Page 98 of Vanish From Sight
“Because no one did back then.” She met their gaze.
“Try us,” Noah said, taking a seat across from her. Isabellaran a hand over her face. They could tell she was trying to summon the courage or words to describe it. Maybe a little of both.
“It was a year before I graduated. The Academy is co-educational. Of course, girls’ dormitories are a good distance from the boys. Occasionally, unbeknownst to the faculty, there would be invites to secret parties, you know, so girls and boys could mingle and do what most teenagers do. Drink, smoke, party. I attended a few. There were never too many that showed up, as having too many people know would have just been a giveaway. Besides, you couldn’t trust everyone to keep their mouth shut. When you heard about them, it was often through word of mouth. Sometimes it was from a friend of mine, or one of the guys in the hallways.” She took another hard pull on her cigarette. “I… I got an invite. It was a Friday night. The time was late as it always was but this was later than usual.”
“Like?”
“Usually it was around ten, but this was closer to midnight.” She paused for a second as if to try and recollect or compose herself. “We were all meant to meet at the place they did the laundry. It was far back on the property, mostly used by staff. Someone who worked there would leave the door unlocked. Anyway, I showed up and there was a group of guys there. I recognized them all. I began to drink. They said a few of the other girls were going to be running late. I’d seen it before. I didn’t think anything of it. I mean, you have to understand. I drank and smoked with these guys before.” She stopped and Callie placed a hand on her. It was something Noah appreciated about having her there. She made people relax.
“I don’t really know how it started. I think they spiked my drink. I remember portions of it. Waking up each time with someone new on top of me. Laughter. Jeering. They cheered each other on. Took photos.”
“How many were there?”
“Five. One of them didn’t get involved. At least that I can remember.” She closed her eyes. “When I finally came to, they were gone. I scooped up my clothes, got dressed and headed back to my dorm. It was close to five in the morning.”
“How did you know one of them wasn’t involved?”
“Because each time I woke up I could see him standing by the doorway. He was the lookout.”
“Was his name Charlie Delaney?” Noah asked.
She lifted her eyes and met his, then nodded.
Noah glanced at Callie. She was taking notes.
“Anyway, a few days later I ended up getting herpes. I didn’t even know what it was at the time. I just know I was achy, had the chills and was in pain. After I went to see the nurse in the infirmary, she said there was nothing wrong. That maybe I just had a cold or needed more rest.”
“You didn’t tell her what happened?”
“I was embarrassed. No. I didn’t even know this was related to it. I ended up seeing my own physician but it was treated like nothing more than bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection. I was given creams and medication but it never improved. I ended up getting worse. I went back to the infirmary. This time she said it was herpes. I was given a medication. I guess it had developed further. She never told my parents or even the head of the school. It just didn’t make sense. I mean, I wasn’t able to leave the campus without written consent so the nurse would have known that I contracted it there from a student or faculty member. Like any other student I just carried on but how do you carry on after something like that? After being treated, I confided in Katherine. I thought she would be a lifeline. At first I told her in confidence. I didn’t want her telling anyone. Then she eventually convinced me that I needed to tell my parents and that’s when they came up to the school. Katherinesaid she would be there to acknowledge that she’d been told it too.”
“So what happened?” Noah asked.
“I don’t know. I was no longer allowed to see Katherine. They said they would be doing their own internal investigation. You’d think that would include talking to me directly.”
“You’re saying the rector never spoke with you?”
“Nope. You have to remember I didn’t have long left before I graduated. Maybe they thought they would sit on it and eventually it would go away because I would. From what I could tell they had spoken to other students about me. Maybe they didn’t use my name but they alluded to behavior that was not allowed. Not just with those that were involved but others. Those guys knew. One thing I know is that they eventually came to a conclusion that the encounter between me and those boys was consensual.”
“No one from law enforcement was notified?”
“I would need my parents for that.”
“And what of them?”
“My parents were outraged. But not even that helped. They went up to the school and spoke with the rector, Alexander Hawthorne. I thought that would be it. That finally it would be resolved and I would be believed.” She shook her head. “What I came to understand was when they returned, they had been convinced that I had consented to it, that I was known to sell weed on the campus, and that the evening in question I had not been black-out drunk at the time according to the boys and was capable of consenting to sex. The school painted me a bad person who couldn’t change because I didn’t want to change, and that I was bringing the school’s name into question.”
“And that was it?”
“Of course not. My parents were going to get an attorney involved but under advice that came from the school, they weretold it wouldn’t go far because I was seventeen which is the age of consent, as were the boys who did it. I was told if the case made it to court, I might have to testify against the boys and the school and that would destroy not just the school’s reputation but mine and the accused boys’ educational hopes.”
“So what happened?”
“My parents spoke with them again. My father wanted to know if their parents would be informed, if there would be disciplinary action taken. But all they could say was that the encounter was consensual and that it was best for myself, the boys and the school that the matter be handled inhouse. If my parents wished to pursue legal action, I would have to take the stand and listen to them lie about me taking drugs, selling them, and breaking the rules in the school. However, it never even got that far. Like most abuse cases in boarding schools, the internal investigation was dragged out on promises that weren’t kept. Basically, my parents were told in some way that if I continued to pursue it, I would be kicked off campus for lying, and I was so close to graduating that it would be a shame to ruin my education that way. Of course, by the time I graduated, I was no longer under them.”
“And so, nothing was done.”
“Exactly. They were under legal obligation to report the assault to the police but they never did. It was brushed under the rug and whenever asked, the rector would just turn it back, and ask why I never said anything at the time.”
