Page 123 of My Worst Pucking Enemy

An angry murmur rises from the people crowding the hallway. I glance down to the end of the hall to see Professor Nass and his lawyer striding towards us. The professor is standing ramrod-straight, with a sneer curling his lip. His lawyer looks like an angry bulldog.

One of the victims’ fathers runs towards the professor and takes a swing at him. He’s pulled off by a security guard, but he manages to get a good savage kick in, connecting with Professor Nass’s leg, and the professor howls in pain and staggers backward melodramatically.

“He assaulted me!” he shrieks.

“I’ll show you assault, you piece of shit! She’s eighteen years old, you fucking pervert!” the man yells at Professor Nass. “You’re old enough to be her father, you creep!”

The TV reporters have their cameras rolling.

I make my way towards him. Ruby hurries over and grabs me by the arm. “Paxton,” she says in a warning tone.

I look Professor Nass in the face. His eyes are bloodshot. His suit looks rumpled. He’s got pouches under his eyes, and his face is flushed an ugly red.

I lean in. He flinches and takes a step back, but I see his eyes gleam with hope. He wants me to hit him, right there in front of the cameras. Ruby was right; he would love a chance to play the victim, to spin the narrative so it’s more in his favor.

I won’t give him the satisfaction.

“Your hair is thinning,” I say to him. He reaches up instinctively and runs his fingers through it. “Your good days are all behind you, Alex Nass. Every last one of them. I’d call you Professor, but you won’t have that title for long.”

I step out of the way and let him pass. He shoots a look of rage at Ruby.

“You little bitch,” he snarls. “You started all this.” The cameras capture that too.

Only Ruby’s hand on my arm holds me back.

“Sure did.” She smiles sweetly. “And I’m proud of it.”

“Go Ruby!” Marie shouts, and the other girls join her in a loud cheer.

We walk into the hearing room, where we’re faced with five angry, defensive college administrators.

Ruby’s lawyer informs them of the new information that has been uncovered, and I see all the bravado leak out of them. She walks up and hands them the papers that I brought with me.

The professor’s lawyer has a hissy fit about the information being introduced at the last moment, and whines that it’s completely irrelevant to what’s happening here.

His words fall on deaf ears. The look of dismay on the faces of the disciplinary committee members says it all.

Each of the girls are called up and they give their accounts. I’m so proud of Ruby for being brave enough to speak in front of the committee.

After everyone is done speaking, the committee confer briefly, and then return to announce that Professor Nass will be suspended immediately, with pay. He will not be permitted on campus until their investigation is complete. They promise to reach a final decision within thirty days.

I have no doubt what that decision will be.

“This is fucking bullshit,” Professor Nass shouts at them. “I’m the victim of a witch hunt. I’ll sue you till you’re dead.”

His outburst is met with silence.

“I adore this diner,” my mother declares. “It’s a perfect place to go for a celebratory meal.”

We’ve all crowded into their largest booth. I’m sitting next to Ruby, who has been very quiet since the hearing.

“You all right?” I ask her. “We can go home if you’re not up for this.”

She shakes her head. “I’m okay. I’m relieved, but I’m also feeling kind of drained. I want to go home and take a very long nap after this. I mean, go to your apartment.”

“I would like very much for you to consider my apartment to be your home,” I tell her.

“I’ll help you make the apartment girlie,” my mother says eagerly.

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