“Ava, they’re nerds.”
“Don’t be a dick. You do computer science for Christ’s sake, you’re the biggest nerd here.” Ava rolled her eyes at me before she turned to speak to the two people she had singled out. Her words caused me to grin, and when she left, a few of my classmates sidled up to me to talk.
When Ava had secured her two people of choice, I was going to tell the rest of them to go to the next class or something, but instead, I considered them. Surely, it would make more of an impression on the dean and the faculty if they all turned up. Strength in numbers, right?
Twenty minutes later, I watched Ava speaking to the vice dean, whose eyes were wide, but it was clear she was paying attention. When Dean Porter came into the reception area moments later, I saw his eyes narrow on Ava, and then he was looking over the group of students until they rested on me. I’d been hanging back, letting Ava and the others get things off their chest in a calm and reasonable manner. Porter started making his way through my classmates until he was in front of me.
I looked at him and waited patiently. I knew exactly where this was going.
“Discord and disruption,” he spoke quietly. “Isn’t that what you Santos like to sew?”
Where did I get to put the complaint in about him? “Sew? Home Ec isn’t my thing,” I told him.
“Is this yourMayhem?” His voice sounded strained, and I assumed he was trying to keep his temper.
“Nope, this is a number of students — in your care, I may add — reporting an abusive, bullying professor, where his behavior is so out of order they would rather walk out and jeopardize their degree than sit in his class one more minute.” My contempt for Dean Prick wasn’t as disguised as it could have been. “Shouldn’t you be listening tothemrather than accusingmeof something?”
He studied me far longer than I would’ve liked without giving him my usual snappy retort, but I kept quiet. Dad told me it couldn’t be me who made the complaint, and standing in front of the dean, I knew he was right.
Abruptly, he turned around, and then within a few minutes, he had control of the room. I feared for Ava when he looked at her, but the vice dean must have had some sixth sense, as she took Ava to give her complaint to her.
It was actually handled really well, and with grudging respect, I recognized what my dad and uncle did. Dean Porter may never be considered a decent man by me, but he was good at his job, and as he heard the genuine complaints against Professor Leitch, his expression turned stony, but it was clear it was at the professor, not his students.
No one needed me here anymore. I had ten minutes before my next class, and Ava’s next class was with Jett. I left the building and texted my cousins in our group chat to let them know what was happening.
Me:Ava’s going to be late, she’s at the dean’s office lodging an official complaint against Leitch
Jett:. . . ?
Gray:Shit is that you? I just saw a text from a guy in class that said something about a mass walkout
Me:That would be me
Jett:Is this real or is it Mayhem?
I snorted as I thought about what the dean had said.
Me:Real. There’s about twenty students talking to the dean and his staff right now
Jett:Unreal. My girl okay?
I grinned.
Me:I’m her hero — her words, not mine
Jett:Fuck U
Gray:How’s it feel to be ditched bro?
Jett:Fuck U 2
Gray:Hey Ash, what did you do to your roomie? Saw her come running out the bathroom, she looked pissed as fuck
Me:She’ll get over it
Jett:Trouble in paradise?
Me:Wouldn’t know, it’s not my girl throwing herself at another guy
