How Could You

How Could You
Lainey P.O.V

”Okay. Tell them I’ll be there soon enough.” I gave the boy a curt nod.

He left my office quickly, relaying the information to the professor on the phone.

“Lainey we’re fucked. I have a horrible feeling about this. We will lose everything if they tell them the truth!” Susan’s eyes instantly filled with tears once again.

“Calm down. We never did anything with bad intention, they have to understand that.” I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a light squeeze.

I wasn’t sure if they would believe us. I wasn’t intending for Lily to ever leave those woods, but it’s not like we sent her there and made her fend for herself. We gave her things, brought her food, did what we could to ensure she was safe from Serenity.

“They won’t understand. Who in their right mind doesn’t take out the trash when it starts to smell? That’s exactly what we have done. Left the trash to rot and stink up the campus. Serenity is evil, and you’ve let her walk, no, run, stomp, and smash you into the ground! And then you drag me into this mess! We have been friends for as long as I can remember, but hear me when I say, if this comes back to bite me in the ass, I will take you down with me, kicking, screaming, whatever it takes.”

Susan’s tears had stopped flowing. Her expression now filled with rage, hate, and everything in between for me. I felt horrible. Susan was my longest standing friendship. She was like a sister to me, someone I knew would help me no matter what.

She stormed out of my office, slamming the door behind her. If this was a foreshadow of how my next conversations were going to go, I was screwed.

I picked up my coat and my bag before walking out of my office. I looked around for Susan but her jacket and purse were gone meaning she had already left.

I sighed, then walked out of the building towards my car. I hopped in and started it to life, then turned out of the campus and made my way towards the camp.

As I neared the camp, I could see everyone huddled a group a bit of a way from the tents. Susan’s car was parked between two of the vans, but I couldn’t see her near the group.

I parked my car, got out, and headed towards them. A few heads turned to look my way, but then quickly turned back around.

Richards stood tall among the group, and an unmistakable fiery headed girl stood behind him, along with Evangeline, the other thorn in my ass right now.

Evangeline was sweet, but a bit more outgoing and outspoken than Lily ever was. I had seen a video from the cafeteria of her throwing food in the cafeteria, heard of her comments towards Serenity, and I’m not that dumb to know that Finley Brooks is enthralled by this girl as well. Thorn in my ass.

“Dean Lainey! Thank you for coming. I believe no introductions are needed, but perhaps, an explanation?” Richards cocked his stupid little eyebrow at me and crossed his arms over his chest.

Richards and I have butt heads numerous times. He’s made a few students cry, some coming to me about terminating his position, but he is the only person I know that will teach archery to our students, making our college desirable.

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to Richards, please, enlighten me.” I returned the look he had been giving me.

“Why don’t we let Lily enlighten you? Or Evangeline could do the honors?” Every word laced with sarcasm.

I stayed silent. I wanted nothing more than to give him a piece of my mind, but I also wanted to continue acting like I had no clue what anyone was talking about. The more I stayed silent the better.

“Are you going to sit there and act like you don’t know her? Or know where she came from? Or who put her there? Who endangered her life? Who has probably had a hand in every single person going into the woods and dying?” Richards voice grew louder after every sentence. Small chatter started among the students.

“I didn’t do anything to those people who entered the forest. You know very well I told Jennifer to stay out of these woods, but she deemed it was a requirement for her research. I tried to stop her. Don’t stand there and point the finger at me for her death when you came up here, watched her walk into the woods, and you said nothing.”

“You are a liar. Jen knew you were doing nothing to protect our students, so she took it upon herself to try, which is more than what you can say for your entire time as the dean. I watched her try to be a hero. I’m watching you become the villain I always knew you were.”

My face was blank. I was trying to remain unbothered but that hurt. I never knew he viewed me that way. I didn’t know what Jennifer was doing before she entered the woods.

”I saw you yesterday, or the day before, the woods don’t allow you to know the time, but you came. To the cottage. You were looking for her.” Lily’s small voice echoed through the crowd.

As soon as she spoke everyone went silent. Fuck. I was screwed. I may not having anything to do with the others who have gone into the woods, but I had everything do with Lily.

“You left me there, scared, alone, unaware of what had just happened. How could you? You told me it was safer for me in there than it is out here, but that was it. How can you stand there and act like you don’t know who I am?” Trails of tears were streaking her dirty face.

“Were you going to do the same thing to me? Serenity has had it out for me, was I next? Were you coming to look for me so I could stay there? Or to take me back and put me somewhere else?” Evangeline was the next voice to ring out.

All I could do was stare. I didn’t know what to say.

“I-, I don’t know what to say.” I stumbled across my words.

“How about the truth?” A different voice from behind me spoke.

I turned around.

“Susan?”