Until The Very End

CHAPTER 5: Suspension Week: The Cause

            A week had passed since the country fair. Matt finally realized how important a friend was. Those heavy miserable days of his childhood left him in more peace and silence. School become much more, more uninteresting. A repetitious day after day of Zander and his friends bullying him and Rodolfo. The only reason why they fought back by verbal was to, at least, let their anger out. Both of them don’t like their parents being called to their university by the president. Plus, Matt doesn’t have any parents to bring. His uncle is always busy at work now that he holds his position as the C.E.O.

            As usual thing after parking his cheap car, Matt went to his locker hall alone. Rodolfo wasn’t around yet. He was arranging his books that accords to his first and second class. The locker door of his locker slammed close abruptly. It made a loud bang.

            “Hey, where’s Pete?” a voice asked after the bang.

            Matt straightened up his head. It was Zander and, of course, his friends. But there was a two new face to their group, which he ignored after seeing them.

            He shrugged his shoulder as a response and turned around to open his locker to get the last book he should have. But after opening it, it shut close forcefully and loudly once more.

            “Where is Pete?” gritted Zander.

            Once again, Matt shrugged his shoulders without looking at Zander.

            Zander grabbed Matt’s shoulder, turned him around forcefully to face him, and repeated his question, “Where is Pete?”

            “Don’t know,  loser,” said Matt in silence, muted.

            “I can read lips. I heard what you said though you muted yourself,” said Zander.

            “Great, loser,” responded Matt with his normal voice.

            Zander came closer to him and said in almost a whisper, “I’m not a loser.”

            Matt’s eyes met Zander’s. They stared for a minute until Zander’s lips curved up and the anger in his eyes melted. Matt, however, caught it.

            “You were looking for me? Why?” Rodolfo suddenly showed up.

            “We need to take care of something,” Zander said happily. He was trying to convince his old friend back to his side.

            “I’m not interested. Is it still unclear to you that I am no longer and will never be your friend?” spatted Rodolfo with expression.

            “Hey, but this one has been talking about your…,” breathed Zander in Rodolfo’s ear.

            “I don’t care. Whatever is it, hurting people with no valid reason to do so is unacceptable,” Rodolfo replied to him.

            “Unacceptable?” Zander repeated his last word in a tone of anger. “As if you are not doing it before. What happened? Does this guy here cleansed your soul?”

            “Nothing has been cleansed in my soul, for it is pure. It is my decision that changed my actions. One more step, you are getting out the line,” warned Rodolfo.

            Matt went back to what he was doing before – getting his last book. After that, he and Rodolfo marched away from Zander. Matt hasn’t said a word after Rodolfo’s arrival so, he started the conversation.

            “That’s the reason he was looking…,” Matt began, but Zander pulled his backpack and punched him on his face twice and one on his abdomen.

            Matt fell to the ground. Rodolfo started to defend Matt by catching Zander’s strike and struck back. The students in the locker hall were stopped-dead watching them. Others began taking a video. Zander’s eleven friends made their way to help Zander because he has been losing from Rodolfo’s attacks.

            Matt whistled and shouted at them, “How about eleven to one?!”

            One good-looking man from Zander’s friends pointed to the other two of his friends to help Zander. It’s nine to one.

            He dropped his backpack and stood up, readying his position. Three attacked him first. None of them got a chance to punch or even touch Matt. Matt targeted their weakest spots. Hit the first one in his temples with moderate high-kicks, punched and kicked the second one, and flipped by the wrist followed by an elbow strike on the stomach on the third one.

            The other six attacked. After a few strikes with the fist and kicks to them, they managed to catch Matt’s both arms. His right and left arm were locked to his two opponents. The other four were taking turns to punch or kick or do anything to hurt Matt. To their surprise, Matt jumped as high as he could and landed his both feet to the toes of the two opponent who was gripping his arms. He thought it wasn’t enough so, he added another thing to weaken their grips by stomping their toes hardly. Their grips loosen. He freed his both arms from them and struck his two elbows to their solar plexus – a part of the body located between the chest and the nombril. The strike made them harder to breathe after few seconds of no air in the body.

