Things were quiet over the weekend. Hazel locked herself in her room sulking over Lee’s departure. Jan and Finn get to finish what they were doing at the party when they were interrupted by the incident. Marlon stayed home, sulking by himself.
Come Monday, everyone was back at school because life goes on no matter what happens.
Hazel was briefed by Jan the night she took her home after the party. She told her what she heard about what happened that ended the party abruptly. Hazel hadn’t spoken to Marlon since, she was going to see him on Monday but something else happened.
“Did you hear?” Finn came with a question as he sat on the bench in front of them at the cafeteria.
Jan and Hazel looked at him in anticipation.
“Marlon got summoned by Edgerton … somebody leaked a video of the party,” he continued.
“Oh … shit … what video?” Jan asked.
“Everything! He’s in deep shit … all I know, somebody posted the fight … the beer bong contest, and then some idiot from 11th grade recorded himself having sex with a girl at the party … that video got leaked too.”
“Oh no, where’s Marlon?” Hazel asked.
“He’s still at the Principal’s office … he’s not gonna get away from this … it’s bad … you wanna see?” Finn took out his phone and looked for the said videos.
Jan and Hazel moved closer. And there it was … everything. From the angle of the videos, Marlon was going to get it really bad, especially the part where he was punching Dennis when he was already down on the floor.
“Oh my God … I’m gonna go help him,” Hazel stood and left without a second thought.
“Wait … what are you going to do?” Jan stopped her.
“Tell the truth … it wasn’t his fault, I have to do something … he’s still in probation,” Hazel said.
“Okay … I hope that helps … but the alcohol and the drugs … you can see it all very clearly in those videos.”
“Yeah … I have to see him … I have to help him.”
Jan nodded and Hazel made a run for it to Mr. Edgerton’s office.
Mr. Edgerton was visibly upset when she saw him through his office window. Marlon as usual was sitting with his head down. She knew him well enough to know that it wasn’t guilt that made him hung his head low. It was boredom. He was tired that he kept messing up for everyone else.
She knocked on the door.
“What is it Miss Williams? Can’t you see we’re in a middle of a very important discussion here?” Mr. Edgerton’s tense face greeted her from behind the door.
“I’m sorry, Sir, may I come in? If I may be of help … I was there at the party too,” she pleaded.
“I highly doubt there’s anything you can say to me that will make things better for Mr. Reynolds … he knows how much trouble he’s in, there’s nothing you can do for him right now,” he was ready to shut the door on her.
Hazel held the door with her shoulder, “Please … Mr. Edgerton, let me try to explain from another point of view … he’s my friend, he was defending me when he fought, it wasn’t his fault … please just let me be in there with him?”
She could hear him drew a long breath before he finally let her in.
“Thank you, Sir … I really appreciate it,” she said and hurried inside to take a seat next to Marlon.
The office smelled like Marlon’s perfume. He sat there with his elbow on the armrest and his face resting on his knuckles. He raised his brows at Hazel as if to tell her he had resigned to whatever fate that awaits him.
Hazel explained as best she could to clarify the situation at the party. Mr. Edgerton tried to be as objective as possible though he wasn’t much impressed by the fact there was alcohol and other illegal substances in the presence of minors. The fact that the party was unsupervised by any adult was also alarming.
As for the sex tape, it had nothing to do with Marlon though it happened at his party. Mr. Edgerton paused for a good minute when Marlon told him that his dad was in Goldstone to accompany his mom who was in rehab. He had no one to represent him this time, Marlon was on his own.
“Well … I’m glad you have a good friendship with Miss Williams who is very willing to vouch for you this time, Mr. Reynolds … but I have to reprimand you this time … it is absolutely unacceptable to have these kinds of parties and involving minors when you are a minor yourself … if this goes out to the authorities, I cannot help you,” he finally said.
Marlon stayed completely silent.
“So long as you are a student in Pinehurst Valley High, you are not allowed to hold any event such as the one you had last Saturday … do you understand?”
Marlon nodded.
“I will draft a reprimand letter, and you are to be suspended for a week so that your friends know what you have done is against our school’s regulations … a third reprimand letter would mean that you are to be expelled … do you understand that too?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Mr. Edgerton shook his head, “I will have to speak to your father … if he’s unavailable to come, at least find the time to speak with me on the phone … I am very concern that you are left on your own.”
“It’s not a problem, Sir, I’m used to it,” Marlon said.
“Still … it’s my duty to speak to your parents about it … and one more thing, Marlon, you are banned from the school dance … I can’t allow you to participate in our school events this year, what happened last Saturday is intolerable by any means.”
Marlon nodded, he wasn’t going to argue with anything Mr. Edgerton had decided for him.
“As for you, Miss Williams … I hope you are ready to do your part for the event?” he turned to Hazel.
“Yes, Sir … I will be having some meetings with the dance committee and make sure everything is in order.”
“Good … so I guess that’s it for now … you may leave, Miss Williams you may go back to your class and Mr. Reynolds, I trust you will go straight home and call your father?”
“That’s exactly what I will do,” Marlon said with a faint smile.
They left the office and parted ways. They would probably meet up later to catch up what they’ve missed since Saturday.
The bell rang, it was already time for the next class. As soon as Hazel put her bag down and sat on her seat, her phone lit up.
Marlon: How about ditching the rest of the day and chilling out by the beach?
Hazel giggled as she read the text.
Hazel: Where?
Marlon: Back door … white Lamborghini
She laughed, what could be better for a getaway car?
Hazel: Be there in a sec.