HONOR
By the second bell the auditorium had completely filled up with student and staff members, boys and girls chattered among themselves laughing and joking. "Students, student!" Mr. Ramsey said into the microphone, the chaos settled in to an empty silence. Smiling, the assistant principal took a step back from the mic satisfied with the obedience of the masses, his bald head shinning under the terrible lighting of the stage. "I bet they're gonna talk about-" Melissa's statement was interrupted by the sound of drums, one by one students flooded the stage dressed in scarlet red tops. Out of school uniform.
I rolled my eyes as the chanting began, an entire band of women together, Jacki Miller and Ajah Waller standing proudly among them. Even from this distance I could see the tattoos that covered her entire right arm. "Equal treatment for us all! Equal treatment for us all! Equal treatment for us all!" they droned like monotonous robots out to the crowd.
"If she's a whore, he's a whore too!" flustered and angry Mr. Ramsey made an attempt at grabbing Jacki and Ajah who simply side stepped him. The dead silence in the auditorium roared to life as the scene unfolded into a cat and mouse game.
"Maybe she shouldn't have done it and she wouldn't be in this situation!" I shook my head looking to Melissa who stared at me incredulously, "what?"
"Honor-- nothing it's just about time men took responsibility for their actions too" she defended glancing back at the circus that had become the stage.
"All of this could have been avoided if she just didn't do it! The camera was right there in her face!"Melissa released a long dramatic sigh, "I'm just saying don't be stupid and all these things won't happen."
"She trusted him, Honor."
"And I trust you but I wouldn't allow anyone filming me like that!"
"That's because you've never had anyone to do it with! You don't know what it's like," she shot at me with pins and needles.
I looked back to the stage where Jacki was running from two security guards and rolled my eyes, she was right about one thing. I'd probably never experience anything like that. She was just stupid.
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Simon responded to #Crossroadsfail:
Yo Ion care! I just wanna know if the basