Reborn Tycoon; Ethan Wayne’s Rise

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Maddie…”

His sentence was cut short as she rushed him in a hug. He hugged back but slowly. His mind couldn't wrap around how she knew.

“What happened? Why didn't you call me? Look at … you… you look…?”, she paused, scrutinizing him with her eyes, expecting his body to be badly battered. “ … Benji didn't even know where you were..”

“I. . I lost my phone. But I'm alright, it's fine”

“You're not. They beat you up Ethan. You know better than to stand up against those boys”

“You … know what happened?”, Ethan asked in a more concerned than surprised manner. Maddison's eyes widened, like she'd let herself be caught off guard.

“How did you know?”

“Claire told me. She said she'd seen you punch Lucas and then they chased you like a thief. And then Phil said he saw you covered in blood, staggering into the cafeteria. I bugged that one and she wouldn't even tell me a thing. I was so scared, Ethan. I…”

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry I scared you”, he said, standing as he pulled her to himself.

“Don't ever do that again. Please. Just stay out of their way, ok? We are just a few weeks away from graduation and you've been doing so well as valedictorian. I don't want anything to happen to you”, Maddie said, running a hand through his hair.

“Yeah I will. I will”

“Promise”, Maddison said almost immediately, looking him in the eyes.

“Look Maddie…”

“You have to promise.”, She said with a tone of finality.

Ethan took a deep breath, not knowing what was more exhausting to him.

“I promise”

“You sure, pinky swear?”. She said, bringing out her little finger.

“Maddison”

She giggled and he laughed a little as well.

Just then, the doctor came in again.

“You have another visitor Ethan.”

“Oh, who's…?”

He stopped halfway as he stood up.

“Mr. Trevor..”

*********************

Ethan stood in the middle of the room, his heart pounding for no reason. The silence was unnerving and Ethan didn't know what to expect.

His first thoughts went back to the incident yesterday. As valedictorian, he shouldn't have punched Lucas first. Any one who was in that room would have testified rightly to that. But there weren't any witnesses, at least as far as his knowledge of the administrative board was, he couldn't see anyone he didn't already know had a position there.

He couldn't see Lucas either. Nor Lucas' cronies.

The vice chancellor cleared her throat finally breaking the silence in the room.

“Ethan Wayne, am I correct?”

“Yes ma'am”

She nodded slowly, taking up a piece of paper that seemed to have some kind of picture footage on it.

The next piece of paper on the desk seemed the same as well and Ethan was slowly beginning to get an inkling of the situation.

Or so he did.

“Yesterday, by 6.00 p.m to be precise, you were caught on camera physically assaulting a boy named Lucas Davis, am I correct?”

“Not exactly ma'am. I wasn't assaulting…”

“It's a yes or no question, Ethan. Answer the question.”

“No ma'am”

“But the camera footage shows otherwise”

“He instigated it ma'am”

“Instigated?”

“He attempted to bully me by dragging me back”

“Dragging you back? And about what time did this happen because the camera footage does not capture anything of such and witnesses claim you punched first as well so how then and when did this “dragging” begin?”

“If the camera footage captured me punching him, it should have captured the origin of the whole scene as well”

“Supposedly smart but unfortunately for you Ethan, it did not. As upcoming valedictorian, you broke “The Vale Code” and we have orders from above to rusticate you with immediate effect. You are not to demand for your results as they will not be released to you nor will any of your awards be sent to you. All achievements are nullified and you have 24 hours to get your things and leave as your school ID number and pass will be completely useless after this time frame. Your twenty four hours has commenced”

Ethan just stood there like he had not just heard what she'd said.

“I'm sorry.. I … I don't understand. I didn't.. I .. did you just say I'm suspended.?”

“For a definite period of time which is forever, if that's another way to put it.”

“This … This .. this has to be a joke. This is a joke”

“Unfortunately Ethan it's not. There are no lights, or cameras nor do I wear or possess a clown uniform or have ever owned tickets to a stand up comedy show not even say that I have ever been one. Your twenty four hours is counting already”

“I don't understand.. I .. don't…”

“What don't you understand Mr. Ethan?!”She shot out suddenly, rising to her feet, those around her completely taken aback.

“You have been rusticated, expelled, ejected, dismissed, cast out and banished from this institution of learning! What don't you understand?! And I thought you were top of the class? Surely there’s been some lowly corruption in the system or do you suddenly not possess the capability to hear and comprehend simple, proper and accurate sentences?! You are no longer a student of this institution!”, She shouted at the top of her voice at him, her body pushed forward. She adjusted her shirt and pushed her glasses in as she stared at him down, a frighteningly angry expression on her face.

“This isn't possible. You can't just expel me. You didn't even listen to what .. I had to... Surely, there needs to be some more investigation. I wasn't the one who assaulted him. I'm the victim. I'm.. I'm.. I'm the victim h..he.. here.. here. I'm. .. I'm.. “, Ethan's mouth trembled as he spoke looking from one director to another.

“I'm. .. I'm.. I'm.. please.. you haven't even… he didn't even give his.. his own.. testi.. I .. I … I'm… Please. I can't.. I can't be ex.. expelled. Graduation is in… few.. few weeks… ple.. please.. you have to.. to… to.. to… to lis.. listen.”

“Even if you were to be the victim Mr Ethan, it wouldn't change a thing. You have been expelled and that's that. Meeting over!”, She roared her last word, hitting the imitation of a court hammer she had on the desk.

“I'm … I'm the victim! I'm the victim! I'm the one who got beat up! I'm the one! He should be expelled, not me! I'm not the..”

Ethan's voice broke in between words, his voice rising and falling like a broken saxophone. His lips trembled and tears streamed freely down his eyes.

“I'm the victim!”, he screamed.

“Security! Get security Trevor and get this mad boy out of here!”

“Mr. Trevor please. Please… please, I'm.. not.. I'm.. I'm.. I'm … te..tell…telling the truth. Mr.. Mr.. Mr. Trevor.. I'm the victim. I'm.. I'm.. the victim please”

Mr Trevor looked away and Ethan made an attempt to get his attention.

“Please.. please Mr.. Mr.. Trevor .. I'm… I'm a victim. I'm a victim.. pleaseee”

“Where?!”, Mr. Trevor shouted, shaking off his arm from Ethan's slow reaching grip.

“Where are the scars?! You are as clean as a newborn sheep while that poor boy is bruised and beaten all over!”

Ethan didn't understand.

“What?”

His voice was a slow, trembling whisper, the most quiet in the room.

“Even if you were telling the truth which I know you are, you should have known better than to go against the Chancellor's son”, Mr. Trevor said to Ethan close up in a same raspy whisper that was just a tone higher.

“Security!”

“Leave Ethan. Go now or I'll be forced to call security”

“Call security now, Mr. Trevor!”

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