOU GET THE HELL OUT MY MY CLASSROOM, IF YOU WANT TO BE REAL LAWYERS, DO NOT SHOW THE JUDGE HOW UNPREPARED YOU ARE1” he pointed to three students who opened their books and rustled their papers loudly, it was one of the guys I had dated in my first year, Mark, and , the young Adrian who always had a woman on his arm, and his girlfriend,flavour of the month

They humbly bowed their heads as they picked up their books and bags and walked humbly and shamefully to the lecture hall at the end of the hall

He turned to me, saying, “The answer, Miss Cross.”

This was the first shot fired. he was trying to frustrate me out of his class, but he would have to try harder than that because there was no way I would bow down to him. The cases were very familiar, as were the facts of it, but the difference was this, one was heard in 1995 and the other 2015 but the decision in them were upturned so no sane law student ever searched it up because it was the forbidden cases in our field but I would play his game.

I stood up straighter, looking him dead in the eye as I answered the question confidently

“The first was heard in 1995 and the other in 2015 but the major difference between the two cases is the latter included a rape case. The rape of senator Natasha coleman by the defendant before he murdered her. That is the major difference, sir.”

He looked at me, smirking before saying, “Anyone want to challenge her answer?”

What? I was right, what does he mean by challenge?

Three hands went up, and he pointed at one, the leggy blonde he sent out of the conference hall the other day in his office, Valerie, the one woman who made it her life mission to upstage me

Shit!

“Miss Cross failed to add that the second case also involved armed robbery unlike the first, this was not easily found out untill the judge assigned the case to another police department who worked with tenacity to discover the hidden facts, it was during the armed robbery that Mrs Coleman, the victim was raped and stabbed, ; leading to her death” she said confidently as she smirked in victory

He looked at her, seemingly impressed, as he nodded before looking back at me

“Make sure to not forget important clues in your exams, Miss Cross,” he said before turning to the board

If it were not for my brown skin, he would have easily discovered the blush of embarrassment creeping up my neck

I sat back in my seat, trying not to die of embarrassment as I opened my book

Levi; ONE Aurelia: NIL

This means war

After a few grueling hours and him sending out three more students because he was irritated by their chewing, we were down to forty students out of sixty, all in one day.

He turned to the class and said

“Tomorrow, there will be a mock debate. It will be on these facts, Mr Arturo, a college student is accused of the rape of the wife of a senator” he said looking straight at me and I froze immediately

He knew

I could tell from the way he looked at me, the way his eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at me with more intensity with each second

He knew

My blood ran cold, and the hairs on my neck stood at attention as he continued. I suddenly felt like I could not breathe

“There is not enough evidence to prove his innocence, but his defense seeks bail. The judge waits to hear your argument, should he get it or not? Especially amidst public outcry since she was found dead a few days later, she reportedly took her own life. Aurelia, you will be the defense, and Valerie, the prosecution. The two of you must argue properly and like lawyers, to convince me. Class is dismissed,” he finished

They all left immediately, each person eager to leave the room as his presence nearly suffocated us all, and I also walked fast to the door like my feet burned me. I was about to walk out when I heard him say from behind me

“Miss Cross, wait behind.”