Chapter 16: "Now what?" - Forrest Gump

Jason tried to give his best forced smile as he looked away from Bryan. The wolf followed the two professors, whose names Jason had already forgotten, out into the hallway. Their footsteps echoed against the polished floor as they led him to an elevator at the end of the corridor. The wolf's mind raced with thoughts of what might happen next, but beneath his anxiety was a strange sense of relief. The truth was finally out.

They stepped into the elevator together, the professors flanking Jason on either side. The ride up two floors was silent save for a mechanical hum. When the doors opened, they walked down another hallway, this one lined with framed photographs of past university presidents and notable alumni. They stopped in front of a door with a brass nameplate that read "Assistant Dean Tammy Ringwood."

One of the professors, an older beaver, took out a set of keys, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. Jason remained in the hallway, uncertain if he should follow. The question was quickly answered when the professor cleared her throat and motioned with her paw toward a chair in front of a large oak desk.

Jason entered the office hesitantly. It was spacious but not ostentatious, with bookshelves lining one wall and large windows overlooking the campus on another. He sat in the indicated chair, the leather creaking slightly under his weight.

"Wait here for Mrs. Ringwood," the older beaver instructed before both professors left the room, closing the door behind them with a soft click.

Alone in the office, Jason turned his attention to the windows. Outside, the sky was a soft blue with just a few wispy clouds. Students crossed the courtyard below, their lives continuing as normal while his own had just been turned upside down. It really was a nice day, he thought absently. Jason let out a weary sigh. He felt exhausted, drained by the emotional roller coaster of the past week. Yet, he also strangely felt at ease- as if a weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders.

He didn't know what was going to happen next, but whatever it was, he already felt better. Jason closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair. He sank down, letting his head fall back and his arms droop toward the ground. Then he just breathed in and out, in and out, the rhythm calming his frayed nerves.

He couldn't have been sitting there long before he drifted off, the emotional exhaustion of the past week finally catching up with him. The sound of the door opening startled him back awake. He hastily sat up, blinking rapidly as Mrs. Ringwood walked in, her expression carefully neutral as she closed the door behind her.

"Mr. Whilmeton," the coyote said dryly as she walked around to the other side of her desk and took a seat. "We have a problem."

Jason swallowed hard, his throat suddenly tight.

"Normally, statements are taken by faculty—but the situation you have put us in is... unique." Mrs. Ringwood tapped her fingers on her desk as she regarded him carefully.

Jason held his paws in his lap, his claws digging slightly into his palms as he paid rapt attention to the coyote.

"I want to start off by saying, I do not believe that Coach Martinez will be able to function as your advocate going forward. So I will be taking over the role as your point of contact with the school board."

Jason's shoulders slumped. "Yes, Ma'am... I understand." The thought of facing Coach's disappointment was almost worse than any punishment the university might impose—almost.

Mrs. Ringwood nodded as she leaned back in her chair. The coyote spun slightly to gaze out one of the windows, sunlight illuminating her graying fur.

"Normally, this would be the point where I am instructing individuals about our zero tolerance policy on retaliatory actions. But something tells me I don't need to go over that with you and Mr. Bramblebush."

Jason's ears folded back at the mention of Bryan's name as he shook his head, agreeing with Mrs. Ringwood.

The coyote looked back over at Jason. "Jason... Can I call you Jason?"

Jason nodded, surprised by the sudden shift to a more personal tone.

"Jason, Bryan wasn't going to get expelled. There simply wasn't enough non-circumstantial evidence supporting your complaint. But there was enough for this incident to be documented in his official student transcript. That's a permanent public record. Do you know how serious that is, Jason?"

Jason felt a wave of shame wash over him as he sat motionless.

"It would have followed him for his entire life, Jason. Think about that."

"I..." Jason's voice caught in his throat. What could he possibly say that would make any of this better? "I never meant for it to go this far," he finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Mrs. Ringwood waited a moment as she looked over the young wolf who was clearly struggling. The coyote let out a sigh, her expression softening slightly.

"You did the right thing, for what it's worth. But now there are consequences. The first is that you are on academic suspension pending your review committee meeting next week. You will be notified via your student portal regarding the scheduled date and time. The second is that your family will be notified of this incident and the details surrounding it."

Jason cringed, the feelings of shame turning into a sinking feeling at the mention of his family. His mother would be devastated. Not just about the suspension, but about everything else he'd revealed today.

