Page 63 of Beyond The Stars

Siasia looked around for anyone to help her contain Qamar. He was her only concern at the moment.

“Get up, Brenden!” Qamar shouted, his voice a mix of rage and desperation, as he pushed through the throng of students gathered around the brawl. The soccer and baseball teams were locked in a furious clash, fists flying and tempers flaring, but all he could focus on was the disrespect Brenden had thrown at Siasia.

With all her might, she grabbed onto Qamar. “Stop, Qamar! Please!” she cried.

Just then, the school security burst through the doors, their authoritative shouts cutting through the din. “Break it up! Now!” They moved swiftly, grabbing hold of students and separating the combatants, but Qamar wasn’t finished. He pushed past a security guard, his eyes locked on Brenden, who was just beginning to stir. “You think you can talk to her like that and get away with it?”

As the security team worked to restore order, Qamar’s fists clenched, his heart still pounding with the need to protect Siasia. The gym, once a place of camaraderie and teamwork, had turned into a battlefield, and he wasn’t backing down until he made it clear that disrespecting her was not an option.

With all her strength, Siasia jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. “Look at me, Qamar,” she pleaded, seeing the eyes she’d loved looking into while they had late night conversations flicker with anger. “Daddy,” she hummed the word, pulling him back to her. “Calm down. I’m okay.”

As his heart started to slow and sync with hers, he was yanked by security. “Hands behind your back, Qamar.”

“Wait, please.” She tried to hold on to him.

“Get down, ma’am, or you’re going too,” the officer threatened.

Nodding with her orbs still locked on Qamar, she released him and watched the officer’s every move. Thankfully, the man was gentle and not on a power trip. When he started to walk Qamar out, she scanned the gym seeing others on their bellies and Brenden being checked out by someone with his father hovering over. She knew nothing good would come from this and hated Qamar had gotten involved.

The atmosphere in the dean's office was thick with tension as Qamar stood before Brenden’s father, the imposing figure of the dean of Lynn Beach University. The walls, lined with degrees and accolades, seemed to close in on him, amplifying the gravity of the moment. Qamar’s heart raced, a mix of defiance and dread coursing through him as he met the dean’s steely gaze. His body ached from the brawl but all he wanted to do was get the meeting over so he could go check on Siasia.

The school wasted no time with having him in the dean’s office. The brawl had just happened and after only a few hours of being in cuffs to calm the situation, everyone was let go with Qamar being ordered to see the dean immediately. Qamar was thankful the school didn’t press criminal charges on him and were handling the infraction swift and in house. He wasn’t worried since he already had plans on entering the draft and going pro.

On the other hand, he knew his family wouldn’t take the news lightly.

As a young Black man, he knew dealing with the police could’ve gone completely wrong had his Black skin not been covered in green from his family’s wealth and influence. Just thinking about what could’ve happened sent chills down his spine.

“Qamar, do you understand the severity of your actions?” Dean Bolden’s voice was calm but laced with disappointment, echoing in the quiet room.

Qamar clenched his fists, the memory of the brawl still fresh in his mind. He had acted out of passion, out of a need to defend Siasia, and nothing anyone said would make him regret that decision.

“I was doing what I was taught to do as a man when it came to defending women,” Qamar replied, his voice steady, though he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. “Some shit your son needs a lesson in.”

The dean leaned back in his chair; his expression unreadable. “Don’t speak on my boy.” He scoffed. “You put yourself and others at risk. This isn’t just about you; it’s about the reputation of this institution.”

“But your son using your power to use and abuse women isn’t? You sound dumb.”

“Excuse me?” Dean Bolden sat up in his seat.

Qamar fanned him off. “You heard me.” He leaned in. “Ask yourself what’s going to happen when your son does to another girl what he did to Siasia—another girl from a family that has more power and pull than you—another girl who will bury your family and the Bolden last name all because you raised a spoiled little boy who was never taught how to play nice, be fair, or to respect women. Imagine if your son fucks over a girl who’s loved by a man that has a family with a name so fuckin’ big that you lose everything.”

“Are you threatening me?” Dean Bolden asked, finally connecting some of the dots Qamar laid out for him so eloquently.

Now that he had his attention, Qamar sat back in his seat, folded his arms over his chest, and smiled. “What is the punishment, Dean Bolden?”

“You’re expelled but—” His voice shook.

Qamar used his hand as a stop sign to stop Bolden. “I don’t want to stay so let’s allow the expulsion to stick.”

“I can readmit Ms…” He looked down at the name on the paperwork. “Ms. Ford.”

“She’s good.” Qamar got up to stand. “Have the day you deserve, Dean. And tell your son to ice his fuckin’ face.”

He knew making a drastic decision that would affect Siasia wasn’t the reasonable thing for him to do but if he was going to leave Lynn Beach University, then so was she. The school’s photography program wasn’t elite. Qamar felt Siasia would fare better at a more exclusive school that had a better network of industry professionals. Qamar had a plan for them. Or maybe he was just being selfish with the decision. Regardless, when it came to how he felt about Siasia, she could only be where he was and Lynn Beach wasn’t it.

Siasia's heart raced as she paced the dimly lit hall outside Dean Bolden's office. The sound of her vintage loafers clunked against the polished floor, echoing in the tense silence. Each step felt heavier than the last, a physical manifestation of her anxiety. She glanced at the closed door, her mind swirling with thoughts of Qamar—his fierce determination to defend her against the vile words that threatened to unravel her life.

What if he lost everything? The thought clenched her stomach, and she stopped to lean against the cool wall, closing her eyes for a moment. Memories of their laughter, the way he held her hand as if he could shield her from the world, flooded her mind. She could almost hear his voice, steady and reassuring, urging her to believe in herself. But this was different. This was a battle that could cost him dearly.

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