Homecoming Scandal

By: CNJ

PG-13

3: Keeping Up The Image

Logan:

I squirmed as I waited for more questions. This was so uncomfortable.

"So the package of cocaine was brought over to you and you delivered it over to the car?" Mr. Conway, the dean demanded.

"I...guess so," I nodded, feeling like a beetle pinned to a piece of styrofoam and that the board members were the pins boring into me. Just great. Great.

I hoped my parents wouldn't get wind of this. Connecticut U. is about half an hour from Bridgeport, but a lot of kids from Burkeview go here and I hoped word wouldn't travel back to my parents, who'd have a fit.

Or even worse, the board might decide to pin something on me and get my thrown out and shipped back home to my parents in disgrace. No lame pun intended on "pinning." That would REALLY make my dad's year.

"So you were in possession of the drugs, handling it," the second board member barreled on.

"N-no, I didn't exactly handle the stuff," I stuttered, my face flushing. I groped for the right words, so the couldn't heap more blame on me.

"So, Mr. Bruno, how did you get it to the car?" another one asked. "By carrying it with chicken tongs or maybe chopsticks?"

"I wish..." I muttered under my breath. Maybe I should have. Then they couldn't accuse me of being in "possession of drugs" and Kevin Resh, who'd I'd defeated for linebacker, would have kept his mouth shut about wanting another election and his cronies wouldn't have been squawking about "lost" votes, which really were illegible to the point of being ridiculous.

"Excuse me, Mr. Bruno?" Mr. Conway leaned toward me.

"I said, not exactly," I told him, trying not to sound like some scared little kid who'd been caught doing something naughty. Geez, this was as bad as being in the principal's office in grade and high school. Maybe worse.

"I...just passed it quickly," I said hastily, hoping that this grilling was almost over. Spanish Inquisition, take two and flash forward to the year 2003.

It was over, much to my relief. But then they told me that this investigation wasn't over, that I'd probably be called back for more questioning. Great. I practically fled out of there.

Melanie had been out here waiting, but by the time I came out, she was gone. Grand. Swell. Fabulous. She couldn't face this.

As I walked out of the Connecticut U. headquarters, I spotted two students with notepads. They eyed me a minute and I saw one of them had Connecticut University Tribune across the top. Oh, heavenly, I mentally groaned as I fled the building. Student reporters to get the dirt on this. I'd better alert the others to this.


Melanie:

"Fantastic," Randy barked sarcastically on Saturday afternoon once we gathered in Matt Zeboski's room. "So the whole campus will be on our case, maybe the whole state of Connecticut! Did anyone here tip them off?"

"No..." Jana, Logan, Rick, Gene, Matt, and I said simultaneously.

"We'd better have our story straight in case they come sniffing us out for more info," Logan stated. I'd never seen him this tense.

"Well, what about Tammy, Sara, Keith, Parker, and Lawrence?" I put in. They're in this mess too and I hear they're being investigated like us. Can we trust them?"

"No..." Jana snorted. "Oh, but don't worry, Mel, everyone knows what a gossip Tammy is and Sara's not far behind..."

"Jana, wake up and smell the cappuccino," Matt barked. "neither Tammy or Sara have ever really liked you and Keith has it in for Randy, so they'll do everything possible to make you two look guilty and themselves look innocent. Perhaps you forgot what happened back in high school when Keith and Logan pinned the blame on you and Randy..."

"Thanks a lot..." I muttered, giving Matt a dirty look.

"I didn't put the blame on Randy that time," Logan's face went red as he seemed to remember that shoving incident back in eleventh grade where Jana, Randy, Keith and a few others got into trouble, then tried to blame others for ratting them out.

Even Jana and I had gotten into a huge fight over that because I'd been terrified and Logan had managed to pull my away from that fight. I'd known Randy and Jana had shoved and hit others, but I had NOT ratted them out; we just refused to lie for them when we had been questioned.


Randy:

I was getting as worried as Melanie and Logan and the others. I was glad that Keith was being grilled too since I never could stand the guy. But so was I and I'd been called back a second time, this time a hearing.

And to make matters worse, Jana still wouldn't face the possibility of us being implicated in this mess. She was still clinging on the hope that it was all a lot of hot air and that the whole thing would be dropped in a matter of days.

"Come on, stop pacing, Randy," Jana lay flat on my bed as I got ready for the second questioning. So far, she hadn't been called back in, but she might soon. "Relax. You're usually not this tense." She hung her head upside-down and smiled up at me with that model smile. She'd modeled for a calendar last fall, back when we were running. Ordinarily, her gray-blue eyes and pretty face smiling made me feel better, but not today.

