Free Personal Jurisdiction by Diana Minot Page B

aback by Kate’s sharp tone and rude comment. Did Kate make a point of insulting everyone after they had to speak in class? Whitney was sure if Elise was here she would have had a few choice words for Kate. Elise had been side-eyeing Kate since Kate had insulted her on the first day of class.
    Kate took advantage of Whitney’s stunned silence and continued. “I’m surprised Ben even takes the time to talk to you. Maybe he feels sorry for you with all your cheap outfits. Seriously, where did you even find those jeans?” Whitney looked down at her H&M jeans and made a mental note to tell Jamie that some people did care that she was not wearing Gucci. Whitney hated to admit it, but Kate always looked stunning.
    “Give it a rest, Kate,” Whitney said. Her face was heating up with embarrassment, and she was glad the hallway looked deserted. She did not want anyone else witnessing this exchange. With every fiber of her being, she was thankful that Ben was not here right now. Then she thought of all the times Kate had flirted with Ben, and she wondered if Ben was interested in Kate. She felt her face heating up even more. Whitney did not consider herself bad-looking, but she was no match for Kate in the beauty department. Kate was the epitome of a blonde bombshell.
    “I’m just saying,” Kate continued, “If you don’t want embarrassingly low grades in Civil Procedure, you better step it up. This is the big leagues, Whitney. You can’t half-ass your way through stuff like you did in class today.”
    “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I didn’t half-ass my way through anything. I think I did fine. Professor Chaplin seemed to think so, too.”
    Kate rolled her eyes. “He’s too nice. Just wait until you get your grades back. You’ll see what I’m talking about. Elite law firms only hire people with good grades, so good luck with that.”
    Whitney could not believe that someone who was presumably an adult could act so immature. She was not sure how to respond, but Kate saved her the trouble by rolling her eyes again and walking away. What a bitch, Whitney thought. She could not stop herself from wondering, however, if Kate was right. Whitney felt confused about a lot of things in Civil Procedure class, but just dismissed it as a natural part of learning something new and unfamiliar. What if she did get horrible grades on the midterm and final? Whitney felt shaken up by the exchange. All of the joy over her conversation with Ben had seeped away, replaced by a feeling of dread about her lack of legal knowledge.
    Whitney glanced at her watch. She knew that Professor Chaplin held official office hours for an hour directly following class, and she still had plenty of time to swing by and catch him. She decided to go talk to him. He seemed approachable, and she hoped he could give her some reassurance. Whitney made her way to his office and knocked on the door.
    “Come in,” Professor Chaplin bellowed, and Whitney timidly opened the door to his large office.
    “Hi, Professor. I just, um, had a few questions about the Erie doctrine.” Whitney was not sure what questions to ask. Her real questions had more to do with whether Professor Chaplin thought she had a chance of making it as a lawyer.
    “Whitney!” Professor Chaplin said. “Come on in! Great job in class today.”
    “Really?” Whitney asked. She was wary of his praise after Kate’s claim that he was just being nice.
    “Yes, really. I’m impressed with your understanding of Erie . Did you have more questions about it?”
    “Well, not specifically. It’s just that I don’t feel like I understand it. I feel like I don’t understand much of anything, to be honest. I’m worried about midterms.” Whitney shrugged, unsure of how to articulate what was bothering her.
    Professor Chaplin nodded. “I see,” he said. “Is there anything in particular that has made you feel this way?”
    Whitney shrugged again, feeling foolish. How could she