46. Zane

46

ZANE

T he sun is barely up when we gather in the kitchen, a rare sense of optimism hanging in the air. After weeks of tension and sleepless nights, it's refreshing to feel like we finally have a plan that might work. Eli babbles happily in his high chair as we prepare breakfast, the sound a comforting backdrop to our morning routine.

Archer is flipping pancakes and Lyric is helping Eli with his cereal. I pour coffee for everyone, the rich aroma filling the room. "You ready for today?" I ask Lyric, handing her a mug.

She takes it with a grateful smile. "I think so. Having a plan helps. Thank you, all of you, for everything."

Levi leans against the counter, sipping his coffee. "You wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for us," he tells her. "So, we're going to fix it for you. We're in this together now, baby. We'll get through it."

After breakfast, we gather our things and head out to take Eli to daycare. The morning air is crisp, the sky a bright, cloudless blue. Lyric holds Eli's hand as we walk, his tiny fingers gripping hers tightly. It's a small moment of normalcy amid the chaos and I can see it brings her some peace.

Eli is all smiles when we drop him off, waving goodbye with a cheery "Bye-bye!" Lyric kisses his forehead, whispering something that makes him giggle. As we walk away, I can see her shoulders relax just a bit.

"Feeling better?" I ask as we head toward the building where the hearing is taking place.

She nods, her grip on her bag tightening. "A little. It's just… there's so much riding on this going well."

"You are going to be fine," Archer says, placing a reassuring hand on her back. "We're all behind you."

We reach the building, the early morning quiet punctuated by the sound of our footsteps. Lyric takes a deep breath, her eyes brimming with determination. Archer pushes the door open, nudging her inside and we follow behind like a cavalcade of guards.

Inside, the tension seems less pronounced today. Whether that's because the committee is willing to hear us out or because we feel more confident about our plan, it doesn't matter. We're going to kick ass today and clear Lyric's name.

Taking our seats, Lyric grips the arms of the chair and gives us quick glances, as though seeking reassurance. I give her my most confident smile and she steels herself, prepared to speak.

"I know that yesterday, I was given a list of ways I've broken the student code of conduct, but I want to assure you that despite the way it looks, I am not, nor have I ever been, a problematic and disruptive person," she says, tone even despite the slight tremor in her hands as she speaks. "I have gathered a few witnesses to testify on my behalf, to prove that I'm an asset to the school and not a liability."

"Very well, Miss Shaw," Bainbridge says, nodding in her direction. "You may call your first witness."

"Levi Cooper is here to speak on my behalf," she says, tilting her head toward him. Levi stands, giving the committee a little bow.

"My name is Levi Cooper," he begins. "And I'm here to talk about how Lyric helped the Alpha Lambda fraternity by participating in a car wash. She had no obligation to do so, no direct ties, but she volunteered her time and effort."

He smirks. "As a direct result of her participation, we received a donation of over $500. Furthermore, because of the donation we received in her name, we were able to raise a total of over $1,000. Without her help, the car wash wouldn't have been as successful."

"When did this take place?" one of the board members asks.

Levi nods, approaching the table. "In late September. You can see that we have proof, with her signature on the volunteer sheet, as well as a copy of the donation that was made out in her name." He hands over the proof and the committee takes it, passing it around as they look it over.

"We'll take this into consideration," Bainbridge says. "Do you have any other evidence, Miss Shaw?"

Lyric glances at me and I nod encouragingly. "Yes," she says, standing up again. "Zane Matthias is going to speak on my behalf as well."

I stand up, ready to blow the committee away with my evidence. "Members of the jury, my name is Zane Matthias," I say, taking a step toward them.

Bainbridge rolls her eyes. "This isn't a courtroom, Mr. Matthias. Keep it succinct."

"Noted," I say, pulling my folder out. "I'll keep it brief then. Miss Shaw was presented a full-ride scholarship to attend this university."

I pull out her acceptance letter and place it on the desk. "She came to this school with a 4.0 grade point average, as well as an impressive list of extracurricular activities. Not only has she maintained her 4.0 average, as of the end of the first semester, but she's doing all that while participating in volunteer work and raising a child as a single mother."

"What bearing does her maternal status have on this hearing?" A different board member speaks up this time.

"I believe it has every relevance," I say, placing a certificate on the table. "Miss Shaw has a heavy burden, raising a child on her own. She's managed to keep her grades up despite the strain of motherhood. And as you can see here, her son got a certificate in daycare for being Student of the Week last semester. So, she's teaching her child good behavior as well."

Some of the board members nod, looking intrigued by the evidence. "This is impressive, but I still have to question whether or not your crude and inappropriate behavior reflects poorly on the university," Bainbridge informs her.

"That's what my last witness is here to talk about," Lyric says. "I bring Archer Hudson as a witness."

Archer gives her a soft smile and stands as I go back to sit down. He pulls out his folder of evidence and proceeds to the front. "Miss Shaw has made a few poor decisions throughout her time here, but I argue that it doesn't mean that her behavior is going to become more problematic. I'd say that she's made more good decisions than bad. Look at this," he says, handing them a piece of paper.

"She was nominated for Fraternity Sister of the Year. Not only did she raise a substantial amount of money for Alpha Lambda during the car wash, but she also helped with the Inter-Fraternity Charity Toy Drive this past holiday season. She came up with the idea to raise money for the drive by having a coffee and cocoa stall. That was entirely her idea."

He grins. "As a result, we not only raised over $2,000 and brought in 100 toy donations, but her stall encouraged other students to spend money and donate toys to many of the other booths at the festival."

Bainbridge nods, arching an eyebrow. "I see. This is surprising information," she says. "Do you have any other relevant evidence, Miss Shaw?"

Before Lyric can speak, I stand up again. "We do," I tell them. "I have the report on Lyric's supposed drug possession. Cameron Grant signed the report, just days after he was cleared of his assault on Lyric at the Sigma Theta fraternity. Clearly, he has a vendetta against her for reporting him and he used this to get revenge."

The committee looks shocked when I hand them the report.

Bainbridge takes a deep breath. "The board will take a short break to discuss this evidence and we'll be back with our determination within the hour."

We all file out of the room, a collective sigh of relief escaping us.

"Well, all we can do now is wait," Archer says. We sit down on the benches outside the lecture hall together and I take Lyric's hand, squeezing it in my own.

"Whatever happens in there, you're not alone anymore," I tell her. "You're a strong, brave woman and you deserve the world. We'll fight to the end to make sure you have the life you deserve."

Archer hangs his head. "You shouldn't have to worry about all this. We apologized, but it still doesn't feel like enough. It's our fault that you're in this shitty mess."

Lyric shakes her head. "If it weren't for you, I might be facing expulsion, though. You apologized and made things right. You're fixing your mistakes. You need to let go of the past now."

"You're right," Levi says, cupping her cheek. "You're always right. You're incredible like that. I can't believe you could forgive us so easily."

Lyric bites her lip. "It took me a lot longer than you realize," she admits. "But you've proven yourself time and again now. You showed me that you're on my side and that you'll do whatever it takes to protect me, to protect us."

"We're glad we can all move forward together," I say. "Maybe after this is all settled, we can take you away for a bit and enjoy some time alone together."

Before Lyric can respond, someone comes out and calls us back inside. Exchanging nervous glances, we head back in, finding our seats. Is it a good thing that the board seemed to come to a decision quickly?

I take Lyric's hand on one side, while Archer takes her other and we wait for the board to tell us what they've decided to do.

Dean Harrison stands in front of us, holding a piece of paper. "After careful consideration, we have reached a decision…"