"I understand," he said quietly, his tail curling tightly around the leg of his chair.

"Do you?" Mrs. Ringwood leaned forward, her eyes searching his. "Because I need to be absolutely clear here. What you did—filing a false sexual harassment complaint against another student—is grounds for immediate expulsion. The only reason we're even having this conversation is because you came forward with the truth before any permanent damage was done."

Jason nodded, his ears still pressed flat against his head. "I know. And I'll accept whatever consequences come my way. I just... I couldn't let Bryan...He didn't deserve that."

Mrs. Ringwood studied him for a long moment before speaking again. "That shows character, Jason. It doesn't erase what you did, but it does speak to who you are trying to be."

The coyote pulled a form from her desk drawer and began filling it out. "Since you and Mr. Bramblebush are already separated. There is no need to relocate you to another room. You are to return to your current dorm until your committee review meeting. During this time, you are not to attend classes or participate in any university activities, including football, unless permitted to by the class instructor. That permission must be documented on this form that I am about to give you."

Jason's heart sank at the mention of football. What was Coach going to do to him for this? "What about my scholarship?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"That will be determined at your hearing," Mrs. Ringwood replied, not looking up from her paperwork. "I suggest you use this downtime to reflect on your actions and prepare your statement."

She finished writing and slid the form across the desk to him. "Sign here, acknowledging that you understand the terms of your suspension."

Jason reached over and grabbed a pen from a cup on the coyote's desk. With a trembling paw, he signed his name. As he did, he couldn't help but wonder if Bryan would ever forgive him or if he'd already lost the rabbit forever.

Meanwhile, across campus, Dreo sat beside Bryan on the couch in his and Toby's dorm room. The oncilla placed a comforting paw on Bryan's shoulder. "Jason made his choice, Bryan. For the first time, he chose to do the right thing."

"Yeah," Toby added from where he sat on his bed, the dalmatian trying to lighten the mood. "Who knew the big bad wolf had it in him?"

But Bryan barely heard them. His thoughts were scattered. One moment he worried what price the wolf would pay for finally telling the truth. The next he was furious at Jason for letting things get this far. Then his heart would ache as he remembered the wolf's confession.

"He had no right!" Bryan suddenly burst out while leaping to his feet, making Nic jump from where the otter leaned against the wall. "He could have said something days ago!"

"Honey, maybe he wasn't ready-" Toby started.

"Ready? READY?" Bryan's voice cracked. "He let me think... he let everyone think..." The rabbit's paws trembled with anger.

"At least he told the truth finally," Nic offered quietly from their corner.

"After I almost got expelled!" Bryan collapsed back onto the couch, his anger suddenly replaced by exhaustion. "But he said he loves me..."

The Pride Club members exchanged helpless glances as Bryan's mood swung again. None of them quite knew how to handle this emotional whiplash.

Chase, who had been silently observing from her spot on Dreo's bed, finally spoke. "Look, I'm not exactly Jason's biggest fan right now, but what he did in that hearing room took guts."

"Guts?" Bryan scoffed. "After what he put me through?"

"Yes, guts," Chase insisted, her tail flicking with irritation. "He could have stayed silent. Let the process play out. Instead, he torpedoed his reputation, his standing with the football team, probably his scholarship - all to protect you."

"I didn't ask him to protect me!" Bryan shot back.

"No, you didn't," Chase agreed, her voice softening slightly. "But he did it anyway. That has to count for something."

Bryan's shoulders slumped as the fight drained out of him. "I don't know what to think anymore. One minute I hate him, the next I..." He trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"That's normal," Dreo said gently. "You've been through a lot. No one expects you to have it all figured out right now."

Chase's phone rang and the coyote glanced down at it hesitantly. Her eyes darted up to Bryan and back down at her phone before she answered it. The conversation in the room stopped as everyone watched her.

“Yeah?" Chase said, holding the phone up to her ear.

A muffled voice responded back and Chase looked back over at Bryan. “Yeah, I'm still with him."

There was another muffled response. “Yeah, I'll ask. Hold on."

Chase moved her phone away from her ear. “Bryan, it's for you. It's, um- it's about Jason. Do you want to take it here or.. later?"

Bryan felt a chill go down his spine. He stood up and walked over to the coyote, accepting her held out phone.

“Hello?" Bryan said hesitantly as he put the device against his ear.

