The frothy rumors roiled back and forth among the girls.
"I can't believe she would do such a thing! Who goes to a frat party alone?" said Zoe.
Melanie tossed her black hair to the side and said, "Why couldn't she get an abortion like a sensible girl?"
Lydia raised her forearm parallel to her body and flipped her hand back over her wrist and spoke, "Well, if she had been sensible she wouldn't have had sex with that boy. Especially not without protection."
Ruby touched Lydia on the shoulder, "I know, right?"
All the girls giggled, and Judy stood there silently.
These women were supposed to be Gloria's friends. Judy knew Gloria would have trouble ahead. After all, nobody plans to get pregnant their sophomore year of college. People may claim times are different, but Judy knew that was not the case.
Gloria had gone into hiding. Her mother had called Judy almost daily crying, wondering where her daughter was. Judy had found her friend in a woman's shelter holding a trash bag. Gloria had said she did not want the baby, and she did not want the child to know how it was created. After all, how do you tell a child they were conceived as a product of rape? Still, Gloria did not want to blame the child growing inside of her. Yet, raising the baby was a burden neither she nor her mother could carry.
So, Judy helped get Gloria into an adoption program with the Children's Home Society. Judy had arranged everything. Gloria was permitted by the college to take off the semester for medical reasons, at least that's what Gloria's family doctor called it.
Giving the baby to the nurse in the delivery room had been heart-wrenching, but Gloria's love for her son was more significant than her desires, and so she kissed him goodbye and sent him to his forever family.
At least that nightmare was in the past, or so Judy thought. The catty girls had begun their rumor mill after Jeff had claimed he and Gloria had a night of consensual sex during a frat party, although he denied he could ever be the father if she had become pregnant. Jeff assured everyone he was unable to produce children.
The froth continued among the women and Judy quietly walked away. She had to find Gloria. Across campus, she discovered her friend with her academic advisor speaking outside the mathematics building. As soon as the professor saw Judy he turned and walked in the other direction.
Judy walked up and tapped Gloria on the shoulder. She turned around with tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" asked Judy.
"Professor Smith said Jeff filed a complaint against me. He's claiming I'm slandering his reputation, and that I forced my way on top of him. The administration wants a student ethics panel to review what happened."
Judy held her friend as she sobbed into her shoulder. A wave of anger and disgust filled Judy's mind. Part of her wanted to march over and end Jeff's pathetic life, another part wanted to walk over to the gaggle of gossips and put an end to their froth, and another part of her wanted to let her friend runaway and go home, but she knew none of those ideas was the answer.
Judy pushed herself away from her friend, took her by the shoulders, and spoke, "Gloria, look at me." Gloria sniffled and stared into Judy's eyes with tears still streaming down her cheeks. Judy continued, "If you trust me, come with me. We can put an end to this together."
Judy took Gloria to meet Carol. Carol had been with the college for forty years. She was the anthropology professor the students tried to avoid. Her long gray hair and tie-dye t-shirts gave Carol the reputation as the overage hippie on campus, but Judy knew Carol had the answers to Gloria's problems. The two women knocked on her door and entered inside.
Judy spoke first, "Professor Jones, do you remember the problem I had my freshman year that you helped me out with?"
Carol nodded and pointed to the chairs, "Sit down, girls."
Judy told Carol what had happened to Gloria. Carol sat nodding her head until Judy got to Jeff's accusations today, and Carol held up her finger and then spoke to Gloria. "Do you mean to tell me this boy raped you and is now trying to blame you?"
Gloria nodded and started to cry. Carol handed her a tissue, and then asked Gloria, "Did you keep any of the clothing, anything that could be considered evidence?"
Gloria shook her head and cried harder, but Judy raised her finger. Carol nodded Judy's way, and Judy attempted to speak above Gloria's sobs. "I have all her clothes. She had them in a trash bag when I found her at a women's shelter."
Gloria choked back her tears, turned to Judy and said, "I told you to throw those away."
Judy shrugged, and Carol chimed in, "Gloria did any of the frat boys have a cell phone at the party?"
Gloria started to regain some composure, "Yes," she said through her sniffles.
Carol rapped the desk with her hands, "That's all I need." She reached for her phone.
"Who are you calling?" Gloria asked with concern.
Carol stopped and looked at both women as she spoke. "Not the campus police or town police, that's for sure. I'm calling the state police. I have a friend on the force that helps with these sorts of things. You met Harry before, Judy. He's on the force."
Gloria looked at Judy, "Who's Harry?"
Judy took Gloria's hand, "He's the man who helped me when I was raped my freshman year."
Gloria looked shocked. "You too?"
Judy nodded and then said, "Don't worry Gloria. It's going to be hard, but we can stop Jeff, just like I stopped my rapist. These boys never stop at just one woman. You're saving more than just yourself."
The two women held each other as Carol picked up the phone and dialed.