The Academy (22 page)

My roommate nodded at me briefly before coming up to stand beside me in front of the headmaster’s vast desk. “I’m sorry to come in without permission, sir,” he said, addressing Chauser. “But I couldn’t let Jameson face these charges on his own. Not when I’m the one who is really to blame.”

“What?” Lackson, Chauser, and Hicks all exclaimed together. I simply stood there, too surprised to even talk.

North lifted his chin. “I said,
I
was the one who was outside after RLO with Jameson last night. And in fact, leaving the dorm in the first place was my idea, not his.”

“North!” I hissed but he only shook his head.

“Don’t try to stop me from telling, Jameson. I should have stayed with you last night. It was cowardly of me to run.”

“But very brave of you to come forward now,” Hinks gushed, smiling at North. “So
sweet
of you to defend your roommate.”

“Indeed.” Chauser steepled his fingers and rested his elbows on the desk. Leaning forward, he studied North intently. “But I’m curious to know exactly
why
you were out there in the early hours of the morning, North. What possible explanation can you have?”

“We wanted to watch the Haley’s II comet,” North replied, without batting an eyelash.

Lackson frowned. “And you couldn’t see it from your dorm room window?”

“Not with an unobstructed view,” North replied. “Besides, being outside in the dark at night, the atmosphere is so much more…” He coughed and his cheeks turned red. “So much more
romantic
.”

Both of Chauser’s bushy eyebrows shot up and Hinks actually gasped. Lackson, however, was still frowning. “I don’t buy it, North,” he said. “You don’t strike me as the type.”

“And what type is that?” Hinks demanded huffily, glaring at the dorm monitor.

“
You
know what type,” Lackson growled, glaring back. Clearly there was no love lost between the two of them.

“All right, all right.” Chauser held up both hands, calling for silence. “Mr. North,” he said, frowning at my roommate. “As you know, we don’t have any,
ah-hem,
formal policy about this sort of thing. When it comes to sexual orientation, the Academy operates on a don’t ask, don’t tell system which seems to work just fine.”

It seemed to me that was the Academy’s position on just about everything from bullying to bathing but I didn’t say a word. I was still too stunned by what North was implying about the two of us.

“Now, you and Jameson are both fine students,” the headmaster continued. “From two of the very best families in the Prometheus system. And, North, I can understand how the tragedy you suffered might make you…
ah-hem,
look for comfort from a…
ah-hem,
from a nontraditional relationship. When I lost my wife…” He cast a quick glance up at Hinks who was looking lovingly down at him. Chauser’s face got red and he shook his head. “Well, that’s neither here nor there. The point is, that considering this is a first offense and that you came forward willingly, I won’t expel either of you.”

Beside me, I could feel North breathing a sigh of relief. I would have been breathing one as well except I was still so confused. Had North really said what I thought he said about the two of us? And why would he claim such a thing when he’d told me pointedly at the beginning of the semester that he wasn’t gay?

“However…” Chauser raised one finger. “You were still out after RLO and that
cannot
go unpunished.” He looked at me. “Jameson, since you were the one Lackson actually caught, I’m forced to give you ten licks. Will you choose the cane or the paddle?”

My heart leapt into my throat and not just because I knew the beating would hurt. Would I have to drop my uniform trousers as Broward had, to receive the punishment? And if I did, what if the headmaster noticed my lack of male equipment? North’s lie would be for nothing and I would be found out anyway!

But before I could say a word, North was pushing me behind him.

“Sir! Sir,
please
,” he said as the headmaster rose from behind his desk, presumably to go get whatever instrument of punishment I chose.

“Yes, North. What is it?” Chauser frowned at him.

“Sir, it was
my
idea to leave the dorm after RLO.” North’s voice sounded slightly strained. “I’m older than Jameson and I’ve been at the Academy much longer. I know the consequences and yet I led him into breaking the rules. So
I
should be the one to receive the punishment.”

Chauser shook his head indecisively. “I don’t know, North. That’s not usually how we do things…”

“Oh, let him! Dudley, you
have
to let him.” Hinks was looking at both North and myself with shining eyes. “Don’t you see?” he asked, turning to the headmaster. “He’s sacrificing himself for the one he loves. It’s
beautiful.”

“Yes, well…” The headmaster cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. “All right,” he said at last. “I’ll allow it this once.” He looked at North. “Which will it be—the paddle or the cane?”

North lifted his chin. “The cane, sir. Thank you, sir,” he said clearly.

Chauser frowned. “We’ll see if you’re thanking me when we’re finished, North. I’m not going to go easy on you for the sake of ‘true love'.”

“No, sir,” North said stoically. “I wouldn’t expect you to, sir.”

“Good, well…” Chauser sighed. “Hinks, I suppose you’d better bring me the cane.”

“Right away.” Looking at us as though we were a chapter of his favorite romance novel come to life, he hurried out of the room.

Lackson shook his head in disgust. “I’m leaving. I trust this is all over with, Headmaster?”

Chauser nodded shortly. “Yes, Lackson. You’re dismissed.”

Lackson turned to go but first he pointed at North and myself. “I’ll be watching you—
both
of you,” he snarled and then left, banging the door of the headmaster’s office on his way out.

Not a moment later, Hinks returned, carrying a long, flexible length of polished wood that looked positively lethal to my horrified eyes. Was the headmaster really going to strike North with that? Was North really going to take my punishment?

