Lament of the Moon S&H - Ch.07: Trial and Success - Ep01
#1 of LoM 07
The next day came and the first thing Sasuga had to do was to go to her university and meet with the princable. She was still scared to go there again, but she didn't want yesterday's attack to take control of her. She tried to forget about what happened, but with little success. The moment Panja dropped her off at the university's front gates everything came back rushing to her mind.
"Hey, you really want to do this alone? I can tag along with you if you want," Panja genially offered.
"No, it's okay. I'll be fine. Thank you, Panja," Sasuga replied gratefully as she got off of Panja bike. She didn't want to get him involved in this issue; she had to deal with it on her own.
"Well, if you say so. I'll be around the neighborhood. Ring me if anything happens, eh? Bye, sugar!" Panja gave her a wink and drove off on his motorcycle. Sasuga smiled weakly and waved back at him until he was gone, her smile turning into a frown as she sighed dryly and entered the campus with a heavy heart. As she expected, she was getting odd glances from the students around her, hearing their apprehensive whispers and mutters.
"That's her, right? The one that attacked Katherine?"
"The nerve of her! Coming back again!"
"They say she went into a rampage and wrecked the photography lab, too."
"I always knew there was something off about her..."
"I heard she's a prostitute too."
"Maybe that's how she pays for her tuitions!"
Those were just some of the things she was able to hear as she walked down the halls, shying her sight away and avoiding any eye contact with anyone. It was hurting her to hear them say such lies about her, but she couldn't do anything about it and just tried to bear it till she reached the headmaster's office.
"Come in," she heard Mr. Burns call out as she knocked on the door. She entered and closed the door behind her, seeing the principle, Ms. Remington, sitting on her desk with Mr. Burns standing right by her. "Sit down, Ms. Temple," the chubby chipmunk instructed her and Sasuga complied, sitting on a chair right on the other side of the desk.
"Alright, Ms. Temple. Care to explain about what happened yesterday?" Mr. Burns started out in a strict tone, while the principle sat quietly, looking through a file with a roll of cigarette between her long fingers.
"Um, w-well... the truth is... I... I just can't..." Sasuga stammered nervously. She totally didn't know what to say. Who would believe that she was attacked by an evil chameleon freak that could come out from shadows and summon demon monsters from them, let alone that she supposedly had electrical powers awakened in her? They'd lock her up in a mental institution.
"You can't?" Mr. Burns raised a doubtful eyeball. "Are you telling me that you can't explain how you assaulted a fellow student with a tazer and hospitalized her, then had a big quarrel with your 'boyfriend' and demolished the photography lab in the process, costing us thousands in property damage?" he answered on her behalf.
"N-No! That's not what happened! I swear!" Sasuga tried to protest, but she was silenced by Burns slamming the desk with his hand.
"Stop denying it! Many witnesses saw you electrocuting Katherine with your own hands in the cafeteria then go to the photography lab in an unstable state! They all testified it! All the evidences are pointing at you, Ms. Temple!"
"B-But... I... I really didn't..." Sasuga whimpered, unable to defend herself.
"Ms. Temple," Ms. Remington finally spoke. "Based on all the witnesses and evidence we have at hand, we have no choice but to suspend you. Terminatly," the iguana lady said as she passed the kirin's file on to her, and the news struck Sasuga like a lightning bolt, her heart sinking.
"Wh-What!? No, please! You can't! I didn't do anything!" Sasuga stood up and cried, pleading them to reconsider their harsh decision.
"The decision is final! You can't talk your way out of it, end of discussion, period. Just be grateful we aren't pressing charges against you. So, take your file with you, empty your locker and leave the campus grounds. NOW," vice-principle Burns sternly ordered Sasuga without giving her the benefit of the doubt, with Ms. Remington staring at her with the most indifferent expression. Sasuga felt herself shaking in anguish and shock, realizing it was feeble to reason with them. She grabbed her file and turned her back to them, silently walking away and leaving the office. Her mind was in extreme turmoil, still in shock. Everything she had worked hard for, all of it, now taken away from her in a single moment. She soon found herself in front of her locker, not even noticing and caring about the odd looks and whispering around her, as she emptied the little stuff she had stored inside of it. When she turned around to leave after finishing up, she noticed Kyle standing amidst the bunch of students, staring at her with the same look everybody had, full of suspicion and apprehension.
"Ky..." Sasuga tried to call out for the only friend she had in this university, but he turned his face away. That was when she realized she had lost him, too. She lowered her head down, holding back her tears, and carried on her way, leaving the university she had spent three of her longest years in it. She stood in front of the gates, looking back at it one last time and bidding it farewell, as she would never return to it ever again.
To be continued...