Make Your Home Among Strangers

After waiting in the administration office—with Jillian’s borrowed blazer scratching the back of her neck—Lizet is led back to a conference room by an older assistant, who urges her not to worry. Each member of the committee is in the room, in the same seats they sat in during Lizet’s initial hearing. Whereas in the last meeting, each dean on the committee had a thick folder full of files in front of them, the conference table they sit at is now bare. Lizet is nervous about what this could mean, and is already mentally saying goodbye to Rawlings.

The oldest man speaks up to tell Lizet that though they have found the claim of “egregious plagiarism” justified, the committee has decided not to penalize her too harshly due to extenuating circumstances. Lizet doesn’t know what this means for her future—a kind woman on the committee, Dean Geller, explains to Lizet that she will be allowed to stay at Rawlings. Lizet will, however, be placed on “a kind of probation.”

Lizet isn’t being punished, one of the committee members reveals, because after contacting Hialeah Lakes, they realized that Lizet’s high school had no code of academic integrity. The oldest dean tells Lizet that because her high school did not foster a “culture of success,” Lizet should not be punished for having made an honest error—albeit one most of her peers never would have made.

Dean Geller tells Lizet that, having admitted her, it is now Rawlings’s job to help her succeed. Lizet feels humiliated rather than comforted, though she doesn’t quite understand why. The deans slide some papers over to Lizet and ask her to sign the “contract” outlining the terms of her academic probation. Lizet’s grades this semester will determine what happens next; if she does poorly, she will need to take remedial classes in the spring—classes not covered by her financial aid, which do not count towards her major.

Lizet doesn’t fully understand what’s happening, but she signs the contract anyway, and then feels foolish all over again for having made a commitment without knowing what is expected of her. The committee dismisses Lizet, wishing her good luck in her studies. They tell her that the secretary, Linda, will have a copy of the contract ready for her outside.

Lizet goes to her shift at her work-study job at the library, and reads over the contract several times during work. The contract details a series of “if this, then that” scenarios, and outlines the potential penalties Lizet will face in terms of coursework and financial aid changes if she does not succeed in school this semester. She will need C-minus grades across the board in order to move on to the next set of classes and keep her financial aid package intact.

Lizet is so busy worrying about the contract that she gets spooked when someone goes through the security scanner at the front of the library and sets it off. Lizet jumps in her seat, eliciting the laugh of the boy who set the scanner off. He is tall and redheaded, with a grungy, nerdy vibe. Lizet sifts through his bag quickly and determines that his CD player set the scanner off. The boy introduces himself as Ethan; still dazed and distracted, Lizet does not introduce herself, replying only, “Okay.” Ethan, jokingly calling Lizet “OK,” tells her he’ll see her around, and then leaves. Lizet returns to her desk and begins making a study plan for the next three and a half weeks, determined to pull her grades up by Christmas.