Until The Very End

CHAPTER 6: Suspension Week: Consequence to Unforeseen Actions

            “That’s it. Hearing on this coming Wednesday. Mr President, you must agree,” Mrs Lovington finally talk in a normal voice.

            “No.” Matt began. “You know, the first time I saw you in the locker hall, you are the person who wanted everything to be under her own control, which no one can control including the president.”

            “No one can control? Oh, but I did expel many students before,” Mrs Lovington replied, grinning evilly.

            “Yes, you did,” Matt responded in almost a whisper then put his normal voice back, “but did it solve everything? Did the university under your control since then? No. Because, if it did, why are we here and receiving an expulsion? After you expel us, think of it. Did it really end? Do you think this is the last fight that happened at this university?”

            “No. There are other more fights, chaos, riots that will happen here. As long as there are students who act and behave like Zander, this school will face no peace. Because not all students feared people like him and you. And I am one of those students. If I feared him, I would have run or beg on my knees to stop his attack. And if I feared you, I wouldn’t call you granny and old lady before.” Matt added.

            Mrs Lovington crumpled her face in anger and did not dare to talk. The president chuckled after hearing the word ‘granny and old lady’. 

            “In conclusion to what I am saying, no expulsion shall be given to any of us. He attempted to stab me and got this wound. Me and my friend beat them, and they are badly hurt. It’s fair, isn’t it?”

            Mrs Lovington was almost choked when he heard Matt. Matt was so confident that he made everyone in the office grew their eyes bigger. Rodolfo tapped his shoulder twice, and when he turned around, he just smiled at him. Then he gave Zander a teasing smile to make him angrier, but Zander was not angry, he was stupefied.

            “Who do you think you are ordering what should be done?” Mrs Lovington asked in a stunned tone. “Have you forgotten that you are just a student here? Just a student!”

            “Mrs Lovington, it might be best if we all respect each other, especially him. He’s a person you don’t wanna mess with,” the president advises her and dropped a smile at Matt. This made everyone, except the president and Matt, perplexed.

            “Oh, please, Mr President. Who is this? Some sort of kid with supernatural abilities?” she hysterically laughed.

            “Who do you think I am?” Matt came closer to her and grabbed the dagger away from her hands. This made her nervous. “I hate to let everyone know about it, but the person you are calling Mr President is a big friend of mine. He is a family shareholder of my parent company. What we are talking about earlier is the subsidiary company that was located in Italy. And this university? My uncle is the founder, and his best friend, Mr Cauffman here, is the president. But before him and before I became the CEO of the parent company, I was the president of this university. See that picture frame over there with no picture? The name’s written is Matt Williams. That’s my name. Before it was hanged there, I requested to replaced my portrait with a blank canvas. In that way, no one could ever know who Matt Williams is, and I love the way it is.”

            “Since, this time, you know me well, I hope everything you hear will stay in this office. Or else, we both don’t like what’s coming next.” Matt told them a part himself, clutching Zander’s dagger.

            The president nodded at him, smiling.

            “Was that a threat?” Mrs Lovington stared him directly in his eyes, appalled.

            “No. A reminder.” Matt answered then he turned to the president, throwing his hand forward for a handshake, “Please, you have the power to decide what punishment we will get. I may have suggested the no expulsion to us, but we still deserved a proper punishment.”

            “Indeed, CEO Williams,” the president took the handshake.

            Matt turned around and arranged his clothes to cover his wound. He grinned at Rodolfo, who was watching and listening to him the whole time. Then he gestured Rodolfo to sit after he sat.

            A silence fell in the office. Mrs Lovington was strangely staring at Matt. She still couldn’t believe who Matt was. Rodolfo and some of Zander’s friends were looking at her. Zander’s eyes were fixed to Matt, who was sitting beside Rodolfo with his eye on the window outside and his left hand was covering his wound.

            The president was in his deep thoughts. After few minutes in a moment, he had cleared his voice.

            A silence fell in the office. Mrs Lovington was strangely staring at Matt. She still couldn’t believe who Matt was. Rodolfo and some of Zander’s friends were looking at her. Zander’s eyes were fixed to Matt, who was sitting beside Rodolfo with his eye on the window outside, and his left hand was covering his wound.

            The president was in his deep thoughts. After few minutes in a moment, he had cleared his voice.

            “Freshmen, I need your parents now to discuss this in a formal meeting. Kindly write your full name on this piece of paper and Mrs Lovington here, with other staff, will get your school information records and call your parents.”

