The Darker Side

Chapter 3

Chapter 3
P.O.V. Addison

"Addison!" Sara calls out to me after I rush out the classroom. "What?" I snap at her. The whole time last period she kept mentioning the fact that she'd never been this close to a black person before. "Don't get an attitude. I just wanted to see what class you have next." She says condescendingly. I look at my schedule. "Oh looky here! To my surprise it's none of your God Damn business!" I say to her before walking towards my destination. I look at my schedule again not remembering what I had. "Biology..with Mr. Warren." I look left and right realizing I'm on the wrong floor. I find the stairway and go to the second floor. Again, I arrive to class late. I take a deep breathe before entering the classroom. Sara and her minion better not be in here. I walk into the classroom and yet again for what seems like the hundredth time today, all eyes were on me. "And you are?" The man who I'm guessing is Mr. Warren says to me. "Addison, Sir." I say a bit confused. Shouldn't he know my name since I am the only Negro in this damn school? "Ah, yes. Sit." He says pointing towards the class. "Um, where Sir?" I ask looking around realizing that everyone has a lab partner and I would be left without one. "Sorry I'm late Mr. Warren. I was-" a curly headed boy says coming through the door but stops talking as soon as he sees me. "You two can sit with each other. There in the back. For the rest of the year." The old man says. Shit. "Now Mr. Warren-" "Its only one hour of your day. I think you'll be fine." Mr. Warren says to the boy knowing that he'll protest. I walk to the back of the classroom once again even more humiliated than the last class. The curly headed boy is still at the front of the room when I reach my seat. "Sit Mr. Styles. I don't want to have to ask you again." Mr. Warren warns him. The boy rolls his eyes and comes to the back where I am. "Don't touch my shit. I don't want your nigger prints on my stuff" he spits. Yep. That's the best one I've gotten all day. "Open up your text books to page 234, today we'll be doing our first projects with our lab partners." Mr. Warren says, "throughout the week you'll be working inside and out side of school togetha!" The class groans. "It won't be that bad. Well be startin off the year great!" Mr. Warren says enthusiastically. "Mr. Warren I cannot work with her." My lovely lab partner announces. "And why not Mista Styles?" Mr. Warren says growing annoyed. "Because she's a Negro, Sir. I will not work with a Negro." Styles remarks. "As you wish Harry, I'll have to give you an F for the semesta." "An F?! I cannot get an F." Harry protests. "But I thought you couldn't work with a Negro, Harry. My, my you are one indecisive young man aren't ya?" Mr. Warren challenges him. I smile at The fact that Mr. Warren is playing mind games with Harry. "So what's it gonna be Mista Styles? You gonna work with a Negro or get an F for the semesta?" He's asks Harry. Harry clenches his jaw and takes a deep breath. "What page are we openin our book to?" Harry asks stubbornly. "Page 234." I say to him. "I wasn't askin you." He snaps back at me. "Didn't ya Momma teach ya manners Mista Styles?" Mr. Warren asks Harry. "Thanks Nigger." He mutters under his breath to me flipping through the pages in his book. "My name is Addsion." I tell him. "Do I look like I give a rat's ass? I don't want to have a conversation with you unless it's science related." He sneers. I look up at him and for some strange reason I felt I was going to cry. I guess Harry could ready my facial expression because for a split second he looked at me with sympathy, but then of course he went back to acting like the heartless stuck up asshole that he was. "What do you want to do for our project?" I ask him as the other members of the class started to dis use their choices. "You can read?" Harry asks me sarcastically. "Obviously." I snap. "I don't care what we do." He says sounding uninterested sliding into his seat. "Listen here now and you listen good. I've had a shit day and I'm not gonna let you make it any worse. I don't want to work with you as much as you don't want to work with me. Maybe even more. Loose the attitude white boy because I'm not taking that condescending tone from this point on. I've done nothin to you. I can't help that I'm black. God made me this way. I've gotten over it now it's time for you to get over it. Now stop acting like your a toddler, sit up and work on this with me. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can get ride of me." I say to him breathless by the end. He looks at me wide eyes and sits up. "I don't think you know who you're talkin to lassie, so if I were you I'd watch that smart mouth of yours." He whispers evilly. "Pick a damn project to work on." I say gritting my teeth. "You've got some nerve nigger. You better watch your back tonight." He threatens before closing his book and getting up. "Mista Styles, where are you goin?" Mr. Warren asks looking up from his desk. Harry ignores him and leaves the classroom slamming the door. The whole class turns around and stares at me. My eyes are brimming with tears 'Take it easy, Addie. Take a deep breath. Don't cry. You're better than that.' I think to myself. Too late. I look down as I silently cry. 30 minutes pass and Harry hasn't returned and I'm still crying. I open my book up to page 234 and pick a project myself. I look at my options. There's The Construction of the Cell, Anatomy of the Male, and Comparing the Brains of Humans and Apes. They all look boring to me, but I choose Construction of the Cell. I continue to cry as I draw my plan of what I'm going to do the project. The bell rings telling us students that this period is over. I look at my schedule. It's lunchtime. Should I go home or stay here?

Author's note:
Hope you liked chapter 3!! I know the N word is used a lot but these are the types of things that happened back then. We picture Mr. Warren as Chris Noth from Sex in the City. Thanks so much for reading don't forget to vote!!
-Nadine and Arianna