Part 78 (1/2)
”I don't know. Look into his history, talk to other people, and dig up more evidence to prove I didn't plagiarise.”
”Isn't my way easier? Get the sleaze kicked off campus and arrested. Even if you prove the plagiarism part is wrong, how will it prove his other behaviour.”
”I'll speak to the Women's Officer at the Student Union. The Union will support me.”
”Surely, the university wouldn't kick you out over one thing? Not with your academic record.”
I swallow. ”I don't know. It's arbitrary”
Anne reaches over and squeezes my hand. ”I'm sure everything will work out. I'll help. You're not in this on your own.”
”I hope so.” But I'm stuck. I don't know what to do and I'm not confident I'll win.
WILL.
Fleur once again fails to laugh at what I'm convinced is a witty one-liner, picking at her sandwich instead. I dip my head to look at her face partially covered by her curtain of blonde hair.
”Something's wrong.”
She pulls her hair over her shoulder and gives a feeble smile. ”I'm good. How was your day?”
”Yeah. Jem's finally agreed to the trip to the States. How f.u.c.king awesome is that!” Fleur's drifting again. ”Did you get a bad mark on your paper? I know you were worried about this one. Is that why you're upset?”
She picks salad from her plate and shakes her head as she eats. ”I don't want to talk about this. Not yet.”
Wow. Has the stress impacted so much that she's failing? I close my hand over Fleur's. Distract her. ”We still going out tonight?”
”I'm not sure. Not in the mood, Will. I'm behind on a couple of things.”
As she avoids my eyes, an uncomfortable sensation grips my chest. She forgot our meeting earlier today. She doesn't want to see me tonight. We've been apart a lot the last few weeks, has she moved on?
This can't be about Shaun still, the last few weeks, following the flower incident, she mentioned him once and only to say she'd not seen or spoken to him. I'm b.l.o.o.d.y glad because I have a few choice words for Shaun and am looking for an excuse to say them.
”Right. Tomorrow?” I ask.
”I guess.”
”You guess.” Huh. I throw down my sandwich. ”Thanks.”
”I have important things to do too!” she replies. ”You often cancel for the band, and I'm never s.h.i.+tty with you. Some girls would be.”
”Yeah. Sorry.”
Fleur leans across the table and places her lips on mine, stroking my cheek. ”Gives you a chance to have a shave.”
”Was gonna grow a beard.”
”Ugh.” Fleur screw her face up. ”Please don't.”
”Next you'll be telling me to take my piercings out.”
”Why would I do that?”
”So I look more normal. Like the kind of guy you'd take to meet your parents.”
She sits back. ”You want to meet my parents? Seriously?”
”No! You know what I mean.”
”I love you the way you are, that's all I mean. Piercings and everything.” She pokes me. ”I won't try to take your piercings out if you don't try to get me to have a tattoo.”
I grin. ”Just one? My name? Ruby Riot logo?”
Fleur rolls her eyes. ”Sure. Just as soon as you tattoo my name on you.”
”Is that a promise?”
She stiffens. ”No, Will. I'm joking. Don't tattoo my name anywhere.”
”I'm joking too, don't stress.”
When she smiles and the distance retreats, my heart lifts. I'm imagining things because of my insecurity. It's b.l.o.o.d.y weird when the fear I'll lose her grips. Who knew I could feel this for a girl? But I have, and I can't help comparing myself to her type, the ones Fleur dated before I finally won her over. Nate's words nag, not just the part about being young and heading in different directions, but over how she'll replace me.
No. If she intended to, Fleur wouldn't spend time around the band and integrate with the other side of my life. Instead, I should count myself b.l.o.o.d.y lucky she isn't the over the top, jealous type. When we're together, there's a peace around us. Maybe that's what I crave, the girl who loves and trusts me. How many other people are lucky to have a best friend and lover rolled into one?
38.
FLEUR.
I have a week before the tribunal and spend the next few days attempting to find more information about Shaun's past. He studied at Oxford and moved on to Manchester to do his MA and PhD. Two years in, he switched to UCL when the professor he was researching under moved across here too.
I contact a Student Officer at Manchester, unsure what my first step should be. The way Shaun spoke in the library hinted he's done something like this before; and until he moved from Oxford to Manchester, he was an undergraduate with no influence. The girl I spoke to agreed to look into complaints or plagiarisms charges around the time Shaun attended. Disheartened when I don't hear back after a couple of days, I look at other avenues.
I collate dated doc.u.ments, bookmarks on my laptop, anything and everything to prove I researched too. I've no idea what my chances are; but if I keep calm, I can do this.
A day later, I'm surprised to receive a response from Maria, the girl I've been in contact with from Manchester. She's found a couple of claims of plagiarism in the history department involving girls, both of which were dropped before they came to tribunal. Maria can't give me details but has explained my situation to both girls and pa.s.sed on my details. She hints at her unorthodox methods of finding the information because she believes my concerns are real, and I'm in relieved tears when Maria tells me she's asked the girls to contact me.
Unable to focus on anything else, I spend the next two days constantly connected to my email account, jumping on every message alert within seconds.
None appear. Why would anybody want to dredge up something like this? If the claims against them were dropped, and Shaun's actions were the same as with me, I hate to imagine what he did. If I were one of those girls, I wouldn't want to revisit what happened. Disappointment edges in again, joining the anger and revulsion.
I'm out of options and the hearing is next week.
Then the email comes through from a girl named Jo, and light s.h.i.+nes into my dark days.