"So, Elle, random question," Emmett had been curious about this for a while and decided that the middle of one of their study sessions was the best place to ask.
"Shoot. What's up?" Elle replied without hesitation, looking up at him.
"I'm just curious, what were you studying at UCLA before you came here?" He thought it was a rather simple question, and therefore wasn't expecting Elle to blush and duck her head down.
She mumbled something under her breath.
"Sorry, what was that?"
Elle sighed before looking up and pointing a pencil in his face. "Promise you won't laugh."
Emmett chuckled a bit.
"I'm serious!" Emmett calmed and rolled his eyes a bit.
"Alright, alright, I promise I won't laugh," he acquiesced.
Elle sighed and set her pencil down. "Fashion merchandising," she muttered, this time loud enough for Emmett to hear.
He was shocked. "Elle, why on earth are you embarrassed about that?"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, like you don't know." He'd never heard such venom in her voice before.
"No, I really don't. Why is that embarrassing?" Emmett was genuinely confused.
Elle huffed and crossed her arms, looking away from him and slouching in her seat. "Because it's a stupid degree. Heck, even my advisor told me I'd never get into Harvard because they're not interested in the fact that I got an A in 'The History of Polka Dots,' as if that was an actual class." Elle rolled her eyes again.
Emmett was shocked. Did Elle really not know? "Elle, that's a business degree. Are you telling me you were getting 'A's in a business degree at UCLA?" Holy cow. No wonder she was picking law up so quick once applying herself.
Elle looked confused. "I guess? I mean, it was just fashion. It wasn't that hard."
Emmett shook his head. "Elle, business degrees, of any kind, require some of the most difficult coursework a university can have. It's right up there with law." Elle's eyes grew wide and Emmett pointed at her this time. "If you can ace that, at UCLA no less, you can ace this."
Elle kept staring at him.
"You mean, I belong here?"
Emmett nodded. "Absolutely."
Elle was flabbergasted. "I'm not a Marilyn."
Emmett looked her dead in the eye, having heard about this from Elle before. "Elle, I don't think you've ever been a Marilyn. Some people just chose not to look any further."
Elle smiled up at him, tears glistening in the corner of her eyes. "Thanks Emmett. Truly. For everything."
Emmett smiled back. "Not a problem, little Miss Woods comma Elle. It's my pleasure."
