To Be Accepted

To Be Accepted Part 1

   Jamie and I were in the process of going back to school, but for me, it meant going to a new school, where I wouldn't have Jamie there to lean on if things got tough. It was the first day, but before her mother could get her ready for public school, Jamie decided, and INSISTED to her parents that she go to school where I was going. Her parents tried telling her no, but being the rebel she was, Jamie stood up to them, telling them she was going to school with me, no questions asked, so they had no chance but to enroll her in the same school I was going to.

   So what school was I going to you ask? Well, with all the trouble I had going to public school due to being bi and getting a lot of flak for it by other students, my mom and my stepfather, who was ten times a better father than my birth father was, enrolled me in what was called, "The Littie Rock School Of Pride". This was a special school for LGBTQ supporters, or kids who were in the community themselves, where they could go to school, and not be judged by others. 

   Jamie and I waited for our bus to come, where instantly, we got on, and something felt very off about the driver, once we told her where we were to be dropped off. As soon as we gave her the name of the school, she groaned, as if dreading the thought of even having to go within a mile of the place. Thankfully, when we got moving, she dropped us off at the school without incident. Jamie and I got off the bus, then went in the building. 

   Jamie and I were new students, so we were both given escorts, just so we knew where everything was. Jamie's escort was a girl named Cortney, and mine was a really cool guy named Steve, who was a football player for the school. Our football team's jerseys were the colors of the pride flag, with black print on them. Steve was only about 5'11", but he weighed in at a stocky 275 pounds, so he was still a big guy. 

   When Cortney and Steve got to the principal's office, we first had to get our schedules, but this school was so much different than regular school, in the fact that you could pick the class or classes you wanted, as well as the teacher, or teachers you wanted, because they did have some teachers that taught everything, meaning you just stayed in one room all day. Then after your last class, they had something for the last half hour, called a "pride discussion", where the instructor you had for your last class, or in my case, the only instructor you had, would talk to you about the pros and cons of being LGBTQ.

   My instructor was Mr. Campbell, who was a really cool guy.  He was an easy-going guy, who not only made it fun, but easy to learn. We did an hour of each subject for the day, then finished up with our pride discussion for the first day. When we had our pride discussion, other students who wanted to have the session with Mr. Campbell would come in, and Steve was one of them. Steve no sooner saw me, and saw an available chair next to me, that he came down, and sat beside me, just so that when it was time to leave, he could hold the other students back for me, so I could get out of the room easier. 

   After discussion was over, Steve and I walked to my locker, where I went to put my books away, and as we talked, Steve wanted to find out where I fit on the LGBTQ spectrum.

   "So buddy," Steve asked, "Are you gay, bi, trans or questioning?"

   I froze immediately, because no one had ever kindly asked like Steve did. The last time people found out, was tricked into telling everyone, where I was then cast out by almost every student in school. When I went quiet, Steve stopped me.

   "Mike, remember, you're not in a public school anymore bubba. You're in a school where you can feel free to be yourself and not be judged. It's safe to tell me, because no matter what you are, I won't judge you, nor will I let anyone else judge you." Steve said.

   At that point, I knew I had to just come out and say it.

   "I'm bi." I replied, waiting for Steve to just walk away from me, but just as he said, he didn't walk away from me. 

Steve just smiled at me, patting me on the back, "Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

   "No, I'm just not used to people just flat-out asking me though." I replied.

   "You'll get used to it bud." Steve said, "Believe me, I won't be the only one who does."

   After I went to my locker to put my books away, I went outside where my bus was waiting for me. I ran to the bus, where the driver hesitantly let me on, where at first, I didn't suspect anything was going on with her. As the bus pulled away, Steve waved as the bus drove off, where for some reason, the bus driver bypassed all the other stops, to let me off first, even though I was in the middle of her route.

   When the bus got to my stop, I could tell by the bus driver's body language, that she couldn't wait for me to get off. I walked calmly up to the front of the bus to get off, when I heard the driver shout:

   "Come on!" Hurry up and get off my bus you weirdo!" the bus driver snapped.

   I hurried off the bus, so the driver wouldn't yell at me again, then hurried into the house.

   "Hi honey, how was your first day?" my mom asked.

   I said nothing, because I didn't want her to know that my bus driver was being weird. In fact, I didn't even tell my stepfather, who I was even closer to, because I just thought that my bus driver was having a bad day. We didn't have any homework, because this school didn't believe in assigning it. Once you were done your lessons for the day, that was it, no homework was given, because the teachers at this school, believed in giving your brain rest, and the chance for students to have family time in the evenings before coming back to school the following day.

    Speaking of the following day, my bus driver came to pick me up for school to take me. However, nothing could have prepared me for what she would do the next day, when school would come to a close. 

   TO BE CONTINUED..........................................................................................................