Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have punched that asshole, but he had it coming. Harassing Nova, saying those awful things about what he wanted to do with her alone, he deserved a beating. He’s lucky I didn’t throw him into oncoming traffic.
At the hearing on Monday, Nova gives her account of what happened, I give my testimony, and the asshole who initiated the report, Henry, doesn’t show up.
Had Moreno and Dante hanging by the door scared him away?
Unfortunately, the charges aren’t dismissed or dropped outright. The Student Conduct Administrator makes the final decision, and he reviews all the evidence and testimony before making his decision. Turns out, it takes a few days, the outcome delivered by letter.
The waiting part is the worst.
But I still attend school and hockey practice, leading up to our Saturday game next week. While I want to skip criminology class, so long as Nova is attending, I don’t want Henry in the same room as her. Which means I’m forced to show up, at least until the outcome of the hearing is decided.
The big question is will I be able to play in Saturday’s game, or will I be expelled from Evergreen University?
Nova slides her hand into mine as we head into the classroom for Criminology. It’s not a lecture hall by any standards. The room is quite cozy, which makes it impossible to keep far away from Henry.
Against my will, she heads to the front row and I’m forced to follow.
I hate sitting up close, but maybe she’s on to something. Henry is unlikely to be harassing Nova if she’s sitting in front of the professor. At least, I hope that’s the case.
I pull out my notebook, prepared to actually take notes and pay attention. The professor keeps a watchful gaze on me, and I can’t say I’m surprised. She may not have been at the hearing, but by now she knows about it.
I’m unsure how many other students have heard.
The professor strolls up to Nova, leaning forward, keeping her voice low. “Henry is no longer my teaching assistant. You can rest assured that I take the matter very seriously and I have reviewed the evidence that you provided at the hearing.”
“Oh,” Nova whispers, her eyes wide.
“We can discuss the specifics after class, but your grade will not reflect any quizzes or exams that Henry touched.”
“Thank you,” Nova says sheepishly, her cheeks reddening as she downcast her gaze.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of, and you,” she says, coming to stand in front of me.
My mouth goes dry as I stare up at her, hoping she’s not about to berate me for what I did to Henry.
“While I don’t tolerate any act of violence or assault, I did speak with the Student Conduct Administrator on your behalf, and in addition, I have filed a complaint against Henry for student misconduct.”
“Thank you,” I say.
The professor begins the lecture by informing the class about Henry’s dismissal and that if any other students experienced anything inappropriate to please seek her out during this week’s office hours.
The ordinarily silent classroom erupts in murmurs, and the professor puts an immediate end to it, making everyone pull out a piece of blank paper for a pop quiz.
After class, Nova stays to speak with the professor, and I wait in the hallway outside, giving the two of them time to talk.
I glance at my watch, two minutes turns to ten, and then Nova hurries out of the classroom, rushing right past me.
“Everything all right?” I ask, catching up with her.
She slings her bag over her shoulder. “Yeah, I’m good. She just wanted to hear if there was anything I left out of the testimony.”
“Was there?” I didn’t think anything else transpired that I hadn’t known about.
Nova shakes her head and smiles. “No.”
“And that took ten minutes?”
The smile on Nova’s face grows. “No, she just wanted me to know that I could come to her if I had any issue with anyone else in her class or any other class. That she felt terrible she hadn’t seen the signs or known what was going on. I felt like I spent those ten minutes reassuring her I was fine.” Nova nudges me as we walk together.
