The Only Exception

CHAPTER 29

Chicago was everything that I hoped for. Trey booked us a fancy hotel suite downtown that gave us breathtaking views of the city. We dined on expensive food, held hands through Lincoln Park, and took pictures at the ‘Bean’. But as magical as the weekend was, when we got back to campus I knew that I had to finish working on the debate.

For the first time in weeks I slept in my own bed. I could have stayed with Trey, but it didn’t feel right when I was getting ready to try and beat him in a debate the next morning. That didn’t stop him from showing up at my door the next morning with two steaming foam cups in his hands.

“You know, I’m not sure many political opponents show up with a latte for the person they are about to debate against,” I said, taking the cup and stepping out of my apartment.

Trey took my hand and we walked to the elevator. “Maybe they do and maybe they don’t. We don’t actually see what happens before the debates.”

I squeezed his hand. “I guess you would know more about that than I do.”

We walked through campus still hand in hand. It didn’t feel like it was different than any other day walking to class, but it was. We hadn’t talked about our debate since we argued about the condoms, and now we were using them regularly. I didn’t know what would happen afterward. If it would be such a fiery debate that we wouldn’t talk for awhile, or if it would ignite some passion to watch him talk politics, and I would pounce him right in front of the whole class. I would have settled for a happy medium.

When we walked into the classroom there were two podiums sitting at the front of the room, just waiting for us. My hands felt sweaty, but Trey still never let go, leading us to our seats. I felt like everyone was staring at us, but I tried not to let it get to me. This was a huge part of my grade, no matter if I won or lost, I still had to at least not throw up and make it through.

Dr. Westerfield came bounding in not long after we did, her heels clicking on the linoleum floor. She stood at her desk, rifling through her papers as the rest of the class slowly came in. It was the first time since the first day of class that everyone was in attendance. It looked like everyone was ready to see the show. I had a feeling someone would be out with their camera phone and have the whole thing on YouTube by the end of the day.

As the last person finally walked in, Dr. Westerfield stepped between the two podiums with her glasses perched on her nose. “Well, there are a couple of firsts with today’s debate. It’s the first time I’ve ever had a governor’s son in my class debating and the first time I’ve ever had a romantic couple go against each other.” She paced between the two podiums. “The rules are simple. The two debaters emailed me their list of five objectives. I will ask each of them as the moderator. One will respond first and the other will rebuttal to each question. I ask that you all hold any applause until the end and to remember to respect your fellow classmates.”

She then walked over to an empty desk in the front and took her seat, bringing a small stack of papers with her. “And now, Trey, Monica, if you would like to take your places for your debate on contraceptive coverage.”

Trey stood up first, and I slowly followed. It was like pushing through wet cement with each step, but I had to get to the podium. I took my spot behind the podium closest to the door and looked out into the classroom. Some people were actually paying attention and some were already looking down at their phones, probably ready to make video recordings.

“Are the debaters ready?” Dr. Westerfield asked.

“Yes,” we both responded.

“Very good,” she said with a nod and looked down at her sheet of paper. “First question will go to Monica and then Trey will rebuttal. With rising health care costs, why should college campuses and clinics still offer free options of birth control to students and those who could not otherwise afford birth control?”

“Thank you, Dr. Westerfield.” I took in a deep breath. “The Federal Affordable Care Act, provides wo—”

I looked down at my note cards that were sitting on the podium. I had a canned answer planned and all written out, but all I saw was Joey’s face when I looked down at the note cards. I knew what my response had to be.

I took a deep breath and then started again.”Six months ago I was just another student at Taylor and didn’t care one thing about politics or even if someone would be covered for birth control. Then I was raped.”

A collective gasp came from the students in the audience and their attention was no longer on their phones, but directly on me.

I swallowed hard. “No one ever goes right out and talks about their experience and you never really put a face to the person that tells their story. But I’m here to say that some guy at a party took advantage of me and didn’t use protection. I was scared. I didn’t know what to do, so I went to Student Health Services the next day and asked for the morning after pill.”

