Always trying to avoid getting mushy, the leadership at the table continues to eat, drink, and chat about nothing.
Finally, Leela says, “You can bring him for dinner next week. So we can get to know him better.”
“Thank you,” I say again before dropping the subject and enjoying my food.
This is good. Things are falling into place. Herc will get over it.
My dad might be a white-collar criminal. Or he might not. If he did, I have to let justice take its course.
And this room right here might be full of imperfect people, but it’s full of love. These people and Titus give me hope that things will improve.
This is why, when I finally open the mail from my cubby, the letter from the Dean of Admissions comes as such a shock.
Mila pads through the great room and stops short when she sees me.
“Babe, what’s wrong?” Mila asks.
I swallow the lump in my throat and look up at her questioning eyes. “I’ve been kicked out of school.”
EIGHTEEN
Cassandra
I can’t stop pacingback and forth in my room.
The girls are hovering outside my door, waiting for an explanation.
With shaking hands, I try and fail to text Herc. So I call him instead.
He answers on the first ring.
“Cass, what the fuck is going on?”
“Did you just get kicked out of school, too?”
“Yes. Did you get a letter? What did yours say?”
I take a deep breath and read it out loud to him.
“It has come to my attention that cash funds used to pay for your current semester at Pine Mountain University are considered missing evidence in an ongoing federal investigation. Therefore, we have recalled your tuition in cooperation with the federal government. The college is doing everything in its power to assist law enforcement in tracking down these bills so that they may be entered into evidence. Therefore, you are no longer enrolled here as a student. Your slot has been vacated and will be refilled.”
I can’t read anymore because my eyes are blurry, and my throat has turned to stone. I drop the letter on the floor while Herc continues reading: “‘You are welcome to re-apply once the investigation has concluded.’ It doesn’t say anything about our athletic scholarships. They’re treating us like criminals, and we haven’t done anything.”
I hiccup and say, “I think that means those scholarships are gone, Hercules. And…we might be accomplices. Because of the tennis balls.”
Herc cusses violently. “I knew we shouldn’t have taken those things. I knew it was trouble. Fucking Titus.”
He hangs up the phone without saying goodbye.
I look at the phone incredulously. What is happening? Why is he so mad at Titus?
This is not how it was supposed to end. We were supposed to get through this little bump in the road, move on, and figure out life.
College was the safe place to be in the middle of the storm. And now that’s been taken away.
Titus.
He’s going to confront Titus about the money we took.