Lilly watched a small clot of college students swarming around the young, handsome professor. She tried not to be obvious as she admired the casual, yet professional air of the man. Sighing, she returned to her doodling.
Mrs. Professor Doughan.
She held up the notebook and twisted it, crinkling her nose at how old the title sounded. Dropping it back to her lap, she wrote again. Lilly Doughan. Now that sounded right.
“Are you twelve? The rest of us outgrew that sort of thing.” Pamela, Lilly’s best friend, rolled her eyes and dropped her backpack next to the tree Lilly leaned against. “I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, but you don’t stand a chance.”
“I know.” Lilly folded over the page and shut her notebook, sliding it into her purse. “Are you done with classes for the day?”
“I have a few free hours. What’cha thinking?”
“I have the afternoon off. I just thought I’d come spend time with you. Between my mother and my jobs, I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Pamela patted her head. “It’s been about two months. Good thing I like you.” She grinned, dropping to the ground. “Have you saved up enough yet?”
Lilly smirked. “For one semester, sure, but then I’d have to drop out again.”
“Oh come on! You have two jobs, what could you possibly spend all that money on?”
“Well, food, for one, and gas. Last month Andy needed some new pants because she ripped them playing soccer and mom didn’t have the money. I took her to Discount Threads so she wouldn’t have to endure my mom’s sewing.”
“Okay, okay, I admit it, you have a lot more to worry about than I do. Happy birthday, by the way.” Pamela shuffled through her backpack, pulling out a dog-eared envelope with a flourish. “I knew you’d come by eventually.”
Lilly’s smirk shifted to a genuine grin. “Pam! You’re so awesome.” She accepted the card and popped the seal in the same movement. Drawing out the cheesy image, she read the caption: ‘A friend like you is hard to find.’ The picture of a kid peeping around the corner shifted as she opened the card to the same kid searching through the seat cushions where a pair of eyes lurked. ‘I’m glad I didn’t give up.’
“You shouldn’t have. We promised no presents.”
“We also promised we’d see each other once a week when I started school. You broke your end, so I get to break mine.”
Lilly hugged her tight, grateful that at least one thing in her life wasn’t drama. The crackle of a police radio from two passing officers caught their attention. The pair advanced toward the main doors pausing by Professor Doughan. Neither could hear what they said, but the professor’s golden-brown eyes widened, then his brow crinkled in confusion. When the officers turned, passing by Lilly’s tree, he came with them, not quite sandwiched between the pair.
“Can you at least tell me what it’s about?” He was saying.
“I think you’d prefer us not to.” The front officer’s frown seemed permanently etched into his hard face.
Lilly felt her stomach drop. It took Pamela snapping twice to get her attention. “Lilly, seriously, you’ve got to move on. You’ve been obsessed with him for two years; ever since you came here on our high school tour. You’re nineteen. You should be stalking guys your age, not forty-year-old men.”
“He’s not forty,” Lilly defended. “He’s thirty-four. And I prefer the term fangirl, it sounds less illegal.”
Pamela rolled her eyes. “But no less creepy. You realize he’s just under twice your age? When you were in diapers, he was dealing with pimples. When you learned to walk, he learned to drive. When you started school, he was probably graduating from college—"
“I get it.” Lilly cut her off with a glare. “You worry about your life and I’ll worry about mine.”
“Wonder what he did.” Pamela trailed after him with her eyes. “So, where do you want to eat, my treat?”
* * *
Lilly arrived home later than usual. As she dumped her bag into her room, the doorbell rang downstairs. Pushing aside her bedroom curtain, she frowned toward the squad car idling out front.
“Lilly?” her mom called. “Lilly, please come downstairs.”
Curiosity burned as she tromped down the short flight. The same officer from the college stood in her entryway giving her a strange feeling in her stomach. “What’s going on?”
Her mother gathered up a light shawl and her purse. “Come. The officer has a few questions for us down at the station.”
Collecting her purse, she followed her mother. Her two sisters watched with wide eyes from the living room entryway.
“Don’t burn the house down.” She hissed, trying to reassure them with her fallacious glare.
The drive to the station felt awkward, but Lilly couldn’t figure out the reason for her premonition. Her mother kept her peace, focusing on driving the beat-up pinto that served as the family car. She pulled into a parking spot at the station and led the way, head held high. This only added to Lilly’s apprehension. Her mother’s chin only rose that high when she was defensive about something.
“We’re here about claim C1426985.” She stated.
The officer at the receiving desk glanced down at a sheet, then back up at her. The bags under his eyes suggested that his shift should end soon. “Please wait here.”
Within minutes, a familiar, hard face greeted them, hand outstretched. His eyes moved to Lilly’s face and she could swear there was a hint of pity in them.
“What’s going on?”
No one responded until they passed through a thick door into a room with a one-way mirror.
“Now, Lilly.” The officer began. “I apologize for bringing you in here, but we may need you to identify someone for us, and we need your testimony on file before we open a formal case.”
“What are you talking about?” She eyed her mother, putting together the unlikely pieces. “Mother?”
Her chin rose just a tad higher.