            He mildly kicked on the crotch of the coming attacker. He punched on the stomach and strangled with his arm the next one. While he was strangling his opponent, he kicked on the chest and abdomen the another attacker. He pushed to the floor the strangled student, grabbed his backpack, which had books in it, and knock it hard on his last opponent’s back, and kicked his stomach. He took a glimpse on his nine enemies, who were whimpering and crying in pain on the floor, and went to Zander. He saw Rodolfo losing in the fight. It was three over one.

            One of Rodolfo’s opponents, friends of Zander, received a massive hit on the face from Matt’s backpack. Matt kicked the side of his opponent’s body which causes to lose the opponent’s balance. He grabbed Zander’s back, who kept punching Rodolfo on the stomach, and they took a couple of steps away from Rodolfo and to the other opponent. He evaded Zander’s incoming punch and just kicked Zander off. Because of his attack, Zander slid away and hit the nearest glass window in the locker hall. The broken glasses scattered on the locker hall floor. Zander attempted to punch, but Matt caught his arm, grabbed Zander’s hand, and bent it.

            “Not gonna stop, are you?” Matt was breathing fast, still bending Zander’s wrist. The longer it takes, the more he bends Zander’s wrist.

            “No,” replied Zander, gasping for air.

            “Fine.”

            He punched Zander on the head, causing Zander to lie on the floor. He left Zander behind and get his backpack. He saw Rodolfo kicking his opponent and walked in his direction. Both of him and Rodolfo were panting and watched their enemies on the floor. That was the time they had realized that they were surrounded by their fellow freshmen and other college students. What amazed them was no one had tried to stop them from fighting. Where were the university staffs during the fight?

            Footsteps of heels came over and emerged from the crowd. The sound of the heels as it hits the bottom floor tells that they are in another trouble. The footsteps died, and there she was. A lady, in her fifties, with purple lips and pixie haircuts, dressed in a dark green shirt and corn yellow polka dots with a beige skirt, stood.

            “What happened here?” the lady began with her voice trembling out of anger.

            No one had answered her. All were scared to utter a single word.

            “I repeat for the last time, WHAT HAPPENED HERE?” she shrieked.

            Yet again, no one had answered.

            “You there, bastardo!” she was pointing her forefingers at Matt. “Care to share what had happened here?”

            “What did you just call me?” asked Matt, pointing himself.

            “JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!” she bellowed again, making all the students jumped in shock.

            “Well,” Matt started. “We have had a little show here, and you’ve missed it, granny. If there’s another show next time, I’ll let you know.”

            “Matt, what’re you doing? Mrs Lovington is the vice-chancellor of this university. Any student who talks to her that way got expelled,” muttered Rodolfo to Matt.

            “I don’t care who is she or what can she do,” replied Rodolfo loud and clear to everyone. “Hey, old lady, anything you want to say?”

            “Old lady?” repeated Mrs Lovington and added, “TO THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE! NOW! ALL OF YOU, GET UP! YOU! I WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE WHEN RECEIVING AN EXPULSION!”

            Moaning in pain and throwing nasty looks, Zander and his friends got up and followed the vice-chancellor named Mrs Lovington. Matt rolled his eyes and just ignored anyone, including Rodolfo. Thoughts were alive yet lost. The sound of Mrs Lovington’s heel hitting the floor is the only sound he heard. He kept his hands on his pockets.

            The longer it took time to get to the president’s office, the faster Mrs Lovington walks. She couldn’t wait to witness another student with expulsion papers wearing the face of their regrets. Minute by minute, Rodolfo, Zander and his friends were slowly eaten by nervous. Matt sensed all of them. It was like losing in a great battle between standing up to defend oneself and following the university protocols and punishment set by people with a higher position.

