Nadine and Adele

An Act of Meanness

'The Board' of Roosevelt High School's self-proclaimed 'Cool Crew', Christy Rosenberg and Leah Van Cleef...both dressed in cheerleader uniforms...and Frankie Kowalski and Troy Washington...both wearing their letterman football jackets...are talking by Christy's locker when Adele happens to catch Leah's attention.

"Oh my God...check out the Freak show." She gestures in the direction of'the show'.

Adele's at her locker, desperately trying to remember the combination. She's noticeably mouthing numbers as she frantically turns the tumbler back and forth. Still unable to remember the combination, she closes her eyes and repeatedly hits the side of her head; continuing to silently mouth random numbers. Now frustrated, Adele erratically spins the tumbler.

Using a tone as if Adele were somehow getting on her nerves, Christy nastily remarks, "That girl is such a loser."

Adele finally remembers the combination and manages to open her locker.

Frankie sarcastically says aloud to his group, "Bravo...good job there, Einstein." Then he deviously smiles. "Hey...check this out."

As Frankie starts to leave, Troy asks, "Whatcha gonna do?"

"Just watch."

Once again, Frankie deviously smiles as he walks towards Adele. He bumps into her, causing her backpack to fly out of her hands and fall to the floor; causing its contents to scatter all over the floor. Then for his own warped amusement, at Adele's expense, he starts to unjustly scorn her in front of everybody.

"Watch out; Retard...what's your problem?"

Adele quickly looks to the floor while assuming a subservient stance, with her head bowed down as she instinctively draws it back into her shoulders; like a turtle bringing its head into its shell. This is the typical positioning Adele takes when her fellow classmates cruelly belittle her. Frankie continues his chastisement.

"Well...aren't you going to apologize for bumping into me?"

Keeping her eyes fixed upon the floor, never leaving that subservient stance, Adele, speaking at a barely audible level, meekly apologizes, "Sorry."

Intent on continuing the 'fun', Frankie leans into Adele and goads, "Huh? What did you say, Retard...I couldn't hear you."

Adele apologizes again; a little louder, but still softly, "Sorry."

Nadine, who's been witnessing this at her locker, gets a look of utter disgust on her face as she tells her friends, "Frankie's an idiot...why doesn't he just leave that poor girl alone."

Meanwhile, back at Adele's locker, Frankie's about ready to end this session of humiliation. "That's more like it. Be more careful, Retard; and watch where you're going next time."

Frankie walks back to the group, cockily grinning, and receives a high-five from Troy upon his return. The group disperses laughing.

Adele kneels down and begins to collect her things. She once again softly utters aloud to herself...

"Sorry."