Chapter 3

The next morning, I went back to my old dorm room to retrieve my textbooks.

Two clear storage bins were sitting right outside the door. My towel, water bottle, face wash, and slippers had all been haphazardly crammed inside.

A sticky note had been placed on top.

"Do not bring these items into the shared dorm space."

Students passing through the hallway slowed their pace, casting sideways glances and whispering.

"Is that her?"

"I heard she's been isolated."

"She still has the nerve to come back for her things?"

Ignoring them, I crouched down and repacked my belongings into my bag.

When Nancy pushed the door open and saw me, her face went pale. "Calista, why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

"Do I need permission to get my own books?" I asked coldly.

She opened her mouth, hesitated, and then stammered, "It's not that. Everyone's scared right now."

"What's there to be afraid of?" I stood up. "Are you scared I'll breathe on you?"

Her face reddened at the question.

Judy poked her head out of the room. "Don't be snide. Maddie's already having a hard time. Can you stop trying to provoke her?"

I glanced past them into the room.

Madison was lying on her bed, cocooned beneath her blankets.

She kept her face hidden, offering a soft, pathetic cough every now and then as if to remind anyone listening that she was the helpless victim.

I walked over to my desk and immediately noticed that someone had rummaged through my drawer. My notebooks were piled in a messy heap, and the reference notes tucked between the pages were scattered everywhere.

I turned around, my eyes sweeping over them. "Who went through my things?"

Judy faltered for a fraction of a second before recovering her defensive posture. "We were just helping pack your stuff up so nobody would accidentally touch your things!"

"You were helping me?" I picked up a notebook with its cover bent out of shape. "Did anyone bother to ask me first?"

Nancy muttered defensively, "This is an extraordinary situation."

Judy scoffed. "You're worried about that right now? If the administration finishes its review, you might not even be allowed to stay enrolled here."

…

At 10:00 am, Percy summoned me to his office again. A printed document lay waiting on his desk.

He got straight to the point. "Calista, this situation has escalated. Madison's parents contacted the school last night, and they're extremely upset.

"The school hopes you'll voluntarily withdraw."

He pushed the document toward me. "This way, your transcript won't be permanently ruined. You'll still have options later."

I looked down at the heading printed in bold letters at the top—Voluntary Withdrawal Form.

I pushed it back. "I won't sign it."

Percy's expression darkened. "Calista, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"That's not what I'm doing," I said. "You're trying to force me to admit to something I didn't do."

Percy frowned. "Your attitude is unacceptable. Madison has suffered irreversible harm. As her roommate, the least you can do is cooperate."

"Cooperating doesn't mean admitting to a crime I didn't commit," I shot back.

Dr. Keller, who had remained quiet up to that point, finally cleared his throat. "Calista, from a purely medical perspective, we need you to undergo screening immediately so we can rule out any transmission pathways."

I looked right at him. "I am more than willing to get tested—just not under coercion by people who have already pre-judged my guilt."

Percy slammed his hand onto the desk. "You're in no position to negotiate!"

Footsteps echoed softly outside the door again.

The walls in this building were thin. If someone raised their voice, half the hallway could hear every word.

Percy lowered his voice. "The school will announce its formal disciplinary decision at the class meeting this afternoon. I strongly suggest you reconsider your options before then."

I picked up my bag. "I already have."

As I stepped out of Percy's office, Madison was waiting at the far end of the corridor.

She was wearing a white jacket, and her face was pale.

When she saw me emerge, she slowly lowered her face mask.

She met my eyes and offered a faint smile—the look of a predator convinced she had already crushed me beneath her heel.