“Your mother pressed charges in your behalf, now, I know this might be hard to talk about, but I’m going to need you to give me some of the details of what’s happened to you. My first question is easy: can you tell me your birth date?”
“Uh, October 9th. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Happy belated.” He jotted down the information. “You just turned seventeen then?”
Lilly laughed, which triggered a shrewd look from the officer. Her mother’s chin lifted again; any further and she’d dislocate her own neck.
Lilly’s laughter died down. “I’m sorry, I thought you were joking. People tell me all the time that I look young for my age.” He still wasn’t smiling. “I’m nineteen.”
“Nineteen?” He glanced from her to her mother and back again. “So how long has your relationship with William Doughan been going on?”
“My—” She coughed, heat rising in her cheeks. “What are you talking about?”
Now he looked uncertain. “Uh, your mother told us that he’s been forcing a relationship with you for the last year or so, and that his attentions were unappreciated. Being a professor, he has undue influence over you—”
Lilly bit her tongue to keep from saying the first words through her head. When she did speak, she kept her voice tightly reigned and her fists tight. “Mother, what have you done? Do you have any idea what this could do to his position at his school; to his career, his reputation?”
“It’s not okay for a man of his age and status to lead along young girls.” She said, arms folding over her chest.
“He’s not leading along young girls.” She bit the inside of her cheek and forced two more exhales. “Mother, I can’t believe you did this.”
“So,” the officer cut in, “there’s no relationship between you?”
“Of course not.” The heat rose again, illuminating the tip of her ears. “He doesn’t know I exist.”
“There have been other charges against him for misconduct against his students. Two other women suggested that he forced sexual favors in exchange for altered grades.” He stared at her now, looking for some hint that she was lying.
Lilly felt the challenge in his words and stared right back. She forgot to bite her lip. “If that’s the case, maybe I should sign up for his class. I’d love to earn an A.”
Her mother gasped and Lilly knew she’d been too flippant. “From everything I know about the man, I would judge those allegations false. He’s straight-laced. It’s unfortunate, really.”
“Lilly.” The officer’s frown deepened and he leaned across the table. “Be honest here. Have you ever spoken with him or interacted with him outside of class?”
“I’m not even a college student.” She huffed, dropped back against her chair.
He tried again, his frustration rising along with one thick brow. “You were seen by our surveillance team outside his house yesterday evening. Your car was there for at least two hours.”
Lilly choked on her reply. The heat had taken on a life of its own as embarrassment tore through her; the officer wasn’t going to let this go. “I stalk him, okay? You want the truth? He doesn’t know I exist, but I know everything about him from where his newspaper lands on his front step to how many laps he swims when he gets home from work.” She continued in a rush, realizing that this could very easily turn into her arrest rather than his. “This is all very ridiculous. I am nineteen, not a student, not in his class, and not affiliated with him in any way, but if I were, there’s nothing illegal about it, and no reason for any charges to be pressed.”
“I don’t believe you.” Her mother finally spoke, turned to face her daughter with a glare.
“I don’t care what you believe.” Lilly rose, anger as hot as her ears. “This was a horrible mistake on your part, and you need to admit it and drop all charges on him. You’re jeopardizing his career.”
“He’s meddling with you. Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, a mother knows.”
“He’s never even touched me, mother.” She shook her hands at the woman, pleading with her to see reason.
“I don’t believe it.” Lilly could see she’d dismissed the idea entirely. Her finger lifted, accusing her daughter as much as her words. “Don’t you dare come waltzing in one day and tell me your carrying his child because I won’t help you support it.”
“Don’t put your own mistakes on me! Just because you made stupid choices doesn’t mean I’m dumb enough to do the same. I’ve spent my entire life helping you raise your ‘mistakes’, so don’t try to give me a lecture.” Lilly’s voice rose. “How could you involve the police!”
“I think we’re done here.” The officer closed the thin folder.
“We’re not done.” Lilly’s mother rose with her own venom. “You’ve acted irresponsible, disrespectful, and downright terrible to me during this conversation. I know you’re in a relationship with him, and if you continue to refuse to end it, I’ll ask you to move out. I won’t have this sort of influence poisoning your sisters.”
“What?” Lilly’s jaw dropped. “You’re not serious!”
Her mother’s cold gaze said otherwise.
“Fine!” Lilly grabbed her purse from where she’d hung it off the back of the chair. “Goodnight, officer. Good luck on finding a real criminal to prosecute.” She stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her and hurried out into the chilly air.
The walk back to her mother’s house wasn’t long, but when she arrived her sisters and mother were gone. That was just fine with Lilly. She managed to fit everything of importance into a thick-sided box and tossed it into the trunk of her own beat-up car. The drive to Pamela’s gave her time to cool down, and she pulled into her friend’s driveway somewhere between despondent and mad. After a solid cry on her friend’s shoulder, the two worked to find an available apartment near either of her jobs.
“There goes my savings.” Lilly nursed her chocolate milk, swirling the brown liquid in her glass. “So much for school.”
“You’ll get there.” Pamela encouraged. “It might take a little longer now, but you’ll get there.”
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