            Mr Cauffman got up from his chair and gave the paper to the nearest student. The freshman, which was one of  Zander’s friends, began to write his name. After, he passed the paper. And, so, it was passed to another. And to another. And to another, until it was passed to Rodolfo. Rodolfo looks at it for seconds and took his pen. He passed to Matt when he was finished.

            Matt took it and read the names written.

Brian Hugh

Clayton Hunter

John Rey Johnson

Brent Black

Ricky Rickman

Clyde Hitcher

Ralph Del Rey

John Miller

Anthony James Taylor

Zander Thomas

Michael Cook

Daniel Otto

Rodolfo Carl Petterson

            Finally, he knew the names of the people he fought. He grabbed Rodolfo’s hand to get his pen. He was so lazy to take his own pen from his bag. Rodolfo was shocked when Matt hold his hand, taking his pen away.

            Succeeding to write his name, he gave it to the president himself. Mrs Lovington kept her eyes on Matt as he walked and gave the paper. This made Matt uncomfortable for a while. Once, he tried to look at Mrs Lovington but was suspended when he caught Rodolfo and Zander gazing at him.

            Matt snapped his fingers in front of Rodolfo’s face, “Hey, is everything’s okay? Can’t figure out what those looks mean.”

            “Sorry, I was just thinking something,” Rodolfo shook his head.

            Matt leaned over to him and teasingly whispered, “You undressing me in your mind?”

            “What? No!” Rodolfo answered abruptly, a bit loud. Everyone looked at them for a moment.

            “Seriously, what was it?” Matt asked.

            “Nothing,” he replied. “It's just, - I wasn’t wrong about you.”

            “Wrong? I don’t quite understand.”

            “Leaving them and choosing you as my friend. You’re good, a friend of the president, and you have almost everything you wanted.”

            “Ha. Almost,” Matt repeated the word with tone.

            Mrs Lovington’s heel started to echo the room. The president had already ordered her to call the freshmen’s parents. Just when she opened the door, the president left her a note.

            “When you came back, make sure the information about university expulsion is with you.”

            “Certainly, Mr President.”

            She left the office with a last glance at Matt.

            Everyone in the office kept their mouth shut except for Zander and his two friends whispering to each other. Matt and Rodolfo exchanged looks and listened to them closely. While Zander’s other friends were silently seated, still nervous.

            “Maybe we shouldn’t mess with him in the first place,” the freshmen with black hair and bright brown eyes, who was seated beside Rodolfo, said in his low voice. His name was Daniel.

            “Don’t tell me you’re siding him,” replied Zander.

            “Hey, man. No offence, but I think he’s a lot more powerful than us. I mean, I thought I’m gonna lose my life after he flipped my body with my wrist and strike me in my stomach. It pretty hurts ‘till now, actually,” said Michael, rubbing his stomach where Matt strike it with his elbow. He was seated in between Daniel and Zander.

            “I agree. Seems like he’s a graduate from a martial art academy. I can tell it the way he kicked me on my chest and to my abdomen. I couldn’t breathe for a second,” added Daniel, looking at Zander.

            “I had to admit, I couldn’t stand to fight him back after he had bent my arm and hand. I was so weak – “ Zander told them but was cut off by Michael.

            “Not to mention that he’s a CEO and has connections with the president over there.”

            “Do you think it’s true? I mean he lied about what really happened at the locker hall. Surely he made that up to stop that crazy old woman for disrespecting him,” Zander responded louder than a whisper, leaning over.

            “I can’t tell. The president confirmed it to himself. ‘Mrs Lovington, it might be best if we all respect each other, especially him. He’s a person you don’t wanna mess with.’,” Daniel repeated the president’s words from earlier. “That means it’s true. Plus, he addressed him as CEO Williams. With that, his last name is Williams. He’s Matt Williams. The same name from that picture frame. It all makes sense!”

            Michael nodded, and Zander looked at Daniel, bemused.

            “But still, he lied,” Zander said to them.

            “Is he?” asked Daniel sincerely.

            “What do you mean ‘is he?’?” asked Zander back.

            “Zander, we all know the incident that happened when we were in high school. It was the same as this one. Pocket knife, stabbing on the stomach, - “

            “Yeah, but it was all out of my anger.”

            “You were angry at him earlier. A lot angrier than we felt,” said Daniel calmly.

            “No! I wasn’t!” Zander’s voice was rising. “Maybe I was. I don’t know. I just did it – “

            “So, you’re admitting that you did it?” Michael questioned.

            Daniel and Michael were pressuring Zander. They, too, was confused why Matt was wounded from the fight.

            “I SAID I DIDN’T DO IT TO HIM!” shouted Zander as loud as he could, getting up. The president jumped in horror.

