From that point on, Audrey blamed Talia for every consequence.
That winter, the frozen lake became Talia’s refuge.
Professor Shaw’s lab had begun a seasonal fish survey that required temporary winter capture, measurement, and release through drilled ice holes in approved sections of the campus lake. On Saturday afternoons, experienced assistants were allowed to begin basic sampling alone while partners joined later. Talia volunteered often because the lake felt calm in winter.
At least until Audrey stepped onto it.
By Sunday morning, Ashford had a problem.
The first video circulating among students began with Talia punching Audrey. It showed the white snow, the overturned tub, and two women fighting on the frozen lake, but nothing before it. Viewed alone, it looked like a soaked Black student had simply snapped and attacked a white classmate.
Then two more videos surfaced.
One, recorded accidentally by a student filming friends near the shoreline, showed Audrey leave the footpath, walk behind Talia, and kick the chair. The second caught the research tub being kicked over after Talia crawled out of the water. Suddenly the narrative no longer began with Talia’s punch.
It began with Audrey putting her through the ice.
Dean Whitaker met Talia the next morning. Her parents joined by video, and Professor Shaw sat in for the research portion because university equipment and live animal handling had been involved. Whitaker opened with the question Talia already knew he had to ask.
“You struck Audrey after she kicked over the tub.”
“Yes.”
“At that exact moment, she was not physically striking you.”
“No.”
“Would you describe your punch as self-defense?”
Talia shook her head.
“No. I was angry.”
Whitaker nodded.
That part mattered.
Then he opened the rest of the file and said, “Context does not erase that choice. It also does not disappear because of it.” Angela let out a breath on the screen that sounded almost like relief. Raymond leaned forward in his chair and thanked him.
Ashford’s conduct review concluded that Audrey had initiated the first physical aggression by kicking Talia’s chair on a frozen lake, causing her to crash through weakened ice into dangerously cold water. Audrey then escalated again by deliberately overturning the university research tub after being warned not to touch it. Talia retaliated physically after that immediate danger had passed.
Then Paige attacked Talia.
Then Audrey rejoined.
From that point forward, Talia’s actions were treated as defensive force.
She backed away, responded only while being pursued, and stopped when the attacks stopped.