            Out of a sudden, Matt secretly holds Rodolfo’s ice-cold hand. He feels that Rodolfo was trembling in fear of being expelled. Because of this, he pressed Rodolfo’s palm with his fingers that made Rodolfo look at their hands. Matt took a deep breath and stopped for a while. Rodolfo also made a pause. When everyone was a few feet away from them, they continued to walk.

            “Don’t worry. We’re no getting that expulsion,” whispered Matt to Rodolfo. “I need you to follow on what I am going to do and say inside of the president’s office.”

            “What? I don’t understand you, Matt. What if they get caught us lying for…” Rodolfo whispered back but was cut by Matt.

            “We will not get caught. Calm down and trust me,” Matt assured him, then he showed his left side part of his body and a pocket knife.

            “I can’t calm down in this situation. Even now, you’re bleeding!” muttered Rodolfo with his teeth gritted. “This will make everything worse.”

            Just then, Matt released Rodolfo’s hand and did not talk for a minute.

            “Don’t do whatever you are thinking. The fight was enough. If we added…” Rodolfo breathed to Matt in total nervous.

            “Listen. They have bruises, some of them have their nose bleeding, and others are in obvious pain. And we are not. Wait, are you hurt? Anyhow, you see that old creepy woman? She thinks I did this to all of you. You mentioned earlier that anyone who talked to her in an ill-mannered gets expelled. No matter how hard she put all those convincing words to the president about this, the president will see me as a victim. Also, I have to do this because we are the real victim here. We only defended ourselves. It is not our fault if they were weak and loses the fight.” Matt explained softly to Rodolfo.

            Rodolfo doesn’t look satisfied with this idea. And replied in hushed tones, “But what if the president didn’t see you as a victim?”

            “Enough with those what-ifs. The president listens to me. He can’t expel us. You hear me? He can’t.” Matt highlighted his last two words in a whisper.

            “How can you even sure about that?” asked Rodolfo in confusion.

            “Because the president and I have a…”

            “We don’t want to interrupt your silly conversation, but we must go on with your expulsion papers!” Mrs Lovington barge on. “Get in!”

            She was already holding the door open with a look of disgust to all of them. Zander went inside and so his friends. Matt and  Rodolfo followed them with a glance to the vice-chancellor. Matt, bowing his face, heard the door closes. The president in the office, who was sitting on his desk while playing a piece of a coin, gestured them to sit. The office was quiet and serene.

            Mrs Lovington’s heel hitting the floor as she walked towards the president echoed in the whole office.  She stood beside the president’s chair, acting as the president’s personal assistant. Rodolfo looked to Matt, who was still keeping his head down, and to the president. The president seems unaware that a group of students led by his staff arrived in his office. Then Rodolfo gazed to Mrs Lovington. Mrs Lovington was wearing a face of satisfaction as she rubs her both hands while glaring at them with an evil smile. Rodolfo became more uneasy.

            With the silence that had spread after Mrs Lovington placed herself beside the president, it broke when she started clearing her throat. She bent to the ear level of the president and began talking in almost a whisper.

            “Mr President, shall we begin why I, your most loyal staff, a vice-chancellor to this university, had brought these students to your office?”

            Without looking at her, the president nodded as a response.

            “Mr President,” she straightened her back and started speaking again with high pitch, “these students had caused physical violence at the locker hall. Due to this, a university property has been destroyed, which is the window glass pane. With accords to the university policies, anyone who disobeyed the conducted rules, being violent, which they had done earlier, carrying drugs and dangerous weapons such as guns and knives or threatened someone with these weapons, will receive total expulsion! And, from what I have seen, that boy in the backpack caused this fight.”