            “If that is not what happened, then what is?” Daniel asked again.

            “I DON’T KNOW! MAYBE HE GOT IT FROM THE SHATTERED GLASSES!”

            “YOUNG MAN!” Mr Cauffman bellowed. “You are not in a public place to act whatever you like!”

            Zander did not listen to what he just said, but he lowered his voice, “Mr President, Matt was lying. All he said wasn’t true!”

            “Then, what is true?” the president asked, without agitation.

             “Well, I … I – “ Zander was stuttering. His thoughts went blank. He couldn’t tell what really happened.

            “Looks like you ran out of excuses and thinking for an alibi,” Matt presented his voice.

            “SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP, YOU LIAR SWINE!” Zander thundered.

            “WARNING! MR!” Mr Cauffman stood up, slamming his palm on his table. He couldn’t take his anger to Zander anymore. “YOU ARE IN BEYOND CONTROL!”

            “BUT HE IS ACCUSING ME OF SOMETHING I DIDN’T DO!” Zander couldn’t calm himself.

            “THEN, I AM ASKING YOU, WHAT IS TRUE?!”

            “HE STOLE PETE FROM US!”

            Everyone fell in silence, including Zander.  For a moment, Mr Cauffman asks himself who was Pete that Zander was saying. Then, he realized it was Matt’s friend Rodolfo since he knew that Matt doesn’t have any friends outside of the company. Rodolfo looked at the president to Zander. After few minutes, Zander spoke in his normal voice.

            “He stole Pete from me. He was my best friend, and I should not lose him.  Now I did, and I am so anxious at him.”

            “Is that why you wanted to stab him? A vengeance?” the president sat on his chair.

            “No, Of course, I do not have the guts to stab him.”

            “Lies,” Rodolfo joined their conversation, getting up to his feet. “I wasn’t your best friend. Never was. Have you forgotten that you used to bully me as you did to Matt when we were in high school? The only reason that I joined your group was that I was forced to. Did you forget that I fought your group as Matt did? But every day you managed to gather more students, and it made it difficult for me. That was when I was forced to be with you and your friends, but I wasn’t a true and loyal friend to all of you. You kept on bullying others and that made me sick. That made my conscience unpure. And that is why, when I found Matt, decided to leave your group and be with him instead. I was waiting for the right true friend and he came. He stole nothing, and you lose no one. If you were been good as Matt, then I would’ve treated you as my real friend.”

            “Look, I am so sorry for what I did to you back then. I was – “

            “Stop making more excuses, Zander. Just admit it that you hurt my friend,” Rodolfo cut him off.

            “But I didn’t do it. Maybe it was a piece of broken glass that caused his wound. Ask my friends they were – “

            “Judging their faces, they are unsure about you. The wound was definitely caused by a little knife. Look at it closely. It was smoothly sliced,” explained Rodolfo, pointing at Matt’s wound. “Plus, a pocket knife has been found. Where on earth would it come from if the wound was caused by the broken glass? Also, leaving your group is a small reason to stab him. There must be some bigger reason and it might be the Mohr’s Salt Chemistry Project. Professor Canahall said that he’ll give a perfect score who can do the project perfectly. Of course, anyone would strive to have such marks and do anything to make it perfect. It’s a part of being a student. To have perfect marks.”

            “Please, don’t do this to me,” beg Zander as he turned to face Rodolfo, his eyes were watering.

            “Accept that you have done it,” replied Rodolfo.

            “I couldn’t accept your betrayal! I trusted you!” the watery eyes of him were replaced by anger and hatred.

            “If you were been good as Matt, then I would’ve treated you as my real friend,” Rodolfo repeated.

            Rodolfo went back to his seat and leave Zander alone, standing. Zander’s friends were looking at him. Now they figured out why Rodolfo had chosen Matt over them. They felt guilt for themselves, but they love what they were doing. Bullying other freshmen.

            The president was only listening to them. He let them talk to know more information about themselves while he waits for their parent's arrival. When Rodolfo went back to his seat, he took the chance to speak again, but the office door burst open. Mrs Lovington was back with six parents at her back.

            “Oh, my boy, what happened to you? Are you okay?” a middle-aged mother came to one of Zander’s friend, Clayton.

            “Son, son. What had happened? You have bruises!” another mother approached one of Zander’s friend, Ralph.

            “Johnjohn? Are you alright?” another young-looking mother greeted one of Zander’s friend, John.

            “Rod? What happened? It’s the first time that we’ve been called here,” it was Rodolfo’s father who spoke. Beside him was his mother. Both of them hugged Rodolfo.

