CHAPTER 1: THE CONDITIONS
Zoe couldn't believe her eyes. She read and re-read the e-mail, but the words never changed no matter how hard she wished or how many times she cleared her tear-filled blue eyes.
An ambitious and diligent student, now in her Sophmore year of college, Zoe had long ago set out her plans for the future; graduate Summa Cum Laude in engineering, turn the internship she had been working at into a job offer, and climb the corporate ladder with a goal of being head of her department in 10 years. A lofty goal for sure, but she had the brains for the degree and the looks and charm for everything else. Standing at 5'8", with shoulder length blonde hair and a set of sizable breasts on her otherwise petite 120 pound frame, she was well aware the doors her looks opened for her. And though she had had plenty of opportunity to abuse that power, she had always chosen to rely on her intelligence, dedication and hard work.
But now all those plans were falling apart. The e-mail Zoe received informed her that she currently had an F in her Solid Mechanics course, and with only the final left she had no chance of passing the class. Zoe didn't like failure, but one class on it's own normally wouldn't affect much; however, this course was a prerequisite for three other mandatory courses. Having to retake this class next semester would essentially set her back an entire year.
She wracked her brain. Tried to think of a way out, but it was no use. Zoe was fully sobbing when her roommate Amanda walked in.
Amanda was stunning in her own right, 5'11", 130lbs, with hair a reddish orange, which only amplified the green in her eyes. Amanda was smart enough to get by, but not in the same league as Zoe. Amanda chose, more often then not, to use her body to help get what she wanted.
"Oh my god! Zoe what's wrong?!?" Amanda asked with genuine concern as she moved to console her friend.
"Oh nothing...just my...entire life...is falling apart!" Zoe eked out between sobs.
"Oh it can't be that bad! Tell me what's wrong sweetie," Amanda told her as she stood Zoe up and led her to the university provided couch, and sat the pair down next to each other.
"It's all Professor Price's fault!" Zoe exclaimed. "No matter how hard I work! No matter how hard I studied! It never seemed good enough! Any slight error he docked a ridiculous amount of points, claiming only 'perfection' is accetable!" Zoe let it all out, her saddness turning to anger as she reflected more on her failure.
"Wait...Professor Thomas Price? That fat, balding, fuck of a man?" Amanda asked, seeing her friend nod in the affirmative. "Ooooh...I see what happened...that son of a bitch...I had heard he pulled this shit, but I never thought it was true..."
Zoe's face contorted, confusion taking over, "What do you mean?"
Amanda let out a sigh, "Well...you know the school's policy right? Professors are allowed to accept payments to increase a student's grade?"
Zoe nodded again. It was a ridiculous policy, put in place to improve the school's academic record on paper. Most teacher's refuse to use it out of principle. Others, did it to earn a few bucks. Still others...
"Well if you read the policy closely, the professor can choose any form of payment...not just cash..." Amanda continued.
Zoe's already pinkish face began to turn red, "I...yes...I know...he...he handed out a rubric at the start of the year...with his...costs..." Zoe uttered meekly. "Which is why I tried so hard this semester! Not that I ever would do...that...but still...just the thought!" She said.
"Oh god! I know...just the idea, that a man that sweaty is capable of sex!" Amanda laughed while making a gagging noise. "But...what you might not know..." Amanda continued seriously, "is that he tends to intentionally grade his female students...especially the good looking ones...much more strictly. Essentially, intentionally failing them, with the hopes that they would be desperate enough..."
Zoe stared into Amanda's eyes, her face becoming disgusted as she listened to the sick man's plot. It all made sense to her now, a realization that both eased her mind, reassuring herself of her intelligence, while simultaneously making her nauseous.
"Of course you can't give in to him...you're not that desperate right? Take the course next year with a different professor and you'll breeze through!" Amanda said with a smile trying to calm Zoe.
Zoe just stared at her, her brain obviously working through all the possibilities.
"Please tell me you aren't thinking of buying your grade from that monster!" Amanda said, not judgingly, but in sheer disbelief.
"Well..." Zoe said in a whisper "...I don't want to, but so much is riding on this! I retake this class...I'm delayed at least a semester...and that's only IF I double up on some of the courses, some of which are the hardest in this degree...and IF I can even get all those courses in a somewhat reasonable schedule! More likely I'll be a year behind...the company I'm interning with won't hold a job opening for a year...so I'll likely have to start fresh with a new company...working up from nothing will take well beyond my goal!" she exclaimed standing back up and pacing the room as she laid it all out.
"Honey...it's just a year..." Amanda tried to plead. "With your grades you'll have job offers flooding you upon graduation...you don't need to do this..."
"I do though! It's only a extra year if everything else goes right! Who knows how long it could take if I struggle with more classes!" Zoe shouted defeated as she plopped herself back on the couch and rested her head on Amanda's shoulder.
Amanda pulled her close, rubbing Zoe's arm and let out a slow breath. "Okay...before you make any rash decisions...you said he had a rubric? Do you still have it? We could at least see what you have to do..."
Zoe's breathing slowed, as she calmed down, even with tears wetting her roommates T-shirt. "Yeah...of course I have it..." she said sitting up, wiping her eyes and moving off the couch to get the binder for the class. She opened it up and immediately pulled out the sheet of paper. Her eyes quickly scanned through the rubric and Zoe began to sob again, dropping to her knees on the floor, unable to hold up her own weight.
Amanda jumped to her feet and sat on the floor next to Zoe, embracing her with one arm and letting her cry into her chest, as she grabbed the paper with her other hand and read: