Hidden In Plain Sight

Whiter than White

The two listened to her every word without interruption. By the time Sadie finished telling Pat and Mary what happened earlier on that day she was absolutely parched.

A heavy silence hung in the air.

Mary looked aghast and pale.

Pat exhaled loudly and reached down to the side of his desk where he kept a crate of water bottles. He passed one to Sadie.

“This is serious stuff, Sadie. We have to tread very carefully here.”

Mary said nothing and gazed straight ahead, practically boring a hole in Pat’s door with his eyes.

Sadie took a long drink. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife.

“Well first things first: this allegation between yourself and Mary will not come to anything. I can guarantee that.”

“Really?” Sadie looked incredulous and she flushed hard.

Mary still didn’t move. He barely blinked.

“I for one would have offered you a lift myself if I saw you standing in a storm like that. No question about it. Professor Persson has absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing between you both. Sure, we don’t encourage fraternisation between staff and students, but you both didn’t do anything wrong.”

Mary exhaled and relaxed his shoulders. It was the first sound he made in fifteen long minutes.

“I had no idea it looked like that” he murmured. His eyes looked shiny, almost as if he might burst into tears at any given moment. “Sadie, I’m so sorry this happened. It wasn’t my intent for any of this to happen!”

“No, Professor, you know and I know that you did a nice thing for me. It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Listen, there’s actually a bigger issue here,” Pat said softly. “The fact that you feel Professor Persson touched you inappropriately in a room while you were alone is a very big deal. And you said he made a lewd comment?”

“Yes, that I would get done. In his office.”

Just saying those words out loud made her feel sick. A flood of embarrassment washed over her. Partly for merely repeating what was said to her by an education professional but also for invoking sexualised thoughts of herself in front of both Pat and Mary. It just seemed taboo. And gross.

Mary steepled his hands over his nose and mouth.

Maybe it’s my fault though? Maybe I smiled at Simon too much? Maybe I led him on inadvertently?

“That’s far, far more serious than an innocent 30-minute car journey” Pat said grimly. “Do you want to report that to the board?”

“Oh gosh, I really don’t want to make things awkward!” Sadie gasped.

“Well, you kind of have to, Sadie. We can’t let this go. And besides, if Professor Persson goes unchecked, this could happen again. It could happen to another student who could get really hurt. Physically and emotionally. This sort of behaviour is dangerous and points toward worse things to happen.”

“If I may?” said Mary. “Is this not essentially the same thing? It’s going to be her word against his, as it would be my word against his if the lift thing goes any further?”

“Firstly, it will not go further. Sadie has already come to me and explained the situation before Simon has. Once Sadie is happy that the car lift was innocent, then that means it won't go any further. You’re both consenting adults so there are really no grounds for a case here.”