Isolation (Book #1 of the Taylor Series)

Four

"Was this actually necessary?" Sienna asks, crossing her arms with a scowl on her face.

I look between Stella and Graham who've have been parading around the school, protesting the new dress code. They'd been doing it all morning, and we'd only just met up with them after some of the students had been complaining about how loud they are. In my opinion, I'm too freaking tired to participate in a peaceful protest. I barely got any sleep last night.

The new school dress code was passed at the beginning of this school year, and let's just say that it's more strict than it was before. We, as a student body, aren't allowed to wear anything "distracting", and everything we wear must be clean, neat, and not wrinkly. If it isn't, then we will either be forced to wear oversized sweatpants and sweatshirt. or we'll be forced to call our parents to come and get us. 

As per usual, the dress code is more strict towards the girls. We aren't allowed to wear tank tops, low-cut blouses, and dresses and skirts that don't go past the knee. The funny thing is that not many people are are that bothered about it. It's definitely not a big deal. Not big enough for a protest, at least! They have many other things to worry about, like the Football game this Friday. 

(Though, I'm sure people only care about our Football team out of pity. They lose most games. Our Soccer team is where we bring in the wins, but obviously, the games and practices only take place in the Spring.)

Stella and Graham are the only people actually taking a stand against the inequality of it. Even though Stella is incredibly active in protests and parades usually, I highly doubt that it was her idea to do all of this. She's not really the type to risk getting suspended or expelled just because of a dress code.

Graham, however, is a completely different story. He was probably the one who made the signs, and he's definitely going to be the one to takes all of the blame if they get in trouble. Which is a certainty.

"Yes, I demand that men, women, anyone in the spectrum, and anyone outside the spectrum be treated equally!" Graham shouts through the hall as he thrusts the sign in the air.

I'm not sure whose attention he's meaning to uphold because nobody is in the hall except the four of us. Everyone else has already gone to class, ya know, doing what they're supposed to do. Though, I'd admire his determination if I weren't so languid.

"Why not just go to the administrator's office and complain about it there?" Sienna suggests, and I nod, agreeing with her idea.

I love that Graham's an activist, and that he doesn't mind finding for equality... But not if he's going to get suspended because of it. There's no way I can deal with the people at this school without him. Even if it's only for a week. I'll surely go insane.

"Don't you think I've already tried that?" We shrug our shoulders, and Graham continues with his rant, "This is absolute madness! We should be able to wear whatever we want without the over-sexualization of our bodies! We shouldn't be telling the student body that just because you wear revealing clothes, you're a distraction to learning!" He continues to move his sign up and down in the air. I really want to be annoyed with his actions, but he's got a point.

I remember that we had a dress code in elementary, and we weren't allowed to wear tank tops or pants with holes above the knee. When my brother, Nathan, got his student handbook when he started first grade and Mom read through, she went ballistic. Not because they gave first graders a dress code and because people shouldn't be distracted by a literal child's shoulder, but because "a 6-year-old shouldn't be wearing those kinds of clothes anyway".

Come on. A child should be able to wear a tank top or shorts.

However, I don't believe that the Principle is going to consider his argument valid. I mean, I understand where Graham is coming from but it's not really that bit of a deal. Or at least the Administration won't think it is.