Read Online Artificial Love (The Goodbye Trilogy #2) by Alisa Mullen - Free Book Online
Authors: Alisa Mullen
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my short lived college days.
I remember that last English term paper I wrote like it was yesterday. I had to take a poem by Virginia Woolf and a poem from a contemporary writer, Wally Lamb and find passages that questioned if literature was evolving in a positive direction. I took the stance that it was. It was a difficult paper to write, using critical essays and the huge library at University of New Hampshire for three long nights.
The third night, which happened to be the night before the paper was due, Taylor walked into my room at the sorority house and asked if I had finished. I remember being so dead on my feet, I tossed it to her. I thought that she had finished and was just trying to rub it in my face that her GPA was higher than mine. She was always a bitch about numbers. Who had the “best ass” on the favorite frat’s website? Who was the top of their class within the house? It was ridiculous and I only wanted her to leave me alone. The last thing I saw was her reading my initial paragraph and shaking her head with disappointment, as I closed my eyes.
It only took one full day for both Taylor and me to be called into Dean Accord’s office. A group of the English department was there and I smiled politely at them while Taylor snuffed her way through the throngs of people. What happened next was mostly a blur. I remember the words plagiarism and lawsuit and expelled. Taylor adjusted herself for the argument as I later realized she had anticipated. I sat there probably looking like the kid who got caught. I was terrified.
After they offered for us to admit who had actually copied the other’s paper, I shook my head and said three words, “It wasn’t me.”
Taylor snorted in amusement which set her off in a tangent claiming her innocence while I watched the girl fib her ass off. She did it well, too. She talked about her references and the long hours in the library. She produced the time in and out of the library, according to the books I had actually used while I was there.
We were given until that night to sort it out amongst ourselves and yes, she brought it to a vote within the sorority. I received a phone call right before the vote went to the table. Michael asked if it was me. I was so happy I had his support. He told me to take the blame and since he was a year ahead of me, he would take care of me if I was expelled.
That’s how it went down. Within twenty four hours, I was expelled from school and moving into an apartment with Michael. Six months later, we were married. We never spoke about the incident again except one time when an old sorority sister emailed me and said that Michael slept with Taylor and they conjured the whole thing up. They both won. He wanted me under his hand and she wanted the higher marks. I didn’t believe the email, of course. Who would? I had the perfect husband.
But as I checked off no experience on every website and only typed twenty words per minute, I realized that Taylor and Michael ruined my life. They had me expelled from college. And I let them. How nice was I about it? I actually sent an apology card to Taylor for putting her through the ordeal.
The angry tears came then. I wouldn’t get a job anywhere. Not in New York City. Not in Boston. Nowhere. I was disqualified from working due to my lack of experience. So I drank. By the time ten o’clock rolled around and I had yelled at every window, door, and mirror in Johnny’s apartment, I took scissors to my hair and cut it all off. I thought I needed bangs. Then I thought a bob would look cool. When I was done, I looked like a woman who had just gone through a paper shredding machine. It was official. I had gone completely bonkers.
I woke up the next morning on the bathroom floor, covered in strands of cut off blond hair. I heard people talking loud outside and as I took my pounding headache to the window, I saw people rummaging through my things I had dumped out the window the night before. If it came
I remember that last English term paper I wrote like it was yesterday. I had to take a poem by Virginia Woolf and a poem from a contemporary writer, Wally Lamb and find passages that questioned if literature was evolving in a positive direction. I took the stance that it was. It was a difficult paper to write, using critical essays and the huge library at University of New Hampshire for three long nights.
The third night, which happened to be the night before the paper was due, Taylor walked into my room at the sorority house and asked if I had finished. I remember being so dead on my feet, I tossed it to her. I thought that she had finished and was just trying to rub it in my face that her GPA was higher than mine. She was always a bitch about numbers. Who had the “best ass” on the favorite frat’s website? Who was the top of their class within the house? It was ridiculous and I only wanted her to leave me alone. The last thing I saw was her reading my initial paragraph and shaking her head with disappointment, as I closed my eyes.
It only took one full day for both Taylor and me to be called into Dean Accord’s office. A group of the English department was there and I smiled politely at them while Taylor snuffed her way through the throngs of people. What happened next was mostly a blur. I remember the words plagiarism and lawsuit and expelled. Taylor adjusted herself for the argument as I later realized she had anticipated. I sat there probably looking like the kid who got caught. I was terrified.
After they offered for us to admit who had actually copied the other’s paper, I shook my head and said three words, “It wasn’t me.”
Taylor snorted in amusement which set her off in a tangent claiming her innocence while I watched the girl fib her ass off. She did it well, too. She talked about her references and the long hours in the library. She produced the time in and out of the library, according to the books I had actually used while I was there.
We were given until that night to sort it out amongst ourselves and yes, she brought it to a vote within the sorority. I received a phone call right before the vote went to the table. Michael asked if it was me. I was so happy I had his support. He told me to take the blame and since he was a year ahead of me, he would take care of me if I was expelled.
That’s how it went down. Within twenty four hours, I was expelled from school and moving into an apartment with Michael. Six months later, we were married. We never spoke about the incident again except one time when an old sorority sister emailed me and said that Michael slept with Taylor and they conjured the whole thing up. They both won. He wanted me under his hand and she wanted the higher marks. I didn’t believe the email, of course. Who would? I had the perfect husband.
But as I checked off no experience on every website and only typed twenty words per minute, I realized that Taylor and Michael ruined my life. They had me expelled from college. And I let them. How nice was I about it? I actually sent an apology card to Taylor for putting her through the ordeal.
The angry tears came then. I wouldn’t get a job anywhere. Not in New York City. Not in Boston. Nowhere. I was disqualified from working due to my lack of experience. So I drank. By the time ten o’clock rolled around and I had yelled at every window, door, and mirror in Johnny’s apartment, I took scissors to my hair and cut it all off. I thought I needed bangs. Then I thought a bob would look cool. When I was done, I looked like a woman who had just gone through a paper shredding machine. It was official. I had gone completely bonkers.
I woke up the next morning on the bathroom floor, covered in strands of cut off blond hair. I heard people talking loud outside and as I took my pounding headache to the window, I saw people rummaging through my things I had dumped out the window the night before. If it came
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