On the other end of the line, Bryan heard Mrs.Ringwoodl's voice. “Mr.Bramblebush, thank you for taking my call. I'm contacting you out of courtesy to Mr. Whilmeton."

“Alright?" Bryan said, a note of concern creeping into his voice." Is Jason okay?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. The rabbit's heart raced as he waited for the older coyote to speak again. Had something changed? Was Jason still in trouble?

Bryan heard Mrs. Ringwood sigh. "There won't be a decision made until his review meeting next week. I just thought you should know that Jason has been placed on academic suspension until then. He has been instructed not to approach you or bother you further in any way. If he should do so, then you are to report it immediately to a facility member. Until further notice, I will be acting as Mr.Whilmeton's point of contact."

Bryan's ears drooped. Despite everything, he hadn't wanted Jason to suffer. "What... what does that mean for him?"

"That depends on the outcome of his hearing," Mrs. Ringwood replied. "But I want to be clear - this isn't about his feelings for you or your feelings about him. This is about him filing a false sexual harassment complaint implicating another student."

Bryan nodded, understanding the distinction. "Will he be expelled?"

Mrs. Ringwood sighed. "I can't predict the committee's decision. But I can tell you that his coming forward voluntarily will be taken into consideration. My advice to you Bryan is to try and return back to your normal routine and avoid any further contact with Mr.Whilmeton."

Bryan's grip tightened on Chase's phone as the rabbit bit his lip.

“Do you have any further questions for me?" Mrs.Ringwood said.

“No…"Bryan replied softly.

“Alright, can you give me back to Chase- please, Bryan?"

Bryan nodded absently as he lowered the phone and held it out to a nervous-looking Chase. The younger coyote grabbed the phone and held it back up to her ear.

"Hey, yeah. It's me," Chase said, her eyes still on Bryan.

There was a pause as she listened.

"Yeah," Chase responded, her tail flicking with tension.

Another pause.

"Okay," Chase said again, glancing at Bryan with an unreadable expression.

More words from the other end.

"I got it. Yeah. Bye." Chase finished talking, and then she hung up her phone and tucked it into her pocket.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence that wasn't broken until Dreo softly said in a hushed tone, “ I take it things didn't go well?"

"I need some air," Bryan announced suddenly as he started walking towards the door. "I'm going for a walk."

"Okay... Want some company?" Dreo offered, already half-standing.

Bryan shook his head, his paw on the doorknob. "No. I need to think."

None of the others said anything as Bryan stepped outside into the hallway and closed the door behind him. He could hear the muffled sound of their voices resuming as he walked away, no doubt discussing him and Jason and the mess they were all caught in. It didn't matter, he couldn't deal with it anymore right now.

Bryan quickly made his way to the stairwell, his footsteps echoing in the enclosed space as he rushed down to the ground floor. There, he pushed against the heavy exit door, bursting into the evening air like a swimmer coming up for breath.

The campus was quieter than usual, most students already heading off to dinner or in their rooms studying. The setting sun had begun to cast long shadows across the quad, painting everything in shades of gold and amber. Bryan realized he had no destination in mind. His feet seemed to move of their own accord, carrying him across the familiar paths as his mind wrestled with the day's events.

Jason loved him. The words kept repeating in his head, a confession that had saved him but left him more confused than ever. How could someone who loved him have let things go so far? How could he have stood by while Bryan's reputation, his future, hung in the balance?

Yet he had come forward in the end. When it mattered most, Jason had chosen truth over safety, had risked everything to protect Bryan. That had to mean something, didn't it?

Bryan found himself at the grassy park area next to student parking. The same grassy knoll where that tiger had pushed him down and Jason had intervened so many weeks ago. Now, in the fading light, the student parking lot, the track and the stadium were deserted. Bryan walked over and sat on a nearby bench. He leaned forward and held his head in his paws.

"What am I supposed to do now?" he whispered to no one in particular.

Part of him wanted to find Jason, to demand answers, to understand how things had spiraled so completely out of control. Another part wanted to never see the wolf again, to put this whole nightmare behind him and move on with his life.

But the loudest part, the part that was controlled by his heart, just wanted things back the way they were before. Before the coffee shop, before Jessica, before accusations and hearings and suspensions. Back when it was just the two of them studying late into the night, sharing jokes and stories, discovering each other one conversation at a time.

The sound of footsteps on the path behind him made Bryan's ears twitch, but he didn't turn around. He wasn't ready to face anyone yet, not even his well-meaning friends.