            “Zander? Zander? Tell me what happened. Your father and I will make sure that you won’t get expelled!” Zander’s mother went closer to him.

            Mrs Lovington made an irritating noise with her mouth as soon as she heard Mrs Thomas that made Zander’s parents turned their head and said, “Too late, Mrs. He’s getting expelled for what he had done.”

            She made her way forward, ignoring Mrs Thomas replies. The president was already looking at her so she began, “The other parents are on their way, Mr President. And here is the expulsion information you asked me to bring for.”

            The president took it with no reply, instead, he said to the parents who arrived, “Parents, please, stop asking your sons what happened. We must wait for the other parents to arrive before we start.”

            “My son is hurt. How can I stop asking him questions?” John’s mother angrily replied to the president.

            “Because, ma’am, - “

            The office door flung open once more. Eight people arrived led by university staff. They were Brian’s mother and father, Clyde’s auntie, Brent’s father, John Rey’s stepmother, Ricky’s older sister, and Anthony’s mother with her younger brother.

            All of them asked them just like the first parents who arrived did. But what happened next was more than surprising. After John Rey’s stepmother checked him, she blew up.

            “WHO DID THIS TO MY SON?! I’LL MAKE SURE HE’LL PAY FOR THIS!”

            Everyone in the office stared at her, except Matt. He was covering his wound, and he was a bit dizzy.

            “Mom, It wasn’t his fault,” said John Rey.

            “WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘NOT HIS FAULT’? WHO IS HE?!”

            The president got up to his feet and said, “Manners, ma’am! I understand that you are worried, but we may want to lower our voices for shouting will not resolve this.”

            John Rey’s stepmother did not talk anymore. After a couple of minutes, the door opened for the last time. Four people were led by another university staff. They were Matt’s personal secretary from his company, Daniel’s father and mother, and Michael’s mother.

            Now that the freshmen’s parents and guardians were completed, the intervention meeting will begin. All parent’s and guardians were waiting for someone who will talk first. The president was only looking at them, and Mr Lovington was on her evil smile again, looking to the students. She was also waiting for the president to speak first.

            But, she couldn’t take it any longer. She looked at the president confusedly. The president seemed to be unprepared for this so she taps his shoulder and said, “Mr President? Shall we begin with the expulsion process?”

            Mr Cauffman looked at her. He was not happy to hear that. “Patience, Mrs Lovington. Patience.”

            She stood in irritation.

            “Parents, earlier this morning,” the president began speaking to the parents. “these freshmen had caused a fight at the locker hall. And broke the university’s conducted rules. You are called here to inform you and what will happen to your sons or whatever they are to you.”

            “What started this fight?” Rodolfo’s father asked. Zander and Rodolfo looked at him.

            “Well, it is a bit complicated to answer, and we aren’t sure why they fought,” the president answered. “one freshman explained that it was because of a chemistry project and the other stated differently. I do not know who’s telling the truth. I hope you all will help me with this.”

            “What exactly happened at the damn locker hall!?” John’s mother questioned. Her temper was uncontrollable.

            “CE – I meant, Matt, do you admit that you and your friend beat Zander and his eleven friends?” the president directly asked Matt.

            Matt looked at him and nodded as a yes, half-smiling.

            His secretary noticed blood on his clothes. She flung his arms and gasped when he saw his wound.

            “Oh, my!” she shrieked with her old pale voice. The parent’s looked at her. “CE – “

            Before she could finish her first words, Matt grabbed her wrist and looked at her eyes, signalling her to stop calling him a CEO.

            “Matt! What is this? Who did this? Who?” she continued, still in shock.

            Matt did not answer.

            “Looks like you deserved it for hurting my son,” John Rey’s stepmother snapped at him with a wicked chuckle.

            “Shut up. You don’t know what happened,” Matt replied.

            “Then, what happened?” she asked.

            Mrs Lovington clapped her finger’s once and started, “According to him, since the beginning of class, their chemistry professor gave them a chemistry project, which is true, by the way. Whoever could do and finish this project perfectly will get a hundred mark on this subject. Now, Zander here was struggling to do this project, and one day, he thought that someone messed his project. This leads him to confront Matt by punching him.”

            Matt was surprised that she stated it all the way he said it earlier.

            “Oh, and, Zander did that to him,” she added to Matt’s secretary.

            “That is not true!” Zander suddenly said.

            “Wait, hold on, why would that guy think that Matt did it to his project?” Matt’s secretary asked, perplexed.

