Red Clover by Florence Osmund Read Free Book Online Page A

friend who panicked and ran or just some self-absorbed girl who couldn’t care less about what happened to him. He didn’t know if he was supposed to forgive someone for doing something like that.
    Lee and Robin were cordial to each other as they finished up their internship that summer. The charges against Lee were dropped, and Robin offered to compensate him for any expenses he had incurred due to the arrest. He declined the offer. They shook hands on their last day and wished each other well.
    * * *
    Back at Cornell, Lee was assigned to the same private dorm room he’d had the previous year. When he arrived, an envelope with his name on it was waiting for him, summoning him to the office of the dean of students.
    Lee’s stomach churned as he walked across campus to get there. Since the lewdness charges had been dropped, he didn’t think that was why he was being summoned, but he couldn’t think of any other reason.
    Dean Larsen was an older man, with an expressionless face and imposing demeanor. His six-and-a-half-foot frame towered over Lee.
    He led Lee into his office. “Sit down, son,” he said to him.
    The dean stared at Lee for several seconds and then looked down at the open file in front of him.
    “Public lewdness.” He crossed his arms over his protruding belly and peered at Lee over his reading glasses. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
    “Those charges were dropped, sir.”
    “I didn’t ask you that.”
    “A bar I was in was raided. Maybe there were people in there guilty of lewd behavior. I don’t know. But I wasn’t one of them. They just hauled us all to the station.”
    “You go to Rosco’s often?”
    “That was my first time.”
    “How was it for you?”
    Lee felt his throat tighten. “I was clearly outside of my normal element, sir. A so-called friend invited me there as her guest. I had no idea what I was getting into. And I can assure you I was not involved in any lewd conduct. That’s not me. Never has been nor will it ever be.”
    “But being there does demonstrate poor judgment at the very least. Wouldn’t you agree?”
    “Yes, I agree.”
    “Are you aware of the school’s admission policy on applicants with arrest records?”
    “No, but I can guess what it is.”
    “When was the last time you read our Student Code of Conduct manual?”
    “I read it at the beginning of my first year here.”
    “I suggest you read it again.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “I could recommend a suspension to the Disciplinary Committee, and given who’s on that committee, I’d say your chances of being suspended are pretty good. You could get up to a year.”
    “But the charges were dropped.”
    “Doesn’t matter.” He looked down at the file. “Says here the case was dismissed after you were arrested.” He leaned back in his chair. “Or I could recommend a year’s probation. Of course, probation means exclusion from all extracurricular activities.”
    “Like attending football games and such?” Lee couldn’t care less about football.
    “Like you’re off the karate team for the year.”
    What?
    “Sir, once you’re kicked off the team, you can’t rejoin.” He was one belt away from a ninth-degree black belt, the highest skill level attainable.
    “Maybe you should have thought about that before you went into that fag bar.”
    Lee stared at him, not believing he had heard right.
    “Is your so-called friend a Cornell student?”
    “No, sir.” As perturbed as he was with the way Robin had abandoned him at the nightclub in favor of her own self-interests, he wasn’t going to say anything that would vilify her for being different.
    “Were there any other Cornell students there with you?”
    “Not with me.”
    “But they were there?”
    “Not that I’m aware of. I was there for only—”
    “Do you really think it’s relevant how long you were there?”
    “No, sir.”
    “I’m going to recommend probation. You’ll hear from us in writing.”
    “With all due respect,