"We're still good, right?"
"Right."
I was sitting on the edge of the bed in my boxers and socks. When I answered, I pretended like the little hole in my sock was fascinating. I peeked up just in time to see Hailey tug her shirt over her head. She gave me a look accompanied by a little smirk.
"We both know it's not going to happen again. It's okay."
I felt my body relax. "Have I ruined you for all other men?" I teased. She laughed.
"No, I think you brought me back on the team," she assured me. She headed back over to the bed and sat beside me. She nestled her head against my shoulder.
"I'm sorry you got burned," she said softly.
I touched my ear. I had taken the gauze off when I had gone to shower. The entire lobe was black and blue.
"I guess better now then five years down the road," I said. "We can get the whole thing annuled and move on."
"That still doesn't make it easy," Hailey said softly. "Especially when you've known her practically since birth."
"I thought I knew her a helluva lot better than I did," I agreed. I bent down, grabbed for my jeans, and stood up to put them on. Hailey reached for my hand right as I was going to zip. I looked at her in surprise. She smiled.
"The woman who finally snags you is going to be lucky," she said. "And someday Brenna's gonna realize what a fool she was."
I didn't answer. I couldn't. The words 'Brenna' and 'fool,' no matter what she had done, didn't seem to go together. I gave a slight nod and swallowed around the lump that rose in my throat.
"We getter get back to school."
I left Hailey at her dorm. She gave me a kiss on the cheek and we parted. No tangled emotions. No emotional baggage.
I didn't know how to feel about that.
What I did know what to feel about was getting stopped by the Dean and two cops about twenty feet away from my own dorm. The two cops were built like twin pillars of authority. The Dean was sandwiched between them like the little rat-man he was.
"I need to talk to you in my office, Landon."
Now, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the Dean of Students knowing my name wasn't a good thing. I gave a 'what the fuck ever' shrug and followed him and the cops across the quad.
The Dean's office was in the Administration building on the topmost floor. The minute I walked into his office I had to sneer. The office was decked out in a whole bunch of fancy artwork and oak and leather.
Mom and dad's tuition was going straight into this guy's office.
After I got past the opulence of the whole thing, the next thing I noticed was all my stuff piled in the corner. The sneer and smirk faded. My heart plummeted to my gut.
"I've been told about the altercation yesterday regarding you and your roommate. The campus has a no-tolerance policy against violence of any kind. Your roommate has decided not to press charges, but per policy and with the agreement of the entire board, you are hereby expelled from the University.
"Expelled?" I blurted out. "There's only two more weeks in the semester! I--"
"I'm sorry, but we need to set a good example."
"Please," I said. "Can't you just let me take my finals? I'm passing all my classes and--"
"I'm sorry. That's my final decision. Your parents have been notified. They should be here within the hour." The Dean motioned to a chair. "Why don't you have a seat?"
Seeing as the two Goliath's hadn't budged an inch and were staring daggers at me, I didn't think I had a choice. I sank down in the chair and put my head in my hands.
My whole semester. Down the drain.
I sat there with my head bowed for the entire hour and fifteen minutes before mom and dad burst through the door. Dad's 'Carter temper' was running full blast. He didn't even say a word to me; he launched right in at the Dean.
"This is ridiculous," he said. "Are you telling me you have all these guys living together and you've never had a fight? I'd like to know why you're making my son a target."
I didn't hear the Dean's answer. Dad has a way of intimidating that I can only hope will someday genetically work its way down to me. Instead, I looked up to find mom walked towards me. She knelt down and cupped my face as only a mother could.
"Your ear," she murmured. "Lan, what happened?"
It was an embarassing situation. I could still feel the cops' eyes on me as I teared up. Where my mom was concerned, I always became a little five-year old boy again. I hung my head.
"Everything's wrong," I whispered.
"Is it Brenna?" mom guessed. I nodded. Before mom could ask anything else, dad's voice rose to a whole new level.
"This semester is almost done and I know for a fact my son is easily passing. You can't just take his tuition and stick it in your goddamn desk chair to pad that bony ass of yours."
Dad's hands curled into fists. The cops took a step forward. The Dean took a step back.
"Nick," mom warned.
"I've got this Liv," dad said quickly. From my vantage point, the only thing he was going to get was handcuffs.
And he wasn't entirely a stranger to those.
"Dad, forget it," I called out, my voice stronger than I thought it would be. "I just want to go home." "Landon, what the--" dad started to say, but I cut him off.
"I've screwed up," I said. Remorse was beginning to hit me hard. I could make up a semester. I couldn't take back everything that happened with Brenna. I couldn't take back making Steve my human punching bag. And there there was Hailey. God, why did I sleep with Hailey?
I knew why. Spite. Anger. Stupidity.
"I just want to get the hell out of Iowa." I found myself practically begging.
"I'll be happy if I never see this place ever again."