I knew Trey’s argument on the morning after pill. He didn’t think it should be used as a form of birth control, the same way he felt that abortions were being used. That it was a person and not the child’s fault for someone else’s mistake.

“I couldn’t get it. Since the contraception bill went into place, it wasn’t free for college students. I would have had to pay $100, and I didn’t have that. So instead I had to wait a month and pray I wasn’t pregnant. My opponent will argue with you that it’s about a child, not about a choice. I didn’t have a choice when that boy raped me. He took that choice away from me.”

I saw some people shift uncomfortably in their seats. It wasn’t the easiest thing to talk about, but I knew I had to continue. “No one should have to feel like their free will is taken away and when it is, they should have the choice. If clinics and student health services didn’t provide those things, that takes away their options. Then what are they left with? Would there be more abortions? Would people find another way to extinguish unwanted pregnancies themselves? I can’t say. But I can say that once you take away choice, then there is nothing left.”

Dr. Westerfield nodded, her expression not changing as she turned to Trey. “And your rebuttal?”

Trey folded his hands on the podium and let out a deep breath. “When Miss Remy and I signed up for this debate, I thought I knew my stance on the topic. I was for sure my views wouldn’t change. I still believe in family values and am extremely pro-life, but then something changed. I’ve learned there are exceptions to every rule, and you can’t just put down a set of decisions that will affect everyone if you don’t look at those exceptions.”

He shook his head, twiddling his thumbs in his hands. “I never thought I’d be the one to say that maybe emergency contraception isn’t a bad thing. Do I think that it should be handed out like candy on Halloween? Not necessarily. But when a girl has her choices taken away and is left with nothing, then that’s not right either. There are exceptions to every rule. The morning after pill and other contraceptives may not be everyone’s answer, but sometimes they are needed. And I can’t disagree with Miss Remy, that in a case in which a beautiful girl has her own choices taken by someone else, then there should be exceptions. Monica Remy is the exception.”

I widened my eyes staring at Trey. He just looked back at me with a huge dimpled grin on his face. Not his political one, but the secret one he had for me. He just threw the debate in my favor. Not only that, but after all our arguing about contraception, he finally agreed with me on it.

Dr. Westerfield didn’t seem too fazed by our responses and went on with the questions like nothing happened. Trey’s responses were all similar in which he stated his views, but basically still agreed with mine. When the applause erupted at the end I wasn’t sure if it was real or people were just too stunned to know what else to do.

I grabbed my bag and went to leave the classroom, but then Dr. Westerfield called out to us. “Trey? Monica? Can I have a word with you?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Trey said and took my hand and we went to Dr. Westerfield’s desk.

Dr. Westerfield looked up at us, setting down her glasses. “When I paired you to together, I was expecting a fiery debate that would have the students thinking. I wasn’t expecting the love bug to bite the two of you.”

I sucked in a deep breath. Shit, we were in trouble.

Trey spoke first. “Dr. Westerfield I can explain.”

She put her hand up. “There is no need to explain. You both did a fantastic job on your speeches. I actually sometimes wish that more politicians could learn to get along as the two of you have. You’ve crossed party lines and came to a conclusion instead of just butting heads. That’s what politics should really be about.”

Dr. Westerfield smiled and Trey’s dimpled grin was so contagious that I couldn’t help smiling either.

“Now get out of here before the other students start suspecting something,” she said, shooing us out of the room.

As soon as we stepped outside the doors of Brown hall, Trey lifted me and twirled me just like he did that day at Taylor. When he set me down he gave me such a passionate kiss that I saw fireworks. It was definitely not appropriate for school, but I didn’t care. I kissed him back anyway.

He took both my hands in his. “Not too bad for a first debate, Miss Remy.”

“Not too bad, Mr. Chapman. Good to see that you are up for exceptions.”

He pulled me closer, leaning his forehead against mine. He smelled exactly like the first day that I met him; peppermint and expensive cologne. I could never forget the way he looked at me with his eyes glowing and each one of his thirty-two freckles present. “You are the only exception, Miss Remy.”