"Mind if I join you?"

The voice wasn't one he expected but also wasn't one that surprised him. Bryan turned to find Dreo standing there, his paws tucked into his pockets.

"I said I wanted to be alone," Bryan said half-heartedly as he scooted over to make room on the bench.

Dreo shrugged as he sat down. "Actually - I don't think I heard that exact phrase. Besides, you should know by now it's impossible to get rid of me."

"I do," Bryan replied with a slight smile, despite his inner turmoil.

"Yep," Dreo said as he leaned back against the bench, his spotted tail curling around his side.

The two sat in silence for a moment, watching the empty football field where Jason and others would normally practice. The stadium lights were off, the field bathed only in the fading twilight.

"Are you okay, Bryan?" Dreo finally asked, in a gentle voice.

Bryan let out a dry laugh, his eyes fixed on the stadium in front of him. "I don't know how to feel about any of this."

"You know, you don't have to know right now," Dreo replied. "It's okay to be confused."

"But what if..." Bryan hesitated, voicing the fear that had been growing since he left the hearing. "What if he gets expelled because of me?"

Dreo turned to face him fully. "Because of you? Bryan, he's facing consequences because of his own actions. Not yours."

"But if I hadn't pushed him at the coffee shop-"

"Stop," Dreo cut him off. "You didn't do anything wrong. You reached for his paw, and he panicked. Everything after that was his choice. Jessica's manipulation, the complaint, all of it - those weren't your fault."

Bryan fell silent, absorbing his words. Dreo was right, logically Bryan knew that. But emotions rarely followed logic, and his were a tangled mess right now.

"What would you do?" Bryan finally asked. "If you were me?"

Dreo let out a long sigh before shrugging. "I honestly don't know."

"Yeah - me either. That's the problem.," Bryan said as he lowered his head into his paws.

The two sat on the bench in another period of silence as the wind rustled the grass around them and a bird chirped somewhere off in the distance.

Dreo shifted uncomfortably, his tail lashing out behind him.

"Look," Dreo finally said, breaking the silence. "I'd never admit this normally, but I would have given anything for another chance with Marcus when things went south. And— and I think, I dunno… I think you need to do what feels right to you- And just screw everything else. Maybe talking would help? Maybe it's a bad idea? Maybe you should just let him go…"

Dreo looked over at Bryan, but the rabbit didn't respond. Bryan just sat there, his shoulder slowly rising and falling as he continued to hide his face in his paws.

"After everything that has happened," Bryan finally whispered. "I was so angry at him. I still am. And now I can't even help him. He's alone right now because he loves me."

Bryan looked back up at Dreo with tears in his eyes. “and, and - I love him, but I- I hate him because of that - and - and, I can't stop it. I..." Bryan said as his voice hitched.

Dreo reached over and wrapped Bryan in a hug. Dreo held the rabbit tightly in his arms as Bryan sobbed. Neither of them spoke. Neither of them had anything else to say.

Back across campus, Jason sat alone in his dorm room, only occasionally taking bites from the cold piles of food on his dinner tray. His phone sat beside him, the screen dark and menacing. It was only a matter of time before his mother called. Jason knew it would be any moment now, She would be getting home from work.

The university would have contacted her by now, explaining the situation in clinical, administrative terms. Jason could almost hear the conversation: "Mrs. Whilmeton, we regret to inform you that your son has been placed on academic suspension pending a disciplinary hearing regarding his relations with another male student."

What would she think? His older brother had come out years ago, causing a rift in their family. A rift that had never really healed. Now Jason was following a similar path, but with the added publicity.

When his brother had left, if had been a private affair. But this? Everyone knew Jason was in college, his football performance was a major talking point back home. Friends, family, neighbors–everyone was going to hear about this. Regardless of the outcome of the disciplinary hearing, regardless of if he was expelled— Jason loved another man, and everyone was going to find out.

Jason pushed his plate away, his appetite gone. He picked up his phone, scrolling through his contacts. He paused for a moment over Bryan's number, his finger hesitating before tapping the screen. Then Jason scrolled further down to his brother's contact.

They hadn't spoken much since the older wolf had moved– had been kicked out. Jason chastised himself. What was the point of lying any longer? It didn't matter what his mother told others to sugar coat the situation. His brother had been thrown out. She- they had cut him out of their pack.

