บท 48: Chapter 48 - Thin Ice

"What happened this day? I do not believe a good leader covers up this type of incident. This is quite frankly exactly how uptight rigid figureheads act."

Well shit.

I groaned internally at what she presented. This indeed was an incident that was covered up but for good reason. Largely because it was being blown out of proportion.

I carefully picked up each image and examined it. "I see you found these documents at the Eastside campus. However, unfortunately this is not the story you are imagining it to be. Or one you would want plastered."

She laughed a bit and a glint sparkled in her eyes. "Why not? A school violence case is indeed one that matters for public knowledge."

"Even if it would negatively impact Felix Carter?"

Her facial muscles froze. Despite his mug shot being in the folder she still brought them out. Meaning one of two situations occurred: she asked him and he lied or she thinks he can do no wrong and him being involved was a fluke.

"Depends on what you have to say." She probed carefully, like someone on thin ice trying to move around. She was taking careful steps to test her place before going all in.

"It is not all that exciting really." I held up in particular the school violence report. "The main victim was myself."

I did not bother to gauge her reaction. "I am highly allergic to caffeine, which I have known about since I was little. I am usually pretty good about avoiding drinks with it but I left a bottle of Hibiscus tea at my desk when I went to the student affairs office to collect some papers I needed as class president. My drink was tampered with and I had an allergic reaction. It was considered an act of school violence as I nearly died."

It was a horrible memory. I was coming back to my desk and after running back and forth I took a large swig of my drink. I noticed it was not the tea I brought but instead something else. My throat closed up and my skin flushed red due to the lack of air.

"I ran as fast I could into the nurses office but passed out before I could make it. I woke up in the hospital a few hours later. I later learned Dean Cortez and Felix Carter were arrested in suspicion of doing it along with a third student named Welton Grais."

I peeked out above the report to see she looked calm. It appeared she heard this story already. "I will save you the suspense, Welton Grais was the one who added a caffeine extract to my drink."

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "His father was a new business owner who made some mistakes and was stripped of his position. My father had invested in his company initially and he pulled out which led to a domino effect. So as retaliation he targeted me. His family could no longer support the 'upper class' lifestyle which greatly angered him so he wanted to take something my father greatly valued. As in his mind my father did that to him."

I tossed the sheet back at the desk. The rest of the papers were meaningless. "Felix was just implicated by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was seen lingering by my desk and holding the drink I had. Turns out he was just curious of the brand. Dean and Welton were the only ones who were booked in. Dean not for hurting me but for beating up Welton. I guess Welton hung around him and he mentioned it thinking Dean did not like me."

Though she did not have photographs of his injuries I still vividly recall when he visited me. Dean came hospital to apologize. He came in with his fists bandaged up from punching the other student. 'Sorry. I am so sorry.' He rested his face between his hands as he apologized.

'He was helping me move some documents from the office for the school trip and he saw your allergy sheet. I swear if I knew that he was going to do it I would have gotten to him sooner and reported him. Please I am so sorry.'

Dean at the time was a baseball player and so was Welton which was why they hung out. Welton was also a class officer but he mainly just did morning announcements. So both had clearance into the student affairs office. Welton abused his position to further his personal gain.

Dean also took it too far by beating the truth out of him. Welton was expelled. I never shared Deans involvement nor did Welton. I created a deal with him to lessen the ears who heard this story which Sol was now threatening to blow up.

"I did cover it up not for my own sake but for Weltons. He was an angry kid who did not know any better. In exchange for him to take the expulsion as his only punishment and never cross paths with me again, we sealed all the investigations and documents. I did not press charges and we had students sign NDAs to stop the spread of rumors."

I actually hated Welton and wanted him to suffer for what he did. I almost died. However, after sitting on it for a few days I did not want anyone else to know what happened or have it affect the other students involved. So I chose mercy. I also knew him feeling like I did him a favor would be worse than just sitting in a corrections facility. He was not free by any means, he had to ensure we never crossed paths.

"Does this make you feel better? Do you feel accomplished relishing in someones trauma to satisfy your ego?"

She seemed uncomfortable. Her eyes avoided mine and she fiddled with her long blonde hair. "Well... you see...". I interrupted her.

"Whatever the outcome, by not sticking to the original questions we agreed upon and deliberately bringing this inflammatory story to try and get something out of me all you did is waste your time. Consider this a breach of contract. I was looking forward to the interview, its a shame it will not be released."

Her mouth dropped and she fumbled as she tried to backtrack. "Wait no please."

"Sorry, I am just following the terms we signed on. I am going to have to ask you to leave now."