            All heads, except to the president, turned to Matt. Rodolfo and Zander’s eye grew bigger, but Matt remained muted, pissed off. Mrs Lovington did not say any word hereafter. Some of Zander’s friends secretly smirked. Rodolfo turned to look at Mrs Lovington. She was raising her right brow, again, evil smile, and her arms were fold. He was about to talk when the president had finally lifted his head to face them.

            “Students, this universi – “ the president began talking, but someone inside of his office made him stop and dropped his coin to the floor. Then he whispered, “It can’t be.”

            He was looking directly at Matt with astonishment. Everyone in the room exchanged looks with perplexion. Mrs Lovington’s evil smile fade away, and her brows met due to her confusion. The president set his hands into a praying gesture, still staring at Matt.

            “He is looking at you,” Rodolfo whispered to Matt’s ear.

            “Let him be,” Matt murmured. Matt’s behaviour was strange to Rodolfo.

            Mrs Lovington bent once again to the president and whispered, “Mr President?”

            After a short moment, the president commanded, “Everyone, heads up.”

            The students followed him except for Matt. He was looking at the floor.

            “What a respect!” Mrs Lovington said sarcastically, marching to Matt. “The president had ordered everyone to heads up and what? Aren’t you a part of this fight? Oh, no. I was being so stupid. Yes, of course, you aren’t a part because you are the root of this fight! Head up!”

            Everyone was shocked when Mrs Lovington shrieked. But Matt remains calm and silent.

            “Mrs Lovington! Anger does not solve any situation. It’ll make everything worse,” the president said calmly and repeated, “Please, everyone, heads up.”

            At long last, Matt faced the president. There was no anger, irritation or madness in the president’s face. Instead, he wears a beautiful smile. Matt smiled back. This made everyone in the room more bemused, including Rodolfo. Zander took a glance at Matt, who was smiling. Again, silence filled the whole office.

            “Matt! I wasn’t expecting you to be here. I was so happy to see you,” the president said to him. “I mean, it’s different happiness that I felt. It’s not what you think it is.”

            “I clearly understood Mr Cauff – I mean, Mr president,” Matt replied, not minding Rodolfo and the rest of everyone in the room.

            “These past few days, I’ve been wondering about – “

            “Yes, me either. But I have my plans to solve it. If my uncle didn't send me here, then, probably, it was already resolved last week,” Matt cut him off.

            “Your plans?” the president echoed. “Well, I hope it is not what I am thinking in mind. Italy is far from here to go by yourself.”

            Zander’s friends began murmuring to each other when they heard Italy. Mrs Lovington dropped her jaw, looking at the president. Rodolfo and Zander were looking at Matt. All of them were confused.

            “It left me no choice. Don’t worry. I’ll be okay. I’ve been to Italy several times, and I know how to adjust myself as an American. People in Italy are great.”

            “Does your uncle know about this?”

            “No, but I’m gonna tell him this evening.”

            “Dinner?”

            “No. Call.”

            “You mentioned that your uncle sends you here. Fascinating. For what reason it might be?”

            “Personal background, probably.”

            “Mr President, for god sake!” Mrs Lovington came to the president. The way she stomps her heels on the floor tells that she’s burning in anger. “This is no time for other subject matters. Let me remind you that the boy you are talking to caused and break the university protocols. We should be discussing his punishment! Expulsion! And not, and not th – this… whatever… I don’t know what both of you were talking about.”

            “How can you say that I started the fight? You weren’t there,” Matt started to defend himself.

            Rodolfo, Zander, and his friends almost died in shock to hear Matt’s voice. His voice was a bit deep and in a manner of anger. Unlike before when he was talking calmly to the president. Mrs Lovington raised her right eyebrow and shouted.

            “I WAS THERE. I SAW YOU STANDING NEXT TO THESE STUDENTS, WHO WERE BADLY HURT ON THE FLOOR!” she was pointing at Zander’s friends.

