The voice came to her the day after a clear sunny morning with her time well fulfilled. For Camrin that meant her computer was open on random tabs, her phone out and buzzing with notifications, and her friends all around her, who later would holler random nonsense and crude jokes at attractive men who they thought should live a day in women's shoes. Drunk as they were, they forgot they had ten days left before they lost their scholarships and acceptance letters into Lincoln State University. Unfortunately for them, this situation was no help, and the girls found themselves in a very 'peculiar' argument (as Stacey would like to put it) with the head dean the very next morning.
"You were drunk out of your minds! On campus! Girls you know the rules, and I can't make any exceptions no matter how much potential I think you have."
"But Mr. Hellish could you really not just ignore this one little, tiny itty-bitty mistake"
"Stacey, alcohol is not allowed on the premises. "
"That doesn't stop anyth-
"And you were catcalling men for lord's sake"
"Hey that fits in with my humans studies clas-
"You disrespected everybody and dragged the school's name through the mud. Damn woman, do you know the last person who made this university look bad. Charlie Ladson in 1883 and he was the last one because after that our university gained a reputation so bad nobody could ever top it."
"Until me" Stacey beamed.
"Until us. Heelllo. Dont take all the credit" Lila calls from the chairs outside Mr. Hellish's office. The dean pinches his brow. Stacy pouts.
"Come on it wasn't that bad. We were advertising equality in gender and-"
"YOU DRESSED UP AS THE 16TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND STARTED TWERKING ON THE SIDEWALK!"
"I was memorializing Lincoln? He is our mascot you know"
"Really? Were you?"
"Yeah, it was his... day of.... the first presidential debate of 1856."
"And you're sure today's the annual date of such an important event"
"yes, yes I'm sure"
"He ran in the election of 1860"
The entire hall went dead silent.
"Does that stop it from being the annual celebration?"
"Well, I can assure you it stops it from requiring twerking" A cluster of laughs echo outside the hall and Mr. Hellish's brows knit together.
"Dammit Stacy, how many people did you bring in to plead your case" The young student in front of him smiles sheepishly and ushers about thirty faces into the crowded room, smiling proudly. "You should know I take debate pretty seriously"
One hour and twenty fights later the girls walk out free, no punishment or penalty. Stacey walks out laughing, pleased with herself, her curly black hair and skin glowing in the sun. Lila walks out smirking and teasing, blonde pin straight hair pulling into a lazy ponytail, and attitude at level 1000.
"You should have seen his face. I swear a vessel was about to pop"
"Only one? Girl you're going to send him into cardiac arrest and then we'll have to live through Mr. Hellish haunting us until he gets his revenge."
"What's he going to haunt us with, boredom and learning" Lila throws her head back in laughter
Camrin chuckles. "Girl he just might. Anything that makes you as insane as you drove him to be"
"That old man? nah he ain't got nothing left to him. Besides he loves me too much and he knows it."
"Yeah. kind of like an overbearing fatherly figure-" The conversation suddenly stops for a second before Stacey lets out a teasing smile.
"Please, that man, I've never let him be my father" Stacey proclaims arrogantly. But her eyes invalidate her words with nothing but the sadness and longing in them. Another beat passes.
"Do you think he noticed you called him Mr. Hellish in front of all the students or..." "I think he forgot that he threatened us with suspension..." "That was just a lie he made up..." "Does he know why it's his nickname yet...." "Why does he even know about some random Charlie Ladson..." "I for one did not know the university was that old..." The girls talk over each other, and the conversation returns to its original path. They walk off laughing and hugging until they reach their building and branch off to their perspective classes.
It's in this moment that the voice decides to invade Camrin's mind and rip it to shreds.