Chapter 3: Early Sunday Morning
Will ran faster and farther than he had before, into the woods that surrounded the Hunsford Retreat Center. He ran until he was exhausted. He stopped, bending and placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath. What on earth had happened back there? Why had she reacted like that when she'd kissed him too? Maybe he'd imagined the look she gave him on Friday afternoon, but he hadn't imagined her kiss.
What kind of game was Liz playing? She had been screwing with his mind since he met her, laughing at him with George, trying to make him jealous with Abner, kissing him only to go off on him. No girl had ever made him feel this crazy or this lost.
He thought about Liz's accusations. Janelle? How could she blame him for Chuck's break-up with Janelle, when Janelle had been the one who'd cheated? And George had filled Liz's head with lies. He'd obviously spent a lot more time talking to her than the night he'd seen them at the hotel. He was enraged at George, who always hurt the women he loved: his mom, his sister, and now Liz.
There, he'd thought it: He loved Liz. He really loved her. That's why this hurt so much. And even though she hadn't been his girlfriend, he now knew what Chuck felt when Janelle betrayed him. He felt heartbroken.
He was soaked with sweat and needed a shower. He started walking back to the dormitory, still furious, praying that no one got in his way.
If he had been stopped by any of the other guys, Will might have hit him. But it was Pete, gentle, quiet Pete, who met him at the entrance of the dorm and told him Paul wanted everyone to meet in the lounge.
"I have to shower," Will said.
"No time," Pete answered. "Paul wants to meet with us now."
They'll just have to put up with my smell, Will thought. He didn't care.
Will leaned against a back wall, away from everyone else who was sitting down, and half-listened as Paul berated them for their juvenile behavior and conflicts. When Paul mentioned that Liz and Anna had had a fight, Will suddenly came to full attention. It just occurred to him that Liz and Anna weren't in the room. They had been fighting? About what?
As soon as he asked himself the question, he knew the answer. They had been fighting about him.
"What's going to happen to them?" Heather asked.
"Well, they signed a contract that stipulates that fighting is cause for termination," Paul answered. "So this means they'll be asked to leave the program."
Will's first thought was selfish. If Liz had to leave the LOFTY Dreams program, he might never see her again. The anger and hurt he'd felt earlier was forgotten. His fear of losing her was enough to make him cry out against what Paul was saying.
His second thought was more selfless. If Liz had to leave the program, she would lose her scholarship. She was one of the students who needed it financially. Without it, she wouldn't be able to go to college. And Anna—Anna had talked about needing it too, at least to attend a private college.
"No, no, you can't do that!" Will shouted.
Everyone turned and stared at him. "You have something to say, Will?" Paul asked.
If there was one thing Will hated, it was being the center of attention when he felt out of control. His emotions were chaotic, and he was sure everyone else in the room could see it. But screw it. For once in his life, he wasn't going to care what other people thought. He had to say something; it was the only chance Liz and Anna had.
"You can't kick them out. They need those scholarships!" he said.
"They signed a contract, Will," Paul replied. "They knew this could happen."
"Let me talk to Sheila, then!" Will countered, asking for the program's director. "I want to talk to her about this."
Paul was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "OK, I'll go get her."
While they waited for Paul to return with Sheila, Will tried to calm his thoughts. His dad had been a lawyer. If this were one of his father's cases and he had to defend Liz and Anna, what would he say? Will thought through some arguments in their favor, not as much as he wanted to by the time Paul and Sheila returned, but enough that maybe it would make a difference.