            “What a trash statement, it is.” Matt got to his feet, hands in his pockets. “Yes, you were right. I was indeed standing next to them, but I wasn’t alone. And before you had dropped the conclusion, do you know and has stated to the president the truth why I attacked them? I’m not an i***t like a lady on a polka dots blabbering nonsense that would attack them for no reason at all.”

            “Are you calling an i***t?” she chuckled with anger. “I can’t believe you. In front of the president?”

            “You called me bastardo,” he snapped. “In front of everyone.”

            “That was – “

            “And I know what that means.”

            “You ungrateful bra – “

            “Enough, Mrs Lovington! You are getting out of hand!” the president silenced her with a constant look at her face. “Matt, is it true?”

            “Yes, but the reason of – “ Matt answered but was suspended by the president.

            “Then, I’m afraid an expulsion will be given.”

            “Precisely!” Mrs Lovington exclaimed wickedly. “Then we shall have a proper hearing this Wednesday and run expulsion papers, don’t you think so, Mr President?”

            Matt, Rodolfo, Zander, and Zander’s friends looked horrified. They couldn’t believe what they had heard. Rodolfo’s nervousness was filled with a strong feeling of displeasure. As for Zander, though he hated Matt, he was sick worried for him. He wanted to admit that he started the chaos, but the expulsion will be transferred to him if he confesses, which terrified him.

            “It was true! He wasn’t alone during the fight. I was with him. If you expel him, expel me too. But only one thing is for sure. You’re expelling the victims!” Rodolfo had risen from his seat.

            “Perfect! Two students will get expelled. Kindly inform your parents and attend the hearing. We shall send a letter from our department to also inform them properly,” Mrs Lovington smiled happily. She can’t wait to expel Matt and Rodolfo. “Na – ah, dear. We are expelling the correct one.”

            Matt placed his hand behind his back and took a couple of steps forward, saying, “I am no professor nor staff of this university, but as far as I know, we have the rights to be heard and let everyone know what I and my friend were being accused of.”

            As soon as he placed his hand on his back, his wound and blood became more noticeable. Everyone in the office gasped when they saw it, including Rodolfo.

            “I don’t get it. You are already settling a hearing for expulsion without knowing our stories. Our stories, madame,” Matt continued. “It’s so unfair that you stated what you have seen, which is, by the way, a trash statement, but never gave us a chance to hear what we experienced through and what causes the fight.”

            None of them replied but listened closely.

            “If I threatened your life, Mrs Lovington,” finally addressing her properly, “would you not fight to defend yourself? But if you wish to greet death in that way, you wouldn’t understand the word I am saying. He was jeopardizing my life. Luckily, I was able to see that coming and managed to move by inches. Rather than being stabbed, I got this slice of a wound. If not,  he committed a serious crime.”

            Matt pulled up his cloth to let everyone see his actual wound. “Oh, although he wasn’t successful in stabbing me, he still did commit a crime.”

            “Of course, I fought to stop him. Then his friends joined and so my friend, Rodolfo. He was a bully, you see. And I don’t understand why this matter hasn’t brought up here. Why there are lots of students suffering from bullying? And why there are no actions from the university itself? Is it because we are living in a liberated country?”

            “Anyhow, I was a victim of his bullying, and I let it pass. But, when it involves a life-threatening situation, why not dare to fight? He thought I was responsible for messing his chemistry project,  which he had been doing since the beginning of class and still not get it perfectly. When in fact, the amount of Sulfuric Acid he added to the beaker was less than its original amount required, which is 5 mL. And he did not follow the note written at number thirteen on the procedures. Because of the wrong accusation, he did this stupid idea of attempting to stab me.” Matt explained.

            Again, no one had spoken for minutes. Rodolfo, Zander and Zander’s friends were figuring out the outcome of Matt’s statement. Zander was furious. He knew that Matt was talking to him. But he remained silent until Matt was finished. If he tries to tell the president and the vice-chancellor that Matt was lying and stated what really happened, nothing will change because he still started the fight by punching Matt.

