Two Days Later
It was the end of the day for Pippa. Academic wise, that is. She was doing perfectly fine, listening to the lecture, paying attention, everything was fine. That was until their principal, Mr. Brown, walked into her Acting Two class.
"Hello. What brings you in?" Their teacher stopped mid lecture to welcome the principal. All pens and pencils stopped writing and all eyes went right to the balding man before them.
"I need to borrow a student for just a moment, if that won't bother your class."
"No, not at all. Take away." The teacher chuckled lightly as Mr. Brown turned towards the class.
"Phillipa Soo, could you come with me for a moment?" Pippa's heart raced as she nodded, threw her notebook into her bag and followed the man out of the door. She followed him into his office, seeing that someone else was already sitting down in another chair. She also couldn't help but notice there were three chairs set up. Pippa knew where this was headed. "Come on in, take a seat right next to Mr. Miranda."
"Hi." She said quietly to Lin as she shakily took her seat.
"Hey." Lin smiled. Moments later, one of the secretaries came in with none other than Matt. He wasn't looking too great. "Just me or does he look hungover?" Lin leaned over and whispered to Pippa, and she choked back a laugh. In all honesty, Pippa wouldn't be surprised if Matt was indeed hungover.
"Matthew, take a seat." Matt begrudgingly did as asked, taking the other seat next to Lin. It was maybe for the best that Lin was the barrier between the two in this situation. That way, he could hold Pippa's and hand kiss her forehead when she needed it, or he could square up and fight Matt if need be, as well. "So, I've called you three in to discuss the matter of your behavior," The principal pointed to Matt with a ball point pen. "Towards Miss. Soo, while being involved in a romantic relationship with her." He cleared his throat, and Lin instinctively grabbed Pippa's hand, just in case. Lin traced small circles in her palm, to make sure she stayed steady.
"If we're talking about me, then why's he here?" Matt pointed over at Lin.
"Did I ask you to speak?" Mr. Brown knew how to quickly shut someone up, and that was the way to do it. "Continuing on. It has been charged against you that you brutally beat, struck, and scarred Miss. Soo on multiple occasions, one such occasion even landing her with a cracked rib. It's also been charged that you mentally and emotionally manipulated her, accused her of cheating when she was not, even going as far to threaten her to worse treatment if she told anyone about this. In addition to all of that, it was added that you sexually assaulted her on one occasion, and that you were, and I quote, "advancing towards doing such things, another time", but then it's told in these reports that Miss. Soo got you to stop."
At this, Lin's eyes flicked over to Pippa's. She gave him a look as if to say, don't worry about it, and looked forward once again as Mr. Brown continued speaking. Lin's grip on her hand remained.
"Now, Mr. Verde, what do you have to say for yourself?" Mr. Brown folded his hands atop his desk.
"You can't prove any of that." Matt crossed his arms. The principal raised his eyebrows at this and threw the file from the crisis center in front of Matt.
"Take a look for yourself." Mr. Brown sat back in his chair as Matt fingered through the file, scowling at pictures and statements here and there.
"Mr. Brown, Sir, may Phillipa and I take a moment outside?" Lin asked, sensing that Pippa was getting panicky, and that they really needed to sort the newly posed elephant in the room out.
The principal's eyes looked over to Pippa, who indeed was looking a bit panicked. "Of course. We'll have a secretary come get you when we're ready for you."
Lin nodded. "Thank you." Mr. Brown nodded as well. "C'mere, Pip." Lin whispered as he took her into the hall outside of the disciplinary office. "We need to talk."
"What is there to talk about?" Pippa looked down.
"You didn't tell me that he tried to...that he advanced on you again. When was that? Was he drunk again?" Lin's eyes deepened with concern.
"Remember the day we got into a fight, and I told you to leave?" Of course, how could he forget it? "Well, it was later that night, and he didn't ask my consent, but he was sober, so that's how I got him to stop." Pippa avoided Lin's eyes.
"He's dead." Lin stated, angrily starting towards the door.
"No, Lin, it's fine. It's passed, it doesn't even matter anymore." Pippa touched his shoulder. Lin instantly turned around and looked Pippa right in the eye.
"Yes it does, matter, Phillipa! I can't believe he tried to do that again to you, and I won't let him do it ever again!"
"Lin, that is what we're even in this meeting for, this is--"
"Lin, Phillipa," A secretary cut them off. "We'd like you back in the office."
"Oh, sorry, of course." Lin took his angry edge off and walked back in, hand in hand still with Pippa. The two walked back in and the familiar chill of the office as well as the scent of essential oils blanketing the air engulfed their senses once again. "What happened to Matthew?" Lin asked, taking his original seat once more.
Mr. Brown folded his hands on the table. "We've decided to expel Mr. Verde from Julliard. Considering the magnitude of his actions, we saw no other option." Both students nodded. On the inside, they were both ecstatic, but they obviously couldn't voice that to the head of disciplinary service, now could they? "But, that being said, Phillipa, I have something else to talk to you about."
"Yes?" Pippa asked.
"According to Mr. Schmidt over at our academics services, you have been falling somewhat behind in your classes, am I correct?" Pippa nodded.
"It was because after he had...um...abused her so badly that she couldn't attend classes for three days, and--" Lin began, but was interrupted.
"Mr. Miranda, we understand that, and that was weighed heavily into our decision on his removal from our school, now, regardless, Miss. Soo, your academic discrepancies like this are starting to build up, and due to the volume of this pending issue, if you don't turn all your assignments in, as well as pass all of your midterms, then we will have to revoke your scholarship."
~~~~~
A/N: I'm sorry that I left you on such a cliffhanger! Hope you still enjoyed it! Xx. ❤