            “Because according to him, Zander bullied him. Zander thought that Matt was getting revenge for bullying him, which is, by the way, untrue. The truth is, according to him,  Zander’s project wasn’t messed by anyone. He was doing his project incorrectly,” Mrs Lovington answered.

            “Okay, so if the problem is between them, why do my son gets involved at this?” Brian’s father asked. The other parent’s agreed with his question.

            “Because they helped him. After Zander attempted to stab my friend, my friend, Matt, began defending himself and attacked Zander to stop him. When Zander was losing from Matt, his friends helped him. And so I did help my friend,” Rodolfo said confidently out of a sudden.

            “That is not true, Pete! You know it!” Zander exclaimed. “Mom, dad, it wasn’t true. I swear. Don’t listen to them.”

            His parents have doubted his statement. The other was aghast when they heard that Zander attempted to stab Matt.

            “If my son did that to him, what proof you can show to us? Where was the weapon used?” Zander’s asked. His voice was deep.

            “This,” Matt pulled out a pocket knife with blood in it.

            “How can we know that it belongs to my son?” Zander’s mother asked him.

            Matt stood up and came closer to Zander’s parents. “Perhaps, you may recognize this?”

            He pulled out Zander’s dagger from his bag. Zander’s parents balled their eyes after seeing the dagger on Matt’s hand.

            “Young man! Have you been bringing your grandfather’s dagger?!” his mother asked him in a tone of anger. “What is the meaning of this? You’re planning to hurt someone again?”

            “I think he did already. I’m very disappointed,” his father added.

            “No! You don’t understand!” Zander got up and tried to defend himself. “Yes, I’ve been bringing it, but it wasn’t intended to use to hurt someone. Never again! He stole it from me, so he could cover his lies!”

            “Stole?” the president has finally spoken after so long in silence. “I’m impressed. That leads me to not believe your statement earlier. That dagger was discovered and seen in your bag at this office. If you keep on saying that it wasn’t, the security camera will prove that you are lying.”

            Zander looked at the camera that the president pointed out. He was pressured. Everything makes more sense than the truth. Lying about the dagger being stolen was a mistake. There is no chance that the parents will believe him anymore.

            “For the love of God, Zander! You’re at the age where a threat or activities like this could end you up in prison! This is a serious threat and crime, Zander! How about your education, now? I CAN’T BELIEVE YOUR ACTIONS, AND NOW YOU’RE DENYING YOUR WRONGDOINGS?!” Zander’s mother bellowed at him. Matt felt bad for him.

            “Ma’am, ma’am, please, calm down! The victim here, Matt, said he will not file any case against your son,” the president pleased her to calm down.

            “What?” she asked in disbelief.

            “Well, I kinda hurt your son badly so I think it’s unfair if I reported him to the police. All I want now is the punishment we will get for stupidness we have done,” Matt told Zander’s parents.

            He looked at Mrs Lovington who looked at him back. She gulped and nervously smiled.

            “But, Matt, no matter how hard I think of it, the no expulsion seemed unlawful. What you all have done should result in expulsion. This is serious, Matt.”

            “Okay, I understood,” Matt replied and went back to his seat.

            The parents and guardians with their freshmen were uneasy, except Matt. Mrs Lovington did not talk anymore. She was afraid to say a single word or a suggestion.

            “You can’t expel my son. He’s innocent!” Ralph’s mother interfered in the conversation.

            “Ma’am, as you see, your son has bruises, meaning he was involved in the fight,” the president replied.

            “Yes, but – “

            “Don’t you get it? It means, he voluntarily joined the fight without hesitation. Not only he, but all of Zander’s friends also did.”

            No one had talked or speak after. The parents and guardians were worried for them. Zander was staring at Matt, blank thoughts. Seconds later, he hollered out.

            “I SWEAR! IT WASN’T ME!”

            “Young man, cut it out! If it wasn’t because of your stupidness, none of this would have happened!” Zander’s mother scolded him. She can’t resist her anger. “You’re grounded! For life!”

            “That’s too much! Why would I have to suffer from something I didn’t do?”

            “Zander, son, we wanted to believe you. But the wound, the dagger, and the reason given explained it all. And when you lie about the dagger being stolen, how can we trust that all your statement is true? I know it’s hard, but sometimes, we must have admitted that we did something wrong,” his father voiced quietly at him.

            Though Zander hated it, to end these lies, he confessed, “Dad, I’m sorry. I was angry because I lose Pete. Not only that, I thought he messed my project. And it was all true, that pocket knife is mine. I bought it a week ago. What I have done is out of control. I am so sorry, Matt.”

          Without thinking anything else, the president announced noisily, “Fine. A week of suspension.”

            Everyone was stupefied.