Was that going to happen to him now? Jason shook his head to clear his thoughts. Maybe It didn't matter, maybe it'd be a good thing? It had worked out for his brother, hadn't it?

Besides, now Ethan worked traveling across the country as an airline steward. At Least, that's what the older wolf had been doing the last time they spoke around Christmas. Jason hesitated as he looked down at the contact on his phone again. There was nothing his brother could do to help. But right now, Ethan was the only person who might understand.

After three rings, a familiar voice answered. "Jason? Hey! How's it going, little bro?"

"Hey, Ethan," Jason's voice cracked slightly. "I... I messed up. Really bad."

There was a pause on the other end. "What happened?"

Jason took a deep breath and told him everything - about Bryan, about his feelings, about Jessica and the false complaint, and finally about the hearing and his suspension. Jason thought it would take a lot longer than it actually did. Once Jason had started, he just couldn't stop until he had told his brother everything.

"Wow," Ethan said when Jason finally finished. "That's... a lot."

"Yeah," Jason agreed, his throat tight. "Mom's going to kill me."

"She'll be upset," Ethan acknowledged."When will she find out?"

"She probably already knows," Jason replied.

"Damn…" Ethan grunted on the other end of the line. “Look- Jason, it's going to be okay, alright."

Jason heard a few voices call out in the background of the call.

“Damn - Look I have to grab this real quick." Ethan said as he yelled something to someone else before his voice returned to the line," But I am going to call you right back. Just give me half an hour, and we'll talk some more, okay?"

Before Jason could respond, his phone beeped with an incoming call. His mother's name flashed on the screen.

"She's calling," Jason said, his heart sinking. "I should..."

"Okay - Look, Damn" Ethan said as a few voices called out his name in the background again. "Call me back after, okay?"

Jason didn't respond as he switched to the incoming call, his paw trembling. "Hi, Mom."

"Jason Michael Whilmeton." his mother's voice was tight with anger. "I just got off the phone with someone from your university. Would you care to explain what's going on?"

"Mom, I-"

"Sexual harassment accusations? Academic suspension? And now I'm hearing you're... involved with some male student? After everything we went through with your brother?"

Jason's ears flattened against his head. "It's not like that, Mom. I didn't harass anyone. I-"

"Then why are you suspended? Why is there going to be a hearing?"

"Because I fucked up okay!" Jason's voice rose in frustration. "I was scared, okay? I was scared of what you would think, what the team would think, what everyone would think!"

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

"So it's true then?" his mother finally asked, her voice quieter now. "About you and this... Bryan?"

"Yes," Jason admitted, the word both terrifying and freeing. "I love him, Mom."

Another silence, this one stretching even longer.

"I need time to process this," she finally said. "I'll call you tomorrow."

The line went dead before Jason could respond. He sat there for a moment, staring at his phone, before dialing Ethan back. The phone rang, and rang, and rang, before going to his brother's voicemail. Jason called again with the same results.

Jason was upset, he knew that. But honestly- he thought it would be more upset than he was. He expected himself to be freaking out right now. Maybe to be angry? Instead, Jason just felt numb.

He laid back on his bed and focused on his breathing. Jason tried to remember Bryans warmth and scent. The way Bryan's arms had wrapped around him. Bryan's voice telling him everything would be okay and that the rabbit would never, ever let him go.

“I did it." Jason said to the empty room.

“Yeah, I know. Turns out it's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be- but it's done now." The wolf continued.

“I don't know how you were able to do this in high school. Always knew you were stronger than you looked, even though you're a stubborn know-it-all."

Jason turned his head and looked over at the empty bed across the room.

“I'm sorry, Bryan."

Jason's phone rang; his brother was calling him back.

“Hold up a sec, gotta take this," Jason said, again to no one as he picked his phone back up.

"Hey!" Ethan said as soon as he picked up."You okay, bro? What she say?"

"She said she needs time to process," Jason replied, his voice hollow. "Which is better than what she said to you, I guess."

Ethan sighed. "Okay look, focus on what you can control right now. Like your hearing, and what you're going to say to Bryan if you get the chance."

"I don't know what to do, Ethan," Jason admitted, his voice breaking. "I might get expelled. I might lose my scholarship. Mom… And Bryan... He probably hates me now, after everything I put him through."

"Hey, listen to me," Ethan's voice was firm but kind. "Everything is going to be okay. Maybe not right away, and maybe not in the way you expect, but you'll get through this. We'll get through this."