Page 81 of Lords of the Campus

He smirks. “As a direct result of her participation, we received a donation of over $500. Furthermore, because of the donation we received in her name, we were able to raise a total of over $1,000. Without her help, the car wash wouldn’t have been as successful.”

“When did this take place?” one of the board members asks.

Levi nods, approaching the table. “In late September. You can see that we have proof, with her signature on the volunteer sheet, as well as a copy of the donation that was made out in her name.” He hands over the proof and the committee takes it, passing it around as they look it over.

“We’ll take this into consideration,” Bainbridge says. “Do you have any other evidence, Miss Shaw?”

Lyric glances at me and I nod encouragingly. “Yes,” she says, standing up again. “Zane Matthias is going to speak on my behalf as well.”

I stand up, ready to blow the committee away with my evidence. “Members of the jury, my name is Zane Matthias,” I say, taking a step toward them.

Bainbridge rolls her eyes. “This isn’t a courtroom, Mr. Matthias. Keep it succinct.”

“Noted,” I say, pulling my folder out. “I’ll keep it brief then. Miss Shaw was presented a full-ride scholarship to attend this university.”

I pull out her acceptance letter and place it on the desk. “She came to this school with a 4.0 grade point average, as well asan impressive list of extracurricular activities. Not only has she maintained her 4.0 average, as of the end of the first semester, but she’s doing all that while participating in volunteer workandraising a child as a single mother.”

“What bearing does her maternal status have on this hearing?” A different board member speaks up this time.

“I believe it has every relevance,” I say, placing a certificate on the table. “Miss Shaw has a heavy burden, raising a child on her own. She’s managed to keep her grades up despite the strain of motherhood. And as you can see here, her son got a certificate in daycare for being Student of the Week last semester. So, she’s teaching her child good behavior as well.”

Some of the board members nod, looking intrigued by the evidence. “This is impressive, but I still have to question whether or not your crude and inappropriate behavior reflects poorly on the university,” Bainbridge informs her.

“That’s what my last witness is here to talk about,” Lyric says. “I bring Archer Hudson as a witness.”

Archer gives her a soft smile and stands as I go back to sit down. He pulls out his folder of evidence and proceeds to the front. “Miss Shaw has made a few poor decisions throughout her time here, but I argue that it doesn’t mean that her behavior is going to become more problematic. I’d say that she’s made more good decisions than bad. Look at this,” he says, handing them a piece of paper.

“She was nominated for Fraternity Sister of the Year. Not only did she raise a substantial amount of money for Alpha Lambda during the car wash, but she also helped with the Inter-Fraternity Charity Toy Drive this past holiday season. She came up with the idea to raise money for the drive by having a coffee and cocoa stall. That was entirely her idea.”

He grins. “As a result, we not only raised over $2,000 and brought in 100 toy donations, but her stall encouraged otherstudents to spend money and donate toys to many of the other booths at the festival.”

Bainbridge nods, arching an eyebrow. “I see. This is surprising information,” she says. “Do you have any other relevant evidence, Miss Shaw?”

Before Lyric can speak, I stand up again. “We do,” I tell them. “I have the report on Lyric’s supposed drug possession. Cameron Grant signed the report, just days after he was cleared of his assault on Lyric at the Sigma Theta fraternity. Clearly, he has a vendetta against her for reporting him and he used this to get revenge.”

The committee looks shocked when I hand them the report.

Bainbridge takes a deep breath. “The board will take a short break to discuss this evidence and we’ll be back with our determination within the hour.”

We all file out of the room, a collective sigh of relief escaping us.

“Well, all we can do now is wait,” Archer says. We sit down on the benches outside the lecture hall together and I take Lyric’s hand, squeezing it in my own.

“Whatever happens in there, you’re not alone anymore,” I tell her. “You’re a strong, brave woman and you deserve the world. We’ll fight to the end to make sure you have the life you deserve.”

Archer hangs his head. “You shouldn’t have to worry about all this. We apologized, but it still doesn’t feel like enough. It’s our fault that you’re in this shitty mess.”

Lyric shakes her head. “If it weren’t for you, I might be facing expulsion, though. You apologized and made things right. You’re fixing your mistakes. You need to let go of the past now.”

“You’re right,” Levi says, cupping her cheek. “You’re always right. You’re incredible like that. I can’t believe you could forgive us so easily.”

Lyric bites her lip. “It took me a lot longer than you realize,” she admits. “But you’ve proven yourself time and again now. You showed me that you’re on my side and that you’ll do whatever it takes to protect me, to protect us.”

“We’re glad we can all move forward together,” I say. “Maybe after this is all settled, we can take you away for a bit and enjoy some time alone together.”

Before Lyric can respond, someone comes out and calls us back inside. Exchanging nervous glances, we head back in, finding our seats. Is it a good thing that the board seemed to come to a decision quickly?

I take Lyric’s hand on one side, while Archer takes her other and we wait for the board to tell us what they’ve decided to do.

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