~'Cause I can't, you can't, we can't get no,

Satisfaction~

While Zayn was still crying and an emotional mess, he called Edwin and left a voicemail saying what had happened. Not the truth, of course, but enough for his decision on the ultimatum be made clear. In the fantasy world his roommate lived in, Zayn Malik and Hunter Grant were over - done for. That was far from what was happening in the real world, but everything seemed like it would be okay.

After a wonderful night in the hotel suite - there wasn't a lot of sleeping, Grant drove Zayn back to the dorms and he entered his dorm room fake crying. But it was pointless since Edwin wasn't even there. So Zayn took a short nap and then called Adam. Because they hadn't talked in two weeks, and he was bursting full of information that he had to tell him.

"What do you want?" The always cheery voice answered, not so cheery this time.

"Subway. Twenty minutes." He needed the exercise, so he figured he'd walk there. Adam grumbled and made a compromise for an hour, and the two of them metaphorically shook hands, and Zayn went to unpack. He knew that he couldn't wear the ring on campus - it would be too much to explain to acquaintances and friends, but ultimately, Edwin would notice if he said he was broken up with this guy and was now wearing a wedding ring. That was highly suspicious. So while he was getting ready and thinking of someplace safe to put it in the room, he set it next to his bed.

And then he ran out of the room, leaving it there.

---

"So, you ran? Like an idiot?" Adam questioned. He looked worse for the wear, but this wasn't Zayn's thing to comment on because this catch-up meeting was all about him. The narcissist.

"Yes. And he tackled me. And broke my ankle." He held up his leg, which had the brace attached to it. The pain was tolerable, but not after speed walking two miles to get there. "But I eventually listened to his plight and said yes."

"How is that going to work out? He's still married. You two can't be seen together in public - you can still get kicked out of school."

"Everything's going to work out just fine. And Edwin is none the wiser." He smiled and took a big bite of the sandwich. Grant would be happy he was eating again. In fact, he had only smoked one cigarette since the beach, and maybe that meant something was changing. Was he happy?

"Fine, I'll believe you. But I need to see this ring, if you're gushing about it." Panic spread across Zayn's features. "What is it?"

"I left it next to my bed." Face pale, he stood up, forgetting the sandwich. "Adam, we have to go. Adam, we have to go now!" Adam stood and the two of them ran back to the car to race to the dorms. But by the time they pulled into a parking spot, Zayn was getting a call from an unknown number. He answered it as he hobbled up the walkway.

"Is this Zayn Malik I am speaking to?" The masculine voice asked.

"Yes," He said, stopping in his tracks. Adam gave him a look, but stopped too. "We would like to ask for your presence at a disciplinary hearing tomorrow morning at eight in the morning for yourself and Professor Grant."

"For what reason?" He played dumb, but his brain was screaming.

"Well, Edwin Ochoa has come forward with evidence that the two of you may be in a romantic relationship and possibly even engaged, which is against school policy. Can we count on you to be there?"

"Yes," He whispered, before hanging up. Adam looked at him, at the vacant stare in his friend's eyes. "It's over, Adam. They know." Everything was falling apart.

---

Rather than going back to his dorm, Adam did that for him and got a small amount of stuff. His phone died shortly after the call and he didn't bother to charge it - to see if Grant had texted or called, to see what Edwin would say in response. Instead, he laid on Adam's couch and stared at the ceiling while Adam cleaned and did his homework.

Very similar to the catatonic shock in New York on New Year's Eve, Zayn was completely unresponsive, and would be until he was able to process the information that was put upon him. Adam had taken his cigarettes and put a muffin in front of him, which he picked at as he thought. Everything was over now. There was no way that the disciplinary board would do anything but kick him out immediately, and that meant his parents would find out. And he was no longer the goodie-two-shoes he was when he left Virginia.

He was disgusted by himself. He couldn't get through the day without smoking - and was an academic genius. But he ruined it all because he was in love. How could he not sit there and feel terrible. Who was he anymore?

Zayn sat in a daze in the disciplinary hearing. He walked in shortly before it started, Adam's hand on his arm to guide him to a seat. Grant tried to talk quietly to him, but the words didn't connect.

"He's out of it," Adam told him. "He's been in shock since yesterday."

Grant's eyes were full of pain, and there were bruises on his arms and face. His wife had found everything out and was not happy last night. Edwin sat on the other side of Zayn, a neutral expression on his face, but he felt like the cat that ate the canary. The college was giving him more scholarship money for his next semester for unearthing this scandal.

"Zayn," Adam sat down in front of him, hitting his face gently. "Zaynie." Grant recoiled, hearing someone else use the nickname that he called Zayn. Was he not special? "Zaynie, bro. You have to come back for a while. I've got class, I'll be back when it's over to get you, okay?"

"Yeah," Zayn said, the words coming through.

Once Adam was gone, the proceedings began. The evidence from Edwin was brought up and he made his statement, describing in length the ultimatum. Then when he was gone, Grant and Zayn were asked to speak. Neither tried to deny the relationship, but tried to bring clarity to the situation.

"I began pursuing a relationship with Zayn in October of last year, while he was a student in my math class. Our relationship was strictly romantic and did not stem through to academics. I never once tampered with his grades or test scores - the files are all documented so that you may see that as you wish. Zayn is simply a bright young man. So if you wish to condemn me on that note, that would be unwise, because that would be false."

"Hunter," The head of the board knew him and spoke bluntly. "Our policy is clear and always has been. It is forbidden for a staff member to be sexually or romantically involved with an undergraduate student."

Grant was escorted out of the room and to speak with several members of the board regarding his punishment once Zayn was gone. They asked him questions.

Was Professor Grant's actions towards you unwanted?

No.

Did Professor Grant ever make you feel manipulated? Did he manipulate you into a relationship of any kind?

Never.

Did Professor Grant let you know that he was married for the duration of your relationship?

Yes.

And he is still married now, despite this? They held up the engagement ring. And you know this?

Yes.

After a few moments of deliberation, the group reached the ultimate conclusion. "We recommend that Zayn Malik be immediately dismissed from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, following a romantic relationship with a professor. He has twenty-four hours to be off of the premises, his ID card shall be null and void, as shall all of his current in-progress credits. An investigation into his math credit from the fall will be looked into."

Zayn was left alone in the hallway. The hearing was quick, and Adam wouldn't be back for some time. No tears came, as he sat there, his arms around himself. Eventually, he made it out the doors, but his legs failed and he lay there crumpled, half on the sidewalk, and half in the grass. People stepped over him on their way in and out of the building. They could clearly see his eyes open, his chest moving up and down. So why ask someone who was clearly in a delicate mental state to move?

Eventually, he puked, and that was luckily as Adam arrived to save him. The initial shock from yesterday prepared him for the outcome of the hearing, but listening to the words and having the punishment be final was something else. Seeing Zayn like that, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened, and he dragged the lightweight man through the quad back to his dorm. Edwin had luckily spooked off, and there were security guards waiting by the room to make sure that Zayn did clear out within the allotted time frame.

Adam kept up a constant stream of chatter as he packed up Zayn's things - all of them, down to the comforter on the bed and the posters on the wall. Some other students in the hallway helped them, and finally when they were about to leave, Adam filled a bucket full of water from the kitchen and dumped it onto Edwin's bed. "What a prick," He scoffed.

In the car, he handed Zayn his cell phone, which he had charged for him. There were 47 missed calls from Grant, and ten text messages. Staring at the screen long enough made him chuck it out the window of the moving car.

Adam frowned, not liking Zayn's current state of mind.