148 - The chapter where Jack goes to the campus

Christian

We attracted many stares as we walked to the administrative building. Although I heard a few jokes, laughs and taunts, which I tried to ignore, striving to follow Jack's instructions.

" Just ignore it, don't even look to the side, don't give them any recognition,” Jack muttered, looking straight ahead and walking with a posture I knew well, I had seen it a thousand times at the Rose.

Now I know where she got that gigantic ego of hers from!

Jack opened the door of the building, giving way for me to enter, accompanying me without any difficulty until we reached the Rector's office. The door was closed and the secretary looked exhausted.

" Can I help you? “

" 'I hope so, I'm here to see Mr. Fields,” Jack replied in a serious but friendly enough tone.

" 'I'm sorry, did you make an appointment? Mr. Fields is in a meeting to deal with some last minute issues that have arisen, so I'm afraid he won't be able to see you," she glared at the man.

But Jack was not intimidated, quite the opposite. His smile widened and he approached the woman's desk.

" Would you bother asking him? Because I'm sure he'll make time for me,” he stared at her.

" 'This meeting he's in is really very important, sir…” she waited for him to tell her his name.

" Ohhh yes, how rude of me." He reached into his pocket for a business card of the law firm he worked for, placing it on the table before pushing it with his index finger towards the secretary. "My name is Jackson Campbell, I am the father of Miss Rosemarie Miller-Campbell."

The woman's face changed upon hearing the last name, she straightened her posture as she lowered her gaze to the business card, realizing where it was from.

" Ohhh Mr Campbell, could you sit down for a moment? I'll go talk to Mr. Fields and let him know you're waiting." She stood up.

" That's a great idea,” he smiled in response before pointing to two armchairs in one corner. “Come on, Davis.”

The woman entered the room, taking a few minutes to return, carrying a tray with two steaming cups.

"Mr. Campbell, Mr. Fields will see you in a few minutes, would you like a cappuccino while you wait? " she offered a small smile.

I accepted the cup automatically, only remembering later how much I hated the taste of coffee. But, willing myself not to make a mess of it, I took a sip, grimacing briefly afterwards.

" If you don't like it, just don't drink it,” Jack muttered, “For God's sake, who doesn't like cappuccino?”

" I prefer teas, Mr. Campbell," I muttered in response.

" And that's what my daughter chose to be her first boyfriend," he rolled his eyes, making me snort at the gratuitous attack.

"You were complimenting me until a few minutes ago!”

" That was before I remembered the taste of that freak you like to drink," he returned.

"Very funny, you know, she looks just like you,” I muttered.

"That means she's amazing," a small smile appeared on the man's face, the first I saw that day.

But that smile didn't last, as soon the office door was opened, and Mr. Fields, our dean, appeared. His gaze soon focused on us, analyzing us in a discreet way. Jack quickly got up, putting his cup on a sideboard next to his chair and I followed his example.

" Mr. Campbell? Please come in," he gestured, "and the young man is…”

"Christian Davis, my daughter's boyfriend," Jack answered for me as the dean closed the door behind us.

"Ohh yes, the boyfriend," the man sighed, turning around his desk and sitting down in the big chair behind it, looking lost in the situation.

Jack motioned for me to sit in one of the two available chairs, before taking the other one, keeping the same serious expression as before.

" What can I do for you, Mr. Campbell?”

" You really don't have any ideas, Mr. Fields? " He cut in.

"Mr. Campbell, I understand that what happened to your daughter is a disconcerting situation, I was just on the phone in a meeting with our legal department to try to resolve this situation as quickly as possible, you didn't have to come all this way..." the man began.

I clenched my fists trying to keep my control as I listened to that little speech. Disconcerting? Rose is at home doped up so she can calm down a bit and he says the situation was disconcerting?

Jack, however, maintained the same impassive expression, not looking away from the man for a single second.

" First of all, Mr. Fields, what happened to my daughter was not disconcerting, it was a crime. Secondly, Rochester is not that far away, but I would have come even if I had been on another continent. You said you were in a meeting with your legal department. I am the legal department for my daughter and Mr. Davis, and I want to know what is being done to resolve this situation.

The man in front of us took a deep breath, realizing that the situation would not be as simple as he had imagined. Jack was not just an angry father who would be easily rolled, for a second, I imagined that man in a courtroom, and I definitely would not want to be on the other side. That realization made me smile internally, though I continued to stare at Mr. Fields.

" Mr. Campbell, we understand how serious the situation is and we understand all your distress. But I need you to understand that this is all beyond our control, given that it happened in a private place." The man replied.

Jack remained silent for a few seconds, with his hands on his chin, watching the dean who seemed tired of the whole situation.

" You know, Mr. Fields... Rosemarie was accepted at three other renowned universities. Together, we chose this one, because we knew very well the origin of this place, quality of teaching and commitment to students. But since she entered here, she has been repeatedly harassed and attacked by a group of girls. what have you done to ensure the physical and psychological integrity of my daughter?". He removed his hand from his chin, not giving the man a chance to articulate a single answer " Yes, I know about the gentian violet episode. And I know that the girls who got their hands dirty were expelled, but what about who came up with the idea? Or do you really want me to believe that these girls who didn't even know my daughter suddenly found out about the nickname and episodes of bullying she suffered in High School at the hands of one of her students, who to this day has a declared enmity towards her?”

" Mr. Campbell, we don't have any information about that…”

" Davis here knows of all the occasions where Alicia Waldorf and the leader of the…”

" Sigma Sigma Beta, Audrey Dixon " I spoke up for the first time since I entered the office" They've been at odds practically since the beginning of the school year.”

" Sir, I am sorry that your daughter has had these experiences on our campus, the welfare and safety of all students are certainly our priorities. But we can only work with evidence, once we find out who did this....”

" Mr. Fields, it is not my intention to do anything to soil the good name of this institution. But I will always stand up for my daughter. What I need is to know that as soon as we find out who did this, the people responsible will be properly punished. Because if they are not, I will have to take extreme measures " Jack was incisive.

"None of that will be necessary, Mr. Campbell. You can be sure that as soon as we find out who did this, all those responsible will be severely punished, and of course your daughter will be excused from school until we sort this out. 'You too, Mr. Davis,' the man turned to me with a sympathetic expression.

" Thank you, sir.”

Jack stood up, showing that the meeting was over and I followed his example, wondering what was next, longing to get back to Rose.