As I sat under my tree, I watched the maintenance men and groundskeepers traipse back and forth, putting the desks and chairs back inside. All the trolleys had also been “misplaced,” and the poor guys were doing it by hand.
“Hey.” Mia dropped beside me as she watched the to-ing and fro-ing. “Carnage,” she snorted as she took out her lunch bag. “How did they do it?” she asked me curiously.
“They’re claiming it wasn’t them.”
“It has Devils’ Mayhem all over it,” Mia scoffed as she uncovered her lunch. It appeared to be lettuce, cucumber, and sliced avocado.
“What are you eating?” I asked her as my nose wrinkled in distaste.
“Edamame beans.” She handed me a small pack of the soybeans, and I frantically shook my head. “They’re full of fiber,” she advised me.
I didn’t doubt it but said nothing as I sipped my caramel latte, my eyes returning to the men working.
“So.” Mia popped one of the beans into her mouth. “Jett and you are . . .” She waited expectantly.
My head snapped to hers in question. “Nothing?”
“He spoke to you at the bar, and I heard they were at the party we were, but I didn’t see him, did you?”
I swallowed. “No.”
“Maybe he was here playing with tables and chairs.” Mia giggled.
“It would have taken them hours,” I stated as I returned to watching. “Well, I guess they would have had the moving trolleys. But wouldn’t someone have seen them?”
“No idea, I do know it meant my computer science class was canceled as the professor couldn’t get into the parking lot.”
“Yeah, I got off without Leitch this morning. Maybe we need to thank them?” I gave her a small smile, and Mia chuckled.
My phone rang, and I looked at the unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Bryant?” The woman’s voice had a crisp edge to it that made me sit straighter.
“Yes?”
“This is the dean’s office on campus. Can you come to the office at one thirty? He would like to speak to you.”
“Um, is everything okay?” I asked as I looked up at Mia, who had stopped eating.
“Is one thirty convenient?”
“Yes, of course.” It wasn’t, I had a class, but the lady was satisfied and hung up.
“What is it?” Mia asked me with concern.
“The dean wants to see me at one thirty.”
“Why?” Mia asked as she resumed eating. “You win something?”
“What? No.” I chewed my lip as I thought about it. “Why would you think I had?”
Mia shrugged. “What else could it be? You’re a model student.”
“Yeah.” I didn’t stop fretting as I thought about it. “What if I’m in trouble?”
“You look guilty!” Mia laughed. “You don’t doanythingwrong, Ava. Some underage drinking, yes, but then the whole campus would be in the dean’s office.”
