The Clinic

him from high school, she danced with him. “Because even though most of the other guys were getting drunk and freaking out, he was a total gentleman that night.”

Vespucci and Storm began dating. Nothing sexual occurred until their fourth date, when Vespucci claimed Storm drove her to a remote spot in Bel Air, three miles above campus, and demanded intercourse. When she refused, Storm grabbed her arm. She smelled liquor on his breath, managed to pull away, and told him to let her drive. He then kicked her out of his car and threw her purse out, breaking the strap and scattering the contents, some of which, including her spare change, rolled into a storm drain. Driving off, he left her stranded. She tried gaining entrance to a residence, but all the houses were fenced and gated and no one answered her rings. She was forced to walk home to her sorority, ruining a pair of shoes and “causing me incredible fear.”

When asked to respond, Kenneth Storm refused, stating, “This is bullshit.”

Further prodding from Professor Devane produced “What the hell do you expect me to say?”

At that point, the graduate student, Casey Locking, entered the dialogue: “Look, guy, I'm a man but I don't have any sympathy for men who rough up women. If what she says is true, you've got a lesson to learn and you're lucky to be learning it young. If you disagree, speak up. But if you choose not to defend yourself, don't complain later.”

Storm responded with “a train of expletives.”

Then, surprisingly, Cynthia Vespucci seemed to have a change of heart: “Okay, okay, let's just have nothing to do with each other. Let's just end this.” [Crying]

PROF. DEVANE: Here's a tissue, Ms. Vespucci.

MS. VESPUCCI: I'm okay. Let's just forget it.

PROF. DEVANE: Are you sure, Ms. Vespucci?

MS. VESPUCCI: I don't know.

PROF. DEVANE: When you came to me you were very upset.

MS. VESPUCCI: I know. [Starting to cry] But I… now I want to stop it. Okay? Please?

PROF. DEVANE: Of course. We're out for your best interests. You should remember, though, that a process has been set into motion.

MR. STORM: I don't believe this! She said end it! What're you going to do, kick me out? Fine, do it, go ahead and fucking do it, I don't give a shit about you or this place or-

MR. LOCKING: Take it easy, man-

MR. STORM: No, you take it easy, asshole! This is bullshit, I'm out of here!

MR. LOCKING: I'm warning you, ma-

MR. STORM: About what, asshole? You think I give a shit about you and your fucking college? Fuck this place! Fuck you! You, too, Cindy- how could you do this to me? First thing I do when I'm out of here is call your mother and-

MS. VESPUCCI: Kenny! Please- no- I'm sorry- Kenny, come on, please!

PROF. STEINBERGER: What about her mother, Mr. Storm?

MR. STORM: Let her tell you.

PROF. STEINBERGER: Cindy?

MR. STORM: What a laugh! This is ancient fucking history!

MR. LOCKING: Professors, it seems to me that before we go further, this guy's going to have to-

PROF. STEINBERGER: Is there something else going on between you two that you haven't told us about, Cindy?

MS. VESPUCCI: [Sobbing] It's my fault.

MR. STORM: Damn fucking strai-

MR. LOCKING: Watch your mouth!

MR. STORM: Fu-

PROF. STEINBERGER: Please, sir, we'll hear you out. But please let her talk. Okay? Thank you. Cindy?

MS. VESPUCCI: It's my fault.

PROF. DEVANE: What is, Cindy?

MS. VESPUCCI: I- was- I was mad at him… maybe partly because of my mom.

PROF. DEVANE: He did something to your mom?

MR. STORM: Yeah, right, I'm a rapist. Tell them, Cindy, go on. Come on- what's the matter, cat got your tongue? Bringing me here with that letter, I thought I was being suspended. What total and complete bull-

MS. VESPUCCI: Stop! Please!

MR. STORM: Then tell them. Or I will.

PROF. DEVANE: Tell us what?

MS. VESPUCCI: It's stupid.

MR. STORM: That's for sure! Her mom and my dad had a- they were dating. Til my dad shut her mom down because she was too left-wing. Her mom can't hold on to a man, Cindy probably blamed my dad. So when she saw me at the party, she decided to hit on me and get even.

MS. VESPUCCI: No! That's not true! You came up to me first! I danced with you because you were acting like a gentleman-

MR. STORM: What a crock! You were wearing that nothing little black-

PROF. DEVANE: Hold on. When you say left-wing, do you mean politically?

MR. STORM: What else? Radical feminism. Her mom's a flaming extremist. Hates men, taught Cindy to. She was just setting me up for-

MS. VESPUCCI: I wasn't, Kenny! You were a gentleman. Not like-

MR. STORM: Not like my dad? Don't you fucking put him down!

MS. VESPUCCI: I didn't mean that. I meant the other guys at the-

MR. STORM: Right.

MS. VESPUCCI: Kenny-

MR. STORM: Fuck this!

PROF. STEINBERGER: Kenny, does your dad approve of your swearing?

MR. STORM: Okay. I'm sorry. I'm just super-steamed. Because this is totally unfair. My dad and her mom had problems so she set me up. It's-

MS. VESPUCCI: I didn't! I swear!

MR. STORM: Right. You just picked me 'cause of my cute face-

PROF. DEVANE: Let's regain our focus. Whatever the motivation for your initial meeting, Mr. Storm, you did go out with Ms. Vespucci. And she claims you attempted to force her to have sex with you.

MR. STORM: Bul- no way. No… blanking way! Sure I asked her. Why not? We'd already been out a bunch of times. But I didn't touch her without permission- right, Cindy? So I asked her if she wanted to do it. Is that a crime, now?

PROF. DEVANE: Shoving her out of the car when she turned you down is, sir.

MR. STORM: Yeah, except I didn't shove her. She freaked and got out herself, fell down. Actually, I tried to stop her- that's the only time I grabbed her arm.

PROF. DEVANE: That's not what she says- correct, Ms. Vespucci?

MS. VESPUCCI: Just forget it.

PROF. DEVANE: Cindy, I really don't-

MS. VESPUCCI: Please.

PROF. DEVANE: Let's talk about that purse, Cindy. Can we agree that it got thrown?

MR. STORM: Hell, no! After she got out, I gave it to her because it was hers and-

PROF. DEVANE: So you threw it at her.

MR. STORM: Not at her, to her. What did I need a purse for? Jesus. She refused to catch it so it fell into the street.

MS. VESPUCCI: But then I told you I did want to get back in and you just drove away!