Faults, Scars, and Guitar Strings

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

I showed up to the principal's office after school to talk to her. Maria, Dylan, and Anastasia were waiting in the hall waiting to see what the answer was going to be. I sat down in the chair while she finished a few things on the computer. Finally she turned away from the computer and faced me. "I hear you have news?" she asked.

I nodded, "I'm sure you've noticed some of the new students and I'm worried. Have they started any bullying any students yet?"

"Nothing major," she shook her head, "So far it's only been arguments, nothing physical. Do you suspect something severe is going to happen?"

"Yes," I nodded. "The Danes Over Bullying group met and we want to throw a few events for the school to keep us all united before the bullying starts getting physical again. I know we haven't been as active as we were last year and I am hoping to start changing that."

"What makes you think it will get physical?"

"Because they told Dylan they would. They think we've messed up the order of things; the way high school is supposed to be. They miss the way this school was a year ago and they want to change it back. They think popularity means success."

"I think you're overestimating their power in this school," the principal told me, "Sure they could start bullying again, but this school now has a zero tolerance policy about bullying. The second they do something they're expelled."

"But they don't care about the rules. I don't want anybody else to get bullied and I don't want to wait for them to bullying someone before taking action against it. I've worked too hard to get rid of the bullies already. I feel like it's my responsibility. I know you would expel them, but the Danes Over Bullying group still hasn't been as active as we should be."

"I understand what you mean. Besides student council, your group is the only other group working to improve this school. I assume you have ideas?" she asked.

I nodded, "We want to have a dance. We're going to take pictures of everyone in school, write compliments about them next to the picture, and then laminate them. These pictures will be hung from the ceiling in the gym where everyone can walk around and find their own picture. Obviously we'll need chaperones to monitor that these pictures are not messed with, but at the end of the dance everyone can take their own picture home. It's a nice way to have fun, let loose, and feel good about yourself all at the same time. We haven't had any exciting things happen yet this year. It would be a great event for everybody."

She smiled, "I like that idea."

"We have a few others too."

"Go ahead, I want to hear them."

"Lolita thought it would be nice to have an end of the semester carnival. We've never done anything like that before and it would be a great way to celebrate the end of the semester and the beginning of break. It's not right away obviously, but we will come up with other ideas too."

"I like that. I'll pitch the idea today and get a committee together to plan it. Anything else?"

I shook my head, "We talked a little about what to do during school hours to make everyone feel included, but those are the only real event ideas we came up with this morning."

"I like them and I think we can definitely arrange for them to happen. If you want to help plan it let me know otherwise I will get a committee of other students to do it."

"It's probably better to have a committee do it because my friends and family have made it very clear that I need to make time for myself to relax."