            “There was, indeed, a chemistry project given to the freshmen. Professor Canahall mentioned this to me,” Mrs Lovington said to the president.

            “Mohr’s Salt, yes,” Matt dropped their chemistry project title.

            “I didn’t ask for it!” irritatingly replied Mrs Lovington.

            The president looked at her and asked Matt, “Who’s he?”

            “Their leader. Zander.” Matt replied.

            “THAT IS NOT TRUE!” bellowed Zander before the president could speak a word.

            “I kept your weapon for evidence,” Matt pulled out a black pocket knife from his back pocket. There was fresh blood on it.

            All of them were aghast after seeing the knife.

            “If it is Zander’s possession, why it is in yours’?” Mrs Lovington questioned him.

            “If this was still in Zander’s hand after the fight, what evidence could prove that he did this to me when he can dispose of this weapon right away?” Matt answered her in the question statement.

            “YOU SET THIS UP! THIS ISN’T TRUE!” Zander shouted, making his friends jumped in horror.

            “Then, what is real? How would you explain that there is blood in your palm? My blood in your palm.” Matt replied with his calming voice. “How? Does your palm experience menstruation or somethin’ earlier?”

            Zander looked at his palms. His right palm had blood. Shaking in fear, he grabbed his backpack, placed it in his lap and look for his handkerchief. His whole body was trembling while he wiped the blood from his palms. His friends were looking at him. They surely know that Zander wouldn’t do that, but by what they are witnessing, it seems that Zander had done it. They are totally befuddled. Matt and Rodolfo exchanged looks for the first time. Mrs Lovington doesn’t know where her trust lies. At this time, she was siding Matt, but although lied evidence did exist in front of her, her instinct says that Zander was innocent. The president also doesn’t know where to believe.

            Dried blood was still visible due to the time after he finished cleaning his hand. He ogled to Matt and Mrs Lovington started talking with her high pitched voice.

            “Well, Zander shall get expelled too for bringing dangerous weapons inside the campus.”

            “I TOLD YOU IT WASN’T MINE!” Zander got up to his feet.

            The backpack that was sitting on his lap fell to the floor. Worse luck, he forgot to close his backpack which leads some of his school belongings slid out. Along with these things was something very sharp pointed object, which took everyone’s attention. It was the first time that Matt made a shocked face. He did not expect that thing to be in Zander’s bag. A dagger.

            Mrs Lovington whimpered in fear. She looks like she was already greeting death. She was dramatic to convince the president to confirm the expulsion hearing by saying it himself in front of the freshmen in his office. Matt looked at her in disgust, but his thoughts were on Zander’s dagger. Rodolfo made an urged look to Matt. He wanted to know if Matt planted it or not. Just then, Mrs Lovington burst out and made her way forward, grabbing the dagger while Zander was looking at her, lost in thoughts. Why was he carrying a dagger inside the school?

            She examined the dagger with her shocked eyes, looked at Zander, and said angrily, “A pocket knife and a dagger inside this school? IT IS UNBELIEVABLE! HOW COULD YOU?”

            “It meant to hurt no one. If it is intended to use in – “ Zander made an effort to explain about bringing the dagger, but Mrs Lovington stopped him.

            “ENOUGH! NO MORE EXPLANATIONS! NO MORE EXCUSES! THE EVIDENCE IS THERE ON THAT BOY’S BODY!” she pointed her finger at Matt and continued, “I NEED YOUR PARENTS NOW, AND I’LL MAKE SURE YOU WON’T HAVE THIS DAGGER AGAIN.”

            “NO! GIVE IT BACK! IT’S MINE!” Zander bellowed at her.

            Matt reads Zander’s eyes. There must be a reason why he was carrying his dagger. It seems very important to him. Rodolfo was looking at Matt, who was looking at Zander. Zander’s friends were looking at Mrs Lovington with their fear.