"Yeah, and I'm not usually about to be busted for 'rigging an election' and I'm not usually accused of cheating," I snapped. I'm not normally this impatient with her, but lately she's been wearing in my nerves. She's been minimizing the seriousness of our situation, I guess trying to make me feel better, but so far, her efforts were making me feel worse.

"Come on, Randy, stop exaggerating!" Jana sat up with an annoyed sigh and ran a hand through her medium-brown wavy hair. "Nothing will come out of this. They'll just ask you questions and if somebody tries to pin something on you, it'll probably be a light slap-on-the-wrist type of reprimand."

"Little reprimand?" I demanded. "They suspect me of cheating, which for your information, can get you expelled in college. And a lot of students are suspicious of us and will do anything to get us busted. Some of them are coming forward with dirt on us this minute. Wake up and smell the coffee, Jana."

"Honestly, Randy, their paranoia has gotten to you!" Jana snapped, standing up. "Well, if you go to that hearing looking like you're facing a firing squad, of course they'll assume you're guilty of something. Just go in there and act confident. Don't let a few weasally campus deans or whatever intimidate you. After all, as you insist, you did win that quarterback title fairly and if you in there and keep that in mind, they won't slap anything on you."

"Yeah, right, Jana," I bit back sarcastically. "And then they'll think I'm some arrogant jerk who can't take a few questions. Face it, Jana, we're busted." Jana looked at me for a long minute.

"I guess if you've decided we are, then we are," she finally said quietly.

"I'm glad you're seeing that," I told her.

"Yeah, go in there all defeated and droopy," Jana nodded. "And maybe grovel a little." With that, she gave me a long, scornful look, then fled the room, slamming the door behind her. Terrific. Just when I needed Jana's support, she hid behind a wall of delusions, then is mad at me because I'm facing the grimness of our situation.

I could be expelled and have to go back home to Bridgeport. So could she, Logan, Melanie, Keith, Matt, Tammy, and several others.

Logan's been a wreck about the whole deal for this entire week. But at least I'm calm about my situation, while Logan's been spazzing out over what his dad's going to say and oh, how he'll be so disgraced.

Doesn't he realize we're all concerned about that? I suspected they didn't, since he and Melanie are two of the most self-centered people I've ever known.


Melanie:

Is what his parents think and how he'll be "disgraced" all Logan Bruno can think about? Hey, come on, if we get busted, I'll be disgraced too. I don't think my parents will be thrilled either if I get thrown out of Connecticut U. and had to go back home to them.

"...the last thing I need is to face a bad scene with my parents," Logan wailed, pacing the floor the night after his hearing was over. "I could just see that the panel didn't believe me."

"Well, I didn't do so hot either," I sniped. "So, maybe we'll both get thrown out together and both of us go back home and face our parents. Hey, why don't we get our parents together and let them yell at us as a happy little foursome?"

"Very funny, Melanie," Logan shot back. What was happening to us? I wondered. I thought we'd stick by each other through anything, even this mess together. It seemed like Jana and Randy were. But then, they're the sickeningly perfect couple.

Logan went right back to ranting on how this was going to ruin his life. Yep...back to himself again, Logan Bruno, center of the universe. He wasn't even mentioning how I'D be affected by all this. I never really realized how selfish he is.

"Well, Logan, you aren't the only one who'll go through this," I put in. "I'm going to face a scene with my parents too, especially my mom, who thinks I'm some goof-off who's only concerned about boys, clothes, and partying. Back in high school, she gave me this big lecture about how I don't take life seriously and should be thinking about dull things like 'life-planning' and careers and all that crud. I know if I get kicked out of here, I'll have to go back home and Mom'll REALLY be on my case then! Ohhhh, she'll just love it!"

"Melanie, do you ever think of anyone besides yourself for a change?" Logan challenged.

I almost laughed at his ridiculous question. "That's funny, because I've been wondering the same thing about you!"

"Maybe I should never..." Logan's blue eyes kind of glazed over a minute.

"Never what?" I demanded.

"Broken up with Mary Anne Spier in ninth grade..." he muttered under his breath.

"What?" I asked, totally bewildered. Who was this Mary Anne Spiers or whatever that he was bringing up now! Maybe one of his past girlfriends. "Let's forget about past girlfriends or whoever Anna Spiers was and stop the pity party on yourself, because I'm not joining. Have a little sympathy for me too."

"Lord, I don't think any of my past girlfriends were as shallow and self-centered as you," Logan semi-returned to the present.

"Look who's talking," I countered and got up and left the room to escape Logan's self-pity.

