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“I second that,” Elliot said. “Anyone have a blunt? I have a lighter.”
“There will be no drug-taking here,” the Dean interrupted, just as Elliot was reaching into his pocket.
“That’s kind of the point,” Vivian said, through a tight jaw. “Let’s get back to the matter of staying clean, shall we?”
“She’s lying to you,” I said, looking to the other two students. “This meeting is a joke. She doesn’t care about getting clean. She’s hosting one bogus meeting and then paying off Ms. O’Donnell here to keep up the charade on paper.”
The Dean drew in a sharp breath.
“Look,” I said. “You tell the truth here, now, and I’ll keep your secret safe. I won’t tell a soul outside of this room. You’ll get the hours you need to keep your admission to Freeman without having to do a thing.”
Of course I didn’t mean it. But compromise had to start somewhere.
Vivian took in a deep breath, her eyes flitting all around the room, everywhere but my eyes.
“Fine,” she said, though it came out like a whimper. “He’s right. It was me.”
Elliot clapped his hands together and slouched way back in his seat, looking like he’d just been cured of cancer.
“I told you,” he exclaimed, turning to me. “See? I told you.”
Rolling my eyes, I ignored his bout of happiness and kept my focus on Vivian.
“That still doesn’t explain why you bullied Leo,” I said. “Or why he would tell me that you were the one who planned this out. Put me and Pierre in danger of being accused of murder. Vivian didn’t even know you guys until a few months ago, and barely.”
“Me bullying has nothing to do with this,” Elliot said, his tone turning dark. “Besides, it was in middle school. It’s over.”
“Obviously, it has a lot to do with this,” I objected. “He has a grudge against you. Ell, you think you can just beat the shit out of someone mentally, and they won’t get scars that last their whole life?” My words grew sharp. “Just because it’s over doesn’t mean you can act like it never happened. Anyway, Leo has something against you. He’s angry. And it’s evident he’s not afraid to use his anger to get revenge.
Elliot regarded me for a few long moments, and his silence spoke louder than words. He knew I was right.
“You have a pattern,” I continued. I was on a roll now, everything I had wanted to say to him bubbling to the surface. “Your family’s a wreck. It always has been. And you take your rage out on Leo, on me, on Pierre … on anyone who can take it.”
I swallowed.
“Justify it any way you want, but that’s the truth. I know it is. And now, it’s coming back to bite you.”
Elliot bit his lip.
“Leo isn’t like us,” he started. “Like me, like Felix. His family doesn’t have money. In fact, he’s probably the poorest little shit I ever knew growing up. He was homeless for a while. Sixth grade, I think. That’s why I bullied him,” he said, his voice choking up, just enough for me to tell. “Because even though his family was living on the street, they were happy together. And maybe the egotistic little rich brat inside of me didn’t want that for him, for anyone. Okay?”
“Stop,” I muttered, bending forward to put my head in my hands. “You were a kid with a broken family.”
“Exactly,” he said, shifting in his seat. This NA meeting was proving to me more helpful for us than I had thought. “Now you know.”
The room fell into a strange silence, because I knew for a fact that even though no one spoke, everyone’s minds were reeling. At least, mine was. The thoughts, the voices, wouldn’t stop coming. I still needed answers.
“Anyway,” I started again. “Whether we like it, or not, Leo has something against you, and now, so does Felix. They have Pierre convinced that you’re the one behind this stupid plan.” My eyes shot back to Vivian. “That you have every reason to want to get back at Felix’s family for taking your dad’s fortune. I want to believe you don’t, Ell. I really do. You have to tell me the truth. Prove it to me.”
“Fine.” Vivian took in a sharp breath. “If I tell the truth, here, now, all of you have to swear that you won’t speak about any of this once we leave this room. And—” She locked eyes with the Dean. “We’ll continue meeting here once a week for an hour until the school year is over. Deal?”
She said the word ‘meeting’ gesturing with air quotes.
“Or what, missy?” O’Donnell said. “You’ll fire me?”
“Someone will,” Vivian said with a shrug. “Someone I know. Someone who’s name starts with ‘President’ and ends with ‘of the University’. Just because the Russos are from California doesn’t mean we don’t have our connections on the East Coast.” She smiled sweetly. “If you know what I mean.”
The Dean bristled at her remark, but said nothing. Still, I could tell just exactly what was going through her head.