26. Bethany
Chapter 26
Bethany
T he meeting with the principal went better than I expected. By the time we arrived, the situation was resolved and handled.
That’s the only information we were privy to. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, but what could I do? Our boys had been falsely accused on a tip, that was clearly a setup. But because minors are involved who had rights, we were only told that Finn and Nicky were no longer in trouble and could return to practice and school the following day.
Since I was at the school, I asked to speak to Felix’s counselor so we could discuss his schooling needs. Again, the meeting went well and soon I’ll need to discuss that with him. My next step is to discuss this with GSU’s dean and figure out the necessary steps.
And because I’m on a roll, I decide why not stop by Dean Bellows’s office as soon as I’m back on campus? While I’m here, there are a few other topics I need to discuss with her as well. They won’t be as pleasant, but I’ve put them off long enough, and it’s time she sees the full picture.
When I walk into the administrative building, there’s a buzz in the air. I can’t explain it, but it sends chills down my spine, and not the good kind. Before I can dwell on my thoughts, a student I recognize approaches me.
“How’s your day going Dr. Rogan?” The always chipper young woman asks.
“It started off rough, but it’s better now. How’s yours been so far, Rylee?”
“Not so bad.” Her face turns more serious. “Can I talk to you about something?”
“Now?” I look up at the clock on the wall and see it’s twenty to four. “Sure. I’ve got a few minutes. What’s on your mind?”
Rylee motions to the seated area off to the side and when I nod, we head that way. “I’m usually not one to pry into others’ personal shit, but I have a friend I’m concerned about.”
“My first advice would be to think before you say or do something that could jeopardize your friendship.” She nods, letting that sink in, and when I see she still wants to ask, I encourage her to go on. “What is it you think I can help you with?”
“This friend of mine recently went through a really bad breakup. She did all the usual tactics one would do. Burned his shit, took her anger out on an expensive dress, drank her emotions away so she could say all the words she wouldn’t sober. You know, the usual stuff.” Rylee is very much like I was when I was her age. “She even took a trip and came back looking better than her old self. You know, tanned and well fucked.”
“Both excellent ways to spend a vacation,” I laugh.
It’s no secret she’s talking about Cora.
“The thing is, these last couple of weeks, something has changed. She was in such a great place after she got back. Ready to get back out there and have fun. But now it’s like she can’t seem to let herself, you know? I’m thinking it’s because she had such an amazing time with this guy, now she’s afraid she’ll be disappointed by anyone else.” She sighs and leans forward until her elbows rest on her knees. “I’m worried. She’s pulling back again. I think she might need to talk to someone, but I don’t know how to bring it up without sounding like a broken record.”
“Is she taking care of herself? Eating, sleeping, getting some exercise?”
“Her sleeping patterns have always been off. But she seems to be eating. And we go to the gym together when we can. I’m not sure if she goes by herself.”
“Maybe she’s just not ready to get back out there. I know she had an amazing time on her trip, but it’s possible it also triggered feelings about what her life with her ex would have been like.”
“That dick face was boring as all fuck.” Rylee blurts out and then apologizes. “Sorry. But he was. He never let her do anything fun. Kept her locked up in that stuffy apartment and made her feel guilty whenever she went out.”
“She’s made some big changes since they ended things. It’s gonna take her time to relearn how to have fun.”
“Maybe, but what if I suggest she try to find her mystery dude?” Rylee wiggles her eyes. “I really want to meet him. And from what I’ve come to understand, they really never got a proper ending.”
Rubbing my knee, I stretch my leg to relieve the tension. I’ve been on it for too long today and it’s unhappy with me. “They had a mutual understanding, from what I’ve heard. She might not want to do that. We don’t know what she told him. Maybe she was pretending to be someone she wished she was and not the person she is. There’s nothing wrong with that, letting one’s hair down when there’s no risk. But if she goes searching for him, then suddenly there’s a risk he could be just as big of an asshole as her ex, ruining the fantasy she’s built in her head.”
Rylee hums thoughtfully, and her brow furrows before she breaks into a smile. “You’re right. He could be a player who does this shit regularly, and I don’t want my friend feeling used.”
