Nicole Smith stayed at the hospital all night, waiting for Vivienne’s mother to come. She arrived at seven in the morning, and must have driven over the speed limit the entire way. Vivienne still hadn’t regained consciousness. But she opened her eyes when her mother walked into the room, said a few incoherent words and went back to sleep. Nicole left the room quietly and took a cab back to school. They had lots to do that morning. Until they knew more, they would have to increase security to protect all the females on campus. If there was a rapist lurking somewhere, they couldn’t take any chances with the girls on campus now. Although since Vivienne had been drinking, if she was raped, it was more likely to be someone she knew, and not a random stranger.
As soon as Nicole got home, she sent an urgent email to all students and faculty. There would be an all-school assembly at nine A.M. Nicole wasn’t looking forward to it. Vivienne’s identity would not be revealed, but the entire school needed to move around the campus with extreme caution, in case Vivienne had been raped. When Vivienne didn’t reappear it would be obvious she was the victim, but there was nothing else they could do. It was a terrible situation, and for Vivienne most of all. Nicole’s heart ached for her, as she got into the shower, and let the hot water pelt her body. It had been a devastating night, and now they had to find out what had happened, and if she had been raped, who the rapist was. And if she had been coerced into having sex by someone who got her drunk, they needed to know who that person was too.
Chapter 4
When Taylor and Nicole stood side by side at the all-school assembly in the auditorium at nine o’clock that morning, it telegraphed immediately that something serious had happened, and the entire student body fell silent. A number of them had heard the ambulance sirens the night before, and wondered if they were about to be told that one of the students had died. For anything less than that, they would have heard by email or word of mouth. And until that moment, as far as they knew, Nicole and Taylor were the only ones aware of what had happened.
Nicole announced it to the faculty and student body as carefully and as simply as was possible in the circumstances. A female member of the student body had possibly been “assaulted” the night before. They chose the word carefully since they still didn’t know if Vivienne had had intercourse willingly while inebriated, or even before, or if she’d been coerced and raped. No details were known yet, and she had survived. Her name was not mentioned, but ultimately, her absence would speak for itself. Taylor added that the police would be conducting a school-wide investigation. If anyone had any information, had seen anyone suspicious on campus the night before, or had any knowledge of what had happened, they were urged to come forward immediately, so as to help apprehend the perpetrator. No one was to be protected, no suspicions were to be hidden, no information withheld, Nicole said pointedly, as the entire student body sat silently, riveted in their seats.
Until more was known about the situation, all females on campus, both students and teachers, were to move around with caution, in groups or at the very least pairs. They were to go nowhere alone. All the outer doors of dorm buildings and classrooms were to be kept locked. And males and females alike on campus were to remain vigilant. If they saw anything unusual, or any strangers on campus, they were to tell a teacher or a member of the administration immediately, and call security. She reminded them again that the school and the police needed everyone’s full cooperation and all the information they had, in order to catch the culprit. Nicole also reminded them that the no-drinking-on-campus rule was a serious one, and they expected it to be obeyed. Not doing so would incur suspension and possible expulsion. The school had a zero tolerance to alcohol policy. Then she thanked them all and left the stage with a somber expression, and Taylor followed her.
Pandemonium broke out in the auditorium the moment the headmaster and assistant headmaster left. There was a loud hubbub of startled conversation, guesswork about who the victim was and what had happened. It sounded as though some students had been drinking and someone had gotten hurt.
Adrian Stone sat frozen in his seat as it went on around him. He felt as though everyone in the room knew he’d been there, and could see it in his eyes. At least they hadn’t killed her, that was something. They had said the student was alive. And he didn’t think he’d be accused of “assaulting” her. He still didn’t know what had happened or what they’d done to her. But he was sure he’d go to jail for not revealing the identity of the six boys he knew had been there. They might not have done it either and probably hadn’t. But they had been there, and must have seen her too. And they had left in a hurry, running and stumbling and bumping into each other. And she was unconscious when they left. But Adrian wasn’t going to betray them. He was going to leave that to someone else. Maybe the police would figure it out on their own. He wasn’t going to be responsible for sending six boys to prison for assault. He slipped out of the auditorium with his heart still pounding and ran smack into Simon Edwards and nearly jumped out of his skin when he did.
“Hey, Adrian, are you okay?” Adrian looked panicked and very pale.
“I’m fine, Mr. Edwards. I thought I was having an asthma attack, but I’m okay.”
“I know, it’s very upsetting, isn’t it? We don’t know the details yet, but it sounds like some drinking went on and, and something went wrong. That’s what happens. Drinking and breaking the rules is always a bad idea.” In the auditorium was the first Simon had heard of it, although he had noticed the siren the night before, and wondered what it was for, but it was too late to call anyone and find out. He had never suspected something like this. He knew of stories like it before, at other boarding schools, binge drinking and even rapes, but he couldn’t imagine it happening here. The students at Saint Ambrose were all good kids. He just hoped it wasn’t one of them, and that if there was a crime, it had been committed by an outsider, a random stranger. It was Taylor’s most fervent hope too. But when drinking was involved, there was no telling what even the best kids would do.
Adrian skittered away then, and said he was going to get his inhaler in his room. Simon didn’t think he looked well, but he often didn’t, he had allergies, asthma, anxiety, and every possible psychosomatic disorder, as a result of the constant strife between his parents, and their endless battles over him.
The senior girls were talking quietly among themselves. Mary Beth had noticed in the auditorium that Vivienne was missing, and checked her room when they went back to the dorm, to see if she was sick. Her bed was made and hadn’t been slept in. As soon as she saw it, she felt sick, and realized that Vivienne must have been the victim. The other senior girls in the dorm figured it out too, and looked at each other somberly. But none of them were inclined to gossip about it. They felt terrible for her, if she’d gotten hurt. Secretly, they were each glad it hadn’t been them. They made a pact with each other to move as a group, as they’d been told, until the assailant was caught. Mary Beth sat on her own bed and cried after she left Vivienne’s room.