OOT - be the jury.

[CardSharpCook]

Inspired by "is my friend a douche" thread, I'd love to get an opinion on this and it makes a pretty good story so I'll try to tell it well.

Background: Back in college I was a bit of a pothead. My friend, Pat and I were roommates on campus. The Residence Hall Director was convinced that above and beyond being potheads, we were the source of all evil and misdoings in her building. So, one day she was investigating an act of vandalism (which, coincidently we were actually guilty of) and illegally enters our room just as we were putting the bong away. A quick search reveals a giant university floor fan (stolen when they were drying the carpets), a bottle of vodka, and paraphrenalia (ironically, we had just finished the last of our weed). So she gets us kicked off campus.

Now, in my youth I did not take this well. 2 months later, during winter break, I drive over to campus and put a rock through her back window. Obviously not smart. I regret it deeply today, but I did it.

The problem is that I tell my roommate and a girl who is staying with us what I did. This girl, Nicole, later tells her boyfriend, but that's ok, because he is "one of us". Or so we thought. He gets caught for vandalism 5 months later and coughs up my name to help reduce his punishment.

This time I get expeled, but not before we mount a brilliant defense which included some pretty good lies told by my roommate. He really stepped up to the plate, though it didn't work out. Nicole's testimony sunk me.

So, about 12 months after the intial incident and 3 months after my expulsion we find a message on our answering machine from Nicole asking to pick up her Playstation. This is news to me, but apparently she had left her playstation at our house during the summer. Now I hold no ill will toward this girl. I was guilty and got caught. But Pat absolutely hates her now. Since she left the PS with Pat, not me, it is his decision, but I tell him repeatedly to give it back. I go home for Xmas, and I get a call from Pat telling me that Nicole has filed in small claims court suing Pat for $150. My response is, "this is silly, Pat. Just give her the PS back!" He rejects this idea and decides to destroy the PS to prevent her from getting a search warrant (he's a paranoid Fcuk). Ok, so he's going to trial.

During this time, I am still telling him to just pay her back, but he says he won't. He then asks me to lie at his trial. I reply quickly and easily, "fcuk no, man! You STOLE her PS!! Just pay her back!" Well, he accepts this, but this has become a wrench in our friendship.

A week before the trial, his GF, who is living in our house and is a dear friend of mine as well, comes up to me and tells me, "Pat's really disappointed in you! He got up in front of the college discipline board and lied for you putting his own education on the line. He needs your help now!" etc, etc.

OOT what is your play, what are your thoughts?

Also, let me add this. The original incident that got us kicked off campus - when she caught us, I quickly and easily told the lie "Pat doesn't smoke anymore. He quit last year. this is all my stuff." This was successful in getting most of the punishment placed on me, but he was still guilty of having stolen university property in his room and allowing smoking/drinking to take place in his room, and we both got kicked off. So I have stood up for him before, have lied for him before, but I don't want to here because it hurts an innocent girl. That, to me, seems very wrong.

Also, this is all five years in the past, but I am curious of your verdict.