How dare he accuse ME of being selfish! Other people have accused me of that in the past, but I never dreamed Logan would. And Logan is the champion of selfishness!

Maybe that was why Anna or whoever she was broke up with him! I stalked out into the windy March night.

I passed by Jackson Hall, where I knew Randy lived. Randy. Jana was so lucky to have him. Randy always was there for Jana and always provided his shoulder to lean on whenever Jana needed him. Randy wasn't wrapped up in himself like Logan. I could see now why he disliked Logan.


Randy:

A soft knock sounded on my door. I half-hoped it was Jana, maybe having woken up to the reality of our situation and possibly come back to apologize for not being there for me earlier this week. We hadn't spoken since Monday when our fight happened. But when I opened the door, it was Melanie.

"Oh...Randy, I'm sooo glad you're here," Melanie rather fell into my room and onto my bed.

"What's the matter?" I asked, closing the door to my room. Thank God my roommate was out.

"Logan," she grumbled, turning on her back and facing the ceiling. "He's so self-centered, it's hard to believe he's evolved from an amoeba." I stifled a laugh. Haven't I always known that?

"Did you two get into a fight?" I asked. Melanie nodded and told me about how Logan's been whining about what his parents are going to say, ad nauseatum.

Her blue eyes were moist as she finished and I handed her a tissue. At least, unlike Jana, Melanie was facing reality, which was amazing because sometimes she can an incredible ditz. But now it seemed like she was facing up to this better than either Jana or Logan.

"Wow, that's tough," I said, putting an arm around her.

"So, is Jana around?" Melanie looked around.

"No..." I debated telling her about the fight we'd had. Melanie looked up at me with such sympathy that I decided to spill it. After all, she'd spilled her story to me, so I figured that I owed her one.

So I told her about what had happened the other night and Jana's not facing the grim truth. "...she's just minimizing the seriousness of our situation and refuses to consider the possibility that we could get kicked out of college," I finished.

"Oh, that's awful," Melanie gasped softly. "It seems like neither Jana or Logan can stick by us when we need them."

"So it's every man out for himself," I quipped grimly. "And I thought we'd have a great four years here, all of us together."

"Well...you and I can stick together since we're facing the facts and not stuck on ourselves so much," Melanie gazed at me. The lamp made her auburn hair glow and even though I'd always know she was pretty, tonight, she seemed vulnerable and alone and that added to her appeal.

I could see why Logan was so in love with her. Well, almost as much as Logan seemed to be in love with himself.

Maybe I could give Melanie the support she so needed and hadn't been getting from Logan. We sat quietly for a long time, then kissed. At first, it felt a little weird to be kissing another girl besides Jana, but maybe...

"You're so thoughtful...more so than Logan ever was," Melanie whispered as we leaned close, then fell back on the bed. I lay beside her and within minutes, we were making out, petting, and necking.


Jana:

As I stopped for coffee at the campus snack bar a few night later, someone asked me, "Hey, did you and Randy have a fight?" I looked up and saw Logan standing by my table.

"Oh, hi." I smiled at him and he sat. "How did you guess?"

"I haven't seen Randy with you lately." Logan had a club soda with him. He tried to smile, but looked like his last friend had died.

"Yeah, we did," I explained. "I was trying to cheer him up because he was so down about this whole mess, but he wouldn't hear of it and accused me of being delusional or something like that. I mean, I know what's going on, but he accused me of 'minimizing' things."

"That's Randy for you," Logan muttered, sipping his club soda. In a way, I could see why he disliked Randy. Then I realized that I hadn't seen Melanie with him this week.

"So...what's the deal with you and Melanie?" I asked. Logan rolled his eyes and told me about the fight he'd had with her. "What a joke," I told him. "She should talk." I was happy to see that Logan wasn't acting all defeated and negative like Randy; even though he was worried about being in trouble and how his parents would react, he wasn't sinking into the melodrama that Randy was acting out. What a refresher.

I actually found Logan easy to talk to. I could see why Melanie liked him. Maybe Logan and I could cheer each other up. I had the feeling we were going to need it in the next few weeks.

"You know, you're easier to talk to than Melanie lately," Logan told me.

"Maybe we could stick by each other and pick each other up when the going gets rocky in this mess," I suggested. "Maybe if we looked united, we can convince the board that they're making a big mistake and let us off with a light slap-on-the-wrist type of deal."

"I hope so," Logan nodded. "Well, thanks for lending me your support. I really needed that. It's too bad Melanie's too wrapped up in her own affairs to offer any support." We sat and talked a little, then we both had classes, so we finished the coffee and club soda and parted, promising to touch base soon.