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“What’s going on?” Landon asks Ken as I get to my feet and begin to gather my things.
“We can talk about it outside.” Ken’s voice is unsteady.
“I’m coming,” Landon says and stands as well.
Professor Soto looks at Ken. “Is that okay with you?”
“Yes, he’s my son,” he tells him and our teacher’s eyes go wide.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that; she’s your daughter?” he asks him.
“No,” Ken says tersely. He appears panicked, which is starting to scare me.
“Is Hardin . . .” I begin to ask, but Ken guides me out the door with Landon behind me.
“Hardin’s been arrested,” Ken tells us as soon as we get outside.
I can’t breathe. “He’s what?”
“He’s been arrested for fighting, and for vandalizing campus property.”
“Oh my God” is the only thing I can think to say.
“When? How?” Landon asks.
“About twenty minutes ago. I’m trying my best to keep this matter within the campus jurisdiction, but he isn’t making it easy.” Ken hurries across the street, and I nearly have to run to catch up with him.
My mind is racing: Hardin, arrested? Oh my God. How could he get arrested? Who did he fight?
But I already know the answer to that question.
Why couldn’t he just keep his cool, for once? Is Hardin okay? Will he go to jail? Real jail? Is Zed okay?
Ken unlocks his car’s doors, and the three of us get inside.
“Where are we going?” Landon asks.
“To campus security.”
“Is he okay?” I ask.
“He’s got a cut across his cheek and another on his ear, or so I’ve heard.”
“You ‘heard’? You haven’t seen him yet?” Landon asks his stepfather.
“No, I haven’t. He’s throwing a fit, so I knew it would be better to get Tessa first.” He nods his head in my direction.
“Yeah, good idea,” Landon agrees, and I stay quiet.
A cut across his head and face? I hope he isn’t in pain. Oh my God, this is all so crazy. I should have just agreed to spend the entire day with him. If I had, he wouldn’t have even been on campus today.
KEN ZOOMS DOWN several backstreets, and within five minutes we’re parking in front of the small brick building that houses campus security. There’s a No Parking sign directly in front of where he parks, but I suppose parking wherever you like is one of the perks of being the chancellor.
The three of us hurry inside the building, and my eyes immediately start scanning for any sign of Hardin.
But I hear him first . . . “I don’t give a fuck, you’re nothing more than a douche bag with a fake badge! You’re basically a mall cop, you fucking prick!”
I follow his voice and turn down the hall in pursuit of him. I hear Ken and Landon on my heels, but all I care about is getting to Hardin.
I come to where several people are gathered . . . and see Hardin pacing back and forth inside a small cell. Holy shit. His arms are behind his back in handcuffs.
“Fuck you! All of you!” he yells.
“Hardin!” His father’s voice booms from behind me.
My angry boy’s head snaps to the side, to where I’m standing, and his eyes go wide immediately. His face is split open just below his cheekbone, and his skin is sliced from his ear to the back of his head, his hair matted with blood.
“I’m trying to contain this, and you aren’t helping!” Ken barks at his son.
“They have me trapped in here like some fucking animal. This is bullshit. Call whoever you need to call and get them to unlock this shit!” Hardin yells, attempting to tear his hands from the cuffs.
“Stop it,” I say to him and scowl.
Immediately, his demeanor changes. He calms a little, but is no less angry. “Tessa, you shouldn’t even be here. What kind of genius fucking idea was it to bring her?” Hardin hisses at his father and Landon.
“Hardin, stop it now. He’s trying to help you. You need to calm down,” I say through the bars. This doesn’t feel real, talking to him while he’s literally in a cell in handcuffs. This can’t be real. But then again, this is what happens in the real world. You get arrested if you assault someone, on campus just as anywhere else.
As he looks at my eyes, I imagine he sees the pain I feel for him right now. I want to think that’s why he finally gives in, and softly nods and says, “Okay.”
“Thank you, Tessa,” Ken says. Then he warns his son, “Give me a few minutes to see what I can do—in the meantime you need to stop yelling. You’re making this worse for yourself when you’re already in a load of trouble.”
Landon looks to me, then to Hardin, before following Ken back down the narrow hallway. I hate this place already; everything is too white and black, too small, and it smells like bleach.
The campus security officers that sit behind the desk are immersed in their own conversation at the moment, or at least they’ve begun pretending to be since the chancellor of the school showed up to deal with his son.
“What happened?” I ask Hardin.
“I got arrested by campus security,” he huffs.
“Are you okay?” I ask him, desperately wanting to reach through and wipe his face.
“Me? Yeah, I’m fine. It’s not so bad as it looks,” he answers, and examining him, I can see he’s right. I can tell from here that the cuts aren’t deep. His arms have light red streaks on them, mixing with the black ink to form a rather terrifying sight.