Author's note:
This is, in all its seven parts and their many chapters, one very,
very
long story. If long stories bother you, I suggest you read something else.
No part of this story is written so as to stand on its own. I strongly suggest that you start with
the beginning of Part 1
and read sequentially—giving up at any point you choose, of course.
All sexual activity portrayed anywhere in this story involves only people at least eighteen years old.
This entire story is posted only on literotica.com. Any other public posting without my permission in writing is a violation of my copyright.
All of the classes for the first three days of the week had a very surreal feel, to me. It just seemed eerie to be discussing math or history with this hanging over us. And the first study time on Monday was very strange, in a different way. Rosa and Moira were there at the beginning, with no study materials, but it was clear that sexual activity wasn't on the immediate agenda.
Jenny said, "Phil, is this what all that about Brown was about?"
I said, "I'm not supposed to discuss anything at all, but I can't see any harm in answering that. Yes. But I won't give you any details, and please, all of you, keep your mouths shut to everyone else. Completely. It's possible that after the trial I'll be able to fill in a few things that may not get said there, but I'm not sure I'll be willing to. I wish I hadn't wound up getting involved. Except that it's a very good thing I did. And you'll probably hear all about that on Thursday."
"But four counts each? And what's this about Bruja?"
"Didn't you hear me? I'm not supposed to discuss it, and for good reasons. I'm not going to discuss it. You'll have to wait for the trial, like everyone else. Do I need to go to my own room and study by myself? For the next three days?"
Jenny came over and put her arms around me and hugged me. "Phil, you're right, and I apologize. I'm sure you understand why I'm curious—why we're all curious—but if you shouldn't talk, don't. I won't apologize for the first question, but I should have dropped it as soon as you said you wouldn't say more. I heard the announcement, same as everyone, and I knew better. I'm sorry."
"I understand that you're all disappointed, but everyone else has to wait, too. I admit that I'm surprised that no one else seems to have connected me to it. I wonder how Maggie is faring."
I learned later that Maggie had drawn some attention, and more as time went on. She finally wound up shutting herself in her room and refusing to answer her door, outside of class times and meal times. At meal times, she started sitting by herself. I checked with my girls, and then went to her at breakfast on Tuesday. At least she didn't just tell me flatly that she had nothing to say and to go away, which I heard her saying to others who approached her.
"Maggie, would you like to come sit with me for meals for a couple of days? My friends understand that I'm not talking about what happened or what's going to happen, period, and we're all willing to help chase people away."
"Phil, are you sure it's OK?" She sounded like she was near tears. Given everything she had been through, and what she was going to have to go through soon, that seemed perfectly reasonable to me.
"It's more than OK. We'd love for you to."
She put her dishes onto her tray and went with me. Jenny made room for her to sit between us, even though the table was already overcrowded. For the benefit of those other than my four, I said, "Listen up, everyone. The topic of what's ahead on Thursday and what's behind it all is off limits at this table. Those who know anything aren't supposed to discuss it, so if you want to talk about that, go sit somewhere else."
We had very interesting discussions of lots of other things, though, from topics in our classes to what we thought we wanted to do next year to things from the news we got, for the next two days. Maggie was soon on first-name terms with everyone there. And we did chase a number of people away, when they came up and tried to question Maggie. One time I had to stand up and get in someone's face about it. At the end of Wednesday's supper, Maggie hugged them all, Jenny, Barbara, Claire, Ellen, and a few others who had sat with us, thanking us for letting her sit there and protecting her.
"I don't know what things will be like starting tomorrow, so I may be back. I hope I won't have to impose on you any longer, but you've meant a lot to me. Thank you so much!"
Thursday morning, Jenny and I ran, but more briefly than usual. The running course was nearly empty. We went in and went off to our separate wings to shower. We, and an awful lot of other people, were sitting in the cafeteria quite a while before serving began. It really wasn't unusual for some people to arrive that early, but not so many by a long shot, and normally most studied while they waited. I'm pretty sure no one was studying there, that morning. I got myself some day-old breadstuffs when I arrived, to eat while I waited.