It seemed that he was. He surveyed the cane with a cool, detached look in his eyes. A look that said he was prepared for the pain and that he didn’t fear it. I didn’t understand that look—how could he not be terrified right now? And why was he willing to do this for me in the first place? He had barely talked to me in the past few months—why was he willing to take a beating for someone he obviously didn’t like?

Chauser took the cane from Hinks and swished it through the air a few times, as though warming up. It made a vicious hissing sound that made me think of a poisonous snake. “Well,” he said at last. “I supposed we’d better begin. North, since you chose the cane, please remove your uniform jacket and shirt.”

“Yes, sir.” Immediately, North began unbuttoning his jacket. All this time I’d been standing here watching him, saying nothing. But finally my paralysis broke.

“North,” I whispered, grabbing his elbow. “Please…I can’t let you do this for me.”

He shook me off and finished taking off his jacket. “It’s already done, shrimp.” He flashed me a quick grin as he started on his shirt. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Of course I worry about it—I worry about
you.
And don’t call me shrimp,” I said through numb lips.

North’s grin widened. “Okay, shorty.” He finished unbuttoning his shirt and shrugged out of it. “Seriously,
relax,
Jameson. I’ll be fine.”

“But—” I began.

“Enough chatter,” Chauser said, interrupting my half-formed protest. “North, assume the position.”

Without a word of complaint, North walked forward and placed both his hands palms down on the headmaster’s large wooden desk. He bent his head, presenting his broad back as a target and waited.

When the first blow fell with a flat
crack
, I jumped and gasped, making much more noise than North. He simply bit his lip and stared down at the headmaster’s antique oriental carpet without saying a word. The blow left an angry red welt across his smooth golden skin, just between his shoulder blades.

“One,” Chauser announced and then drew back his arm again. Once more the cane fell. “Two,” he continued.

By the time he’d gotten to the fifth blow, the welts had become wounds. Trickles of blood were flowing down North’s sides and the headmaster was breathing heavily—clearly he was really putting his back into it. Hinks was standing to one side, his hands clasped just below his chin with a look of sympathy on his face.

I felt like my insides were twisted into one big knot. North continued to be stoically silent though I could see his knuckles turning white as he gripped the sides of the headmaster’s desk. I, on the other hand, gasped every time the cane hit his flesh—I couldn’t help it. It was too horrible—so awful that I wanted to turn away and not look. But North was doing this for me, was enduring this burning pain so I didn’t have to. I owed it to him to watch. I kept my eyes fixed on the brutal sight, not allowing myself to so much as blink.

By the time the seventh blow fell, my tears were falling as fast as the blood was flowing from North’s broad back. Crimson droplets pattered onto the oriental rug but the headmaster didn’t seem to care. Either he had it cleaned regularly or its pattern of brown spots was the result of similar punishments. I couldn’t help comparing the beating North was receiving to the one I had seen Broward take. Back then, I’d thought the headmaster wielded the paddle with startling savagery. But it was nothing to what North was enduring under the cane.

“Please,” I moaned, putting out a hand. North saw me and shook his head.

“Almost…done,” he gritted out. “Let him…finish.”

I drew back my hand and bit my lip until it bled to keep from begging. North was right—there was nothing I could do but be quiet and let the headmaster finish administering the beating. I was slightly relieved when the last three blows seemed to come more quickly than the others. They might have been a touch lighter as well—probably because Hinks was glaring at Chauser in obvious disapproval.

“…ten. There.” At last the headmaster threw down his cane and stepped back. There was a look of relief in his eyes that made me think he didn’t care for this part of the job much—though he clearly took it seriously enough to do it thoroughly. “You can go, North, Jameson,” he said, nodding to both of us. “And don’t let this happen again.”

“No, sir,” North answered through gritted teeth. “We won’t.” Slowly, carefully, he raised himself from the stooped position he’d assumed over the desk. He took a step and then faltered, nearly collapsing on the spot.

I ran to him quickly. “Let me help,” I begged, trying to find a way to support him without touching his hurt back. “Please, North—lean on me.”

“Never thought I’d have to ask for help from a shrimp like you,” he joked hoarsely. But he threw an arm around my shoulders anyway and let me take some of his weight. “I’ll be all right,” he muttered, shaking his head. “It just burns right now. Better in…a minute.”

“Of course you will. You two come with me.” Hinks walked briskly out the door and, not knowing what else to do, I followed, still halfway supporting North.

Hinks led us to the back of the admin building and opened a door. “Here we are.” He nodded out across the campus. “Classes are going right now so you should be able to get back to your dorm without anyone seeing you. I’ll see you’re both excused for the day.”

“Thank you.” I nodded at Hinks. “I appreciate that.”

“No problem at all, sweetie.” He gave me a sympathetic smile. “Oh and here—I almost forgot.” He pressed a small white tube into my hand. “Molecular healing ointment,” he explained. “It mitigates the effects of the beating almost at once—just be sure to wash the wounds thoroughly first. And don’t tell the headmaster I gave it to you—he likes to think his little punishments leave a lasting impression, don’t you know.” He winked at me conspiratorially.

“Of course.” I clutched the precious tube of ointment. “We won’t say a thing. Thank you, Hinks.”

“My pleasure. I’ve been here for longer than I like to admit but I’ve never seen anything quite so brave or so beautiful as what he did for you.” He looked at North. “You must love Jameson very much.”