She slaps her hands against her legs, an indication we’re close to wrapping this up. “Okay, this is why I wanted to talk it out with someone who would give it to me straight. I’ll keep trying to get her to come out with me and live a little.” She snaps her fingers and grins. “I got it. One of those male stripper shows is coming into town this weekend. I’m gonna buy us tickets and see if I can get a special pass to have her dragged up on the stage and let one of those sexy guys show her a good time.”
Now it’s my turn to wiggle my eyes and laugh. “If Jodi and I were younger, I wouldn’t mind going. But I’m not sure Nolan would approve.”
“You could make him give you a private show.” Rylee suggests as she offers me her hand. “Thanks for the advice. Glad I ran into you. I feel better about what I need to do now.” Pausing for a moment, a guilty look fills her eyes. “Don’t tell Nolan.”
With a friendly smile, I take her hand and give it a warm, reassuring shake. “Wouldn’t dare. But I might see if Nolan would be interested in doing a fireman strip tease.”
Rylee grabs her bag off the ground and slings it over her shoulder. “You’re good for him. I really hope you do just that. He’s too serious and needs to loosen up and have some fun.”
We go our separate ways, me back on course to talk to the dean. The energy I felt earlier intensifies as I approach her office. And when I reach the outer door and pull it open, I understand why.
Campus police are inside. They’re detaining a young man, his back to me, as a woman unleashes a torrent of enraged shouts about lawsuits and closing the place down; her voice is raw with anger. Not exactly something I ever expected to walk in on. I’ve worked here for almost ten years and never heard about or witnessed such a commotion.
Once the woman spots me in the doorway, she immediately turns her rage on me, storms my way before I can think to move. Thankfully, an officer stops her before she reaches me. “This is your fault!”
“My fault?” How the hell is this my fault?
My question is barely out when the young man turns, and everything suddenly makes sense.
“Mrs. Stewart, I’m going to ask you one more time to calm down,” the officer holding her back says in a controlled but forceful tone. “Otherwise, I will handcuff you.”
Dr. Bellows walks out of her office, and I gasp. Visibly shaken, she clutches her throbbing cheek, the angry red welt already darkening to a bruised purple. “Dr. Rogan did not make this decision. I did. As I was saying before your son stormed in and attacked me, allegations of cheating have been made against Theodore by two of his professors. Dr. Rogan isn’t one of them. We did a thorough investigation and found them to be true.”
This is news to me, but I’m not surprised. My TA, who’s been in charge of the class Theo is in, has come to me a few times concerned about the quality of work being turned in. It didn’t line up with the work he did in class, and when questioned about it, Theo stated it was because outside of class, he had a tutor who cleaned it up. While feasible, it was also fishy as hell. Given the circumstances, I wanted irrefutable evidence before approaching the dean.
“That’s a fucking lie!” Theo lunges toward the dean.
Dean Bellows stands her ground. Probably because there are two officers between him and her. “The paper you gave to Dr. Efron was identical to a paper submitted by one of his other students?—”
Theo interjects. “Then he cheated, not me.”
She finishes dismissing that idea. “From three years ago.”
Turning to the officer closest to her, she gathers her professionalism. “Mr. Stewart has been expelled. He is to be escorted off the campus. Him and his mother.”
“Would you like to press charges, ma’am?” The officer asks, while making a note on his tablet.
“I’ll pass for now. However, Mr. Stewart, if you set one foot on my campus, that changes. From the call I received moments before our meeting, you’re in enough trouble as it is. Your recent decisions suggest a shift in strategy might be wise.” She takes a deep breath and motions for the door. “You can go. Dr. Rogan, come into my office. I’m not sure why you’re here, but I believe I need a drink. You can join me.”
Mrs. Stewart is the first to leave and takes that chance to speak her mind. “You don’t know who you’re messing with. Hell will rain down on this institution. No one treats a Stewart this way and gets away with it.”
The officers lead Theo out next. When he passes me, he mumbles under his breath, only loud enough for me to hear. “How’s your son? Did he like my gift?”
Any uncertainty that may have lingered was dispelled by his words. “That’s been resolved.”
“Has it?” He smirks and tsks. “You sure about that?”
What the hell is he getting at?
There’s a sneer in his voice as he tries to provoke me, but I refuse to rise to the bait. With my back to him, I walk into the dean’s office. As soon as I’m inside, I close the door to cut myself off from his view.
Tiffany lifts a dark bottle. “Drink?”
“Sure, why the hell not?” I walk over to the sitting area of her office and take a seat in one of the large chairs. “You want to talk about it?”
“Right now, no. In a few days, probably.” As soon as both tumblers are half full, she corks the bottle and sits it back in the cabinet. “This has been in that damn cabinet for a couple of years. Not once have I thought of touching it until today.”
I accept the glass and bring it to my lips. It’s strong, not something I’d typically drink. The burn from the dark liquor as it slides down my throat feels good. “That’s why they tell you to save it for a rainy day. I like to substitute the rainy day for a shitty one personally.”
Tiffany chuckles as she looks at the tumbler in her hand and then takes another drink. “What did he say to you?”
“It was nothing. He was only trying to get under my skin.”
“I should’ve listened to you.” She rests her drink on her knee. “Sorry about that. I was too preoccupied with the money his father offered to heed the warning. You’ve never come to me with a problem unless it was worth my time. It won’t happen again.”
“I get it. Money talks. Trust me, I was tempted by the offer they threw at me, too. But there was just something about it that didn’t feel right.” I set my drink on the table next to me. “You really should put ice on your cheek.”
Tiffany reaches up and flinches when her finger brushes the red spot. “It’s not as bad as it looks. My ex hit harder than that.” She shakes her head and kicks her shoes off. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s why he’s your ex.” I’ve heard her story. She wasn’t a woman who let a man hit her and get away with it. He hit her once. That was all it took for her to leave him. “If I’m being honest, I kind of feel sorry for Theo. He’s never been held accountable. Mommy and Daddy have always stepped in and fixed his problems, giving him an unrealistic view of how the world works. Now that’s all about to catch up with him and I’m afraid his entitled ass is about to figure out that there are some things that can’t be fixed with money.”
“So, what brings you by today? Did you get things worked out with the boys’ school?”
“It resolved itself.” I pick up my drink again and take a sip. “I can’t really get into the details. I’m not supposed to know them. The school took care of it before I had to make demands.”
“Hmm.” With her fingernail, Tiffany taps the glass tumbler. “Why do I get the feeling that genius boy of yours had a hand in persuading them?”
“Because you’re a smart woman.” I tip my glass at her before setting it back on the small side table. “That’s actually why I’m here. I need to talk to you about that way too smart kid of mine. I’ve procrastinated long enough, and I’m not ready for him to leave home. How can I enroll him here?”
A slow smile spreads across her face. “It’s about damn time. We’ve got a few options. First would be to have a board evaluate him, test him to determine a plan that suits him best. We can work with the high school or district. Get him in a program that makes everyone happy. He’s what, fifteen?”
“Yes. A freshman.” I moan, not liking this but knowing it’s important.
“There are a few programs out there that have worked for other kids like Felix. It’s a flex schedule that allows him to attend both high school and college. Similar to how they do tech schools geared toward high school students. While he doesn’t need the core classes, he could take electives that would give him skills needed later. Split his day. And with the schools being so close, transportation would be easy.”
I listen as she goes into more details, and I like her ideas. After we’ve talked and finished our drinks, I feel better about what we can do.
“Why don’t I call the school and see if we can set up a meeting?” Tiffany pushes herself up and walks over to her desk. “This will be fun. A new adventure for all of us.”
“Fun isn’t exactly the word I was thinking, but sure.” I grab my bag and stand as well. “Thanks for meeting with me. Now please ice your cheek so it doesn’t swell more. And if you need to talk about what happened, don’t hesitate to call me. Day or night. Come to my office. If you don’t, expect me to stop by in a few days and force you to talk.”