not The Perfect Life

The School goes crazy

Chapter 5

Friday, 5th of October 2018

The school goes crazy

I can't tell how I feel about that day. When I woke up, it was still completely normal. Then Galen and I entered the school and the chaos began. A lot of bad things happen in this world, but never before have I perceived them in my own environment as I do now. That unsettles me a lot and also shows me that it can affect anyone again and again.

Galen and I get into the school building together. Without knowing why, I feel a completely different and new mood. Something definitely happened. I look at Galen and without having to ask him I know that he can feel it too. The students around us in the hallway all seem smarter than us. I quickly pull out my cell phone to get information. When I go to the school website, the blow hits me. I'm breathless and my fingers start to tremble. I can barely hold my phone in my hand. Galen looks at me questioningly.

"What is it?" He wonders. I give him my cell phone and let him read it for himself. I'm slowly noticing how his face is changing. It becomes more serious and also sadder.

"Shit. Do you know them?" He asks, shocked.

"OK. I've seen them every now and then. Who published that?"

It's anonymous. Nobody knows who put this on the net, but it must be a sick wanker.

There are several pictures of Penelope Climps on the website. She is one of the cheerleaders. Sometimes I saw her at school and said hello, but I don't really know her. In these pictures she is half-naked and you can clearly see that someone did something to her. She has a devistating and already dead look in her eyes. She bleeds and has bruises. Actually, it is immediately clear to everyone that rape or at least some form of sexual harassment took place there.

"Men suck," I mumble.

"What? Why men now? You don't even know who posted that.", Galen suddenly intervenes. We perform this conversation as we walk to the classroom.

"I'm 100% sure that it was a man. There are so damn bad men who have no idea how to treat women and behave so disrespectfully." I explain my opinion.

"Yes, it may be, but it's not just men and not just women."

I am completely confused.

"But honestly, Gal, which man is being raped? Especially by a woman. They can defend themselves." I grumble loudly. Galen just remains silent. I think I just took away his arguments. At the same time he looks down at the ground. He looks sad. A panic builds up inside me that I might have hurt him.

"Gal, I'm not saying that all men are like that. You are definitely not. But there are men." I try to somehow save it. He looks up and nods: "Yes. You are right. Everything is fine. I just think that thing with Penelope is ... sick."

"I understand. I'm curious to see if she comes to school. That's just abnormal. Whoever did this to her should be locked up." He nods again. The whole school suddenly changed.

The students are shocked, but suddenly very reserved. Nobody really seems to be talking. The aura was in total chaos. I notice that people have compassion, but there are also a lot of prejudices in the room. Was it her fault? Did she provoke it? What did she wear? Of course, these are all very unnecessary questions and have no hold. Nevertheless, I can practically see in their faces that many are asking themselves these questions.

Later I saw that Penelope hadn't come. Maybe it's a good thing for the first day. Teachers and students are far too upset for anyone to help her in any way now. It is also possible that perfect help cannot be obtained at all. What if Penelope never recovers from it? Unfortunately, we don't know what exactly happened, but something did.

At lunch, it's easy to see how people felt about the posts on the internet. Many small groups are formed. Especially large is a group of girls in the middle of the room who talk very loudly about how bad men are and that something has to be done about it. Do something about it? Against men as such? As usual, Galen and I sit alone at a small table in the corner.

"Gal, what do you think these chicks are going to take action against?"I ask, staring at my food.

"I don't know. Against .. men?"

"That's what I though! That's not right either."

"And what is right?" Asks Galen, "I mean, do you have a plan for how to react, Liv?"

The question is very legitimate. This topic is very sensitive and I am not quite sure how to act in such a moment either. One should always do the best for the victim. Should we even call her a victim? Survivor? What would be better for her? Galen looks at me expectantly.

"Oh, no idea, man!" I burst out, "Maybe you shouldn't rush against others, but take care of Penelope. Say her name, not his. Maybe she doesn't even want us to shoot at him. Maybe she just wants to forget about it. Which asshole has to publish this too ?! It's so terribly simple and I can .. "

I get lost in a rage and never stop talking. Galen takes my hand and squeezes it so hard it almost hurts. With that he interrupts my talk. I look in his face, which looks a little serious at me.

"Quiet blood. Keep your pulse down." Then he lets go of my hand again.

Wednesday, 31st of October 2018

End of the month and nothing has changed. The school is still troubled by the Penelope thing, and she hasn't even come to school yet. But her family had given assurances that she was fine. How well she can be? A club has subconsciously formed from this group of angry girls. They put up posters and boycotted all the events organized by the school. It's almost obsessive. I don't think it's really about Penelope anymore, but about all the men in the world. No matter what you do.

It was almost a month ago and the school still has no other topic. Otherwise the school forgets pretty quickly. In the meantime, hardly anyone remembers how yogurt was poured on my neck. The school seems to be particularly interested in this topic. There must have been many other schoolgirls raped who never told anyone. And this is creating a cohort of allies against men.

Galen and I try as best we can to stay out of it. He is always silent and I deliberately avoid the way. But I notice that Galen gets to hear more from them than I do, and that's only because he's a guy. Like I said, apparently all the men in the world are fucking bastards.

Suddenly the school is going totally crazy and is driving a new course. Thousands of posters pasted the school walls, which are now even uglier than all the banners that have ever been here. As if that would change something. As if a rapist or a potential would then rethink their behavior. I don't know what exactly I think about it.

I feel very sorry for Penelope and keep wondering how she is doing. Nevertheless, I find the great, artificial excitement about all men in this world a bit laughable. Before this incident, all these girls didn't care about the subject. Not all men are angry and I have to admit that I had a similar attitude in the beginning. The difference is that I haven't pushed everyone in the face, that for example I'm afraid of strangers in the dark. I always kept that to myself.

I am very curious to see how long this will last and what will happen because of it.