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"Another C paper?" Kayden asks as Chris hands his paper in. Kayden is the only professor who still insists on paper copies.
"What?" Chris looks at him confused, he's had A's on every paper and has been fining the courses challenging but manageable. Blue helps him keep his studying on track and Larry takes care of him when he has a lot to do.
"Your paper, it'll be another C paper. Boring." Kayden says.
"Honestly I am here to qualify. A C won't stop me though I'd be surprised if this was a C." Chris says.
"You are the only one who hasn't made use of my office hours. With so few of you it stands out. You are older but not smarter. A C is the most you can get without using the resources available." Kayden says.
"Well I'll know for next time." Chris says.
"You can come to me this afternoon. The paper is technically due the end of the day." Kayden says.
"Thank-you. I appreciate it." Chris says and groans inwardly. He usually Finished early on a Thursday and wanted to go home and be with Larry. He's nearing the end of his first semester and spends 3 nights a week in the hotel. Thursdays, he goes home in the afternoon and Fridays he works on various placements.
Chris loves Fridays, working with vets, zoos, shelters, like a different masterclass every week. Blue, Will and Sunny stay in the hotel part of the week too, getting their businesses up and running. Gervais and Ocean live in the hotel full time. Ocean tried training at the Olympic training center and although he liked the facilities, especially for recovery and access to doctors and trainers he didn't click with the coaching and wanted to get back to Will and Spence.
Will and Spence juggle coaching Ocean with their other business interests. Neither wanting to coach full time they struggled to find a space to train Ocean without taking on too many more responsibilities or treading on the toes of existing coaches.
They settled on a recreational gym with ambition. Agreeing to take on their upper level kids alongside Ocean, while training up some of their coaches. Ocean has been coaching the lower level kids but will be starting college again in the new year.
Magnus and DeShawn come up one week a month and Ollie when he can. They are getting the product ready for a soft launch in January to fit in with new years resolutions. Everything is going well.
Grant has moved in to the hotel too. He has settled in to creating an exhibit and is teaching a few private students. Birch has done the designs for the food court and Gervais is busy staffing each enterprise and working with Blue on the charity.
Chris heads to his next class conflicted. Kayden has not been the ally in school he thought he would be. He didn't expect special treatment but thought it would be nice to have someone he knew around.
Chris isn't the only older student but he is the only one not juggling a survival job or teaching. Due to Blue's generosity, he doesn't need to work, other than his chores on the farm. For once he's the rich kid and it sets him apart from the other students. Oh, they appreciate using space at the hotel to study and Blue turning up with plates of food and jugs of smoothies. Chris just doesn't feel there is anyone he can bitch about professors and grades to, especially when he has it easier than the others, and is getting good grades.
Still he wants to know if the others know about Kayden's marking policy. He grabs his phone and sends a message to the group chat.
The others respond quickly, none have heard the policy and none of them have been to Kayden's office hours. Fucking liar.
Chris gets some lunch and calls Larry.
"I'm going to have to stay late tonight, my placement tomorrow is here in the city so I may as well stay over. I'm sorry." Chris says.
"Take care of yourself. Sucks, I miss you." Larry says.
"Miss you too. Do what you think is best. Get your study done so we can have a nice weekend." Larry says.
"Plan something special." Chris grins.
"Maybe I will. I'd come in but we're flat out here with the Christmas trees." Larry says.
"Amazing that people turn up to buy a crop you didn't know you had." Chris laughs.
"They're amazing and we're lucky they didn't need much tending." Larry laughs.
"Still nice cash injection for us." Chris says.
"Absolutely. Everything helps. Blue is going to sell pies at the weekend too. He says every year it drives him crazy but he missed it so much when he was away. He's baking up a storm in the kitchen." Larry says.
"Of course he is. I bet it's hard to keep Andy working when the cooking smells are going." Chris laughs.
"Blue slaps his hand and sends him back out. Smells like Christmas all that cinnamon." Larry says.
"My bro is the best. I'll call tonight." Chris says.
"Hope everything goes well." Larry says.
"Love you." Chris says.
"Love you too babe, loads." Larry says.
Chris has lunch and works in the library until it is time to see Kayden.
Chris checks his messages and everyone confirms that Kayden's requirements are bullshit, none of them have needed help for his classes so far and no one has been deducted marks for not asking for help as far as they know.
Chris is on high alert when he goes to visit Kayden. He shares his office with a few others but he is the only one there. Chris sets his phone to record in his pocket. Years of watching his back have fine-tuned his bullshit meter and he is on high alert as he goes in.
"So can you explain in more detail the process of spaying a ferret? Or suggest wider reading." Chris asks as he takes a seat.
"Seriously?" Kayden asks.
"You told me I had to ask for help." Chris says.
"Your paper is good but you need more finesse. If you want to I can go through it with you." Kayden says.
"Is it a C paper?" Chris asks.
"I haven't graded it yet." Kayden says.
"So what is all this about? Is this because no one comes to your office hours? You threaten me with a grade drop so you don't look unpopular?" Chris asks.
"I think we know you are the unpopular one. Look your paper will get a C, if you want a B we can come to an arrangement." Kayden says.
"Meaning?" Chris asks laughing on the inside.
"You know what I want. If it's good you'll get an A." Kayden says.
"I don't know." Chris says.
"Gervais told me what you and your brother have in your underwear. Fuck me good and hard once a week and you'll always get an A." Kayden says rubbing himself over his jeans.
"I am happy with a C thanks." Chris says getting up and walking straight to the department chair's office.
"I went through a lot of this shit, it was usually me instigating it, when I was an undergrad. I don't need it here." Chris says after playing the conversation back.
"You recorded him without consent." Dr Philomore says.
"Your office isn't a court of law. My spidey senses have been tingling ever since class this morning when he suggested my paper was a C. I'm not hung up on grades. I want to qualify and practice not go into research, or it wouldn't be my main focus. But you know that." Chris says.
"Yours isn't the first complaint. But it is the first with concrete evidence. I thought you were friends." Dr Philomore says.
"Me too. He dated my brother's ex for a while and my partner helps his parents out a lot. I have no idea what I have done to make him think I would do this. I am not some naive kid." Chris says.
"And you don't know of any reason he might have tried to put you off your studies? This kind of harassment doesn't usually start with sex, there is usually some grooming. He seems to have jumped to the end with you. Almost as if he was trying to catch you out." Dr Philomore says.
"Ahh yes I suppose if I had agreed he would have cried rape or whatever. Great. You do believe me?" Chris asks worried.
"I do. Chris, we took you on despite your late application and unconventional background because you had stellar references. I called them all myself when we were asked to consider your application after the deadline. You are here because you want to be a vet and not just because we were being leaned on." Dr Philomore says.
"Thank-you. I love it and I really love Friday placements. You know my brother had an odd run in a few months ago, some friends of Kayden were camping in our woods and were rude to my brother, threatened him, saying they knew the landowner. Blue worked out who they meant and put them straight. Maybe there is a grudge there. I get the feeling he always tries to portray his family as wealthier than they are. I don't see how getting me....oh. I see. If he got me thrown out then my brother might sell up and he could buy his parents the farm." Chris says.
"Oh dear. Well you have no proof of that. Can you email me a copy of your paper, and any others you have done for his class? I want to be sure you are being graded correctly, even if you don't care. Thanks for being brave enough to come straight here." Dr Philomore says.
"Of course, thank-you for listening." Chris says.
"Any time." Dr Philomore says.
Chris calls Blue and relays everything.
"Oh bro that is gross. I forgot to follow up on those campers with Kayden, all the Gervais stuff was going on." Blue says.
"Why did they break up?" Chris asks.
"G said Kayden was a bit of a creep. God I almost tried to set Birch up with him. Glad that didn't happen." Blue says.
"I don't know if it was that or if he is desperate for cock. I don't care. I am just glad I was believed and I want to apologize again for everything I did to you." Chris says.
"Long forgotten. You've made up for it. Will you be okay on your own? G is probably around, ask nicely and he'll take you for dinner." Blue grins.
"I think I will. Message me lots. I am worried that he might go after you next. Though I have no proof he was going after me. Everything feels off." Chris says.
"Agreed. Gosh I thought we were done watching our backs. Look Will is just back I need to go. Be careful and take the others for dinner. You've got me worried now. Just as everything was perfect." Blue says.
"It was. It's funny isn't it. Not long ago I would have fucked Kayden's brains out the second he asked me to. I would have found it crazy hot." Chris says.
"You love Larry and would never hurt him." Blue says.
"I best call him. He'll go mad." Chris says.
"I'll go up and sit with him. Will and I can take dinner with us." Blue says.
"Leave me leftovers. Love you bro." Chris says.
"Same you softy." Blue laughs and hangs up.
Blue explains to Will and they gather up dinner and take it up to Larry who is delighted until Chris call and it takes Andy, Blue and Will to hold him down.
"I could kill him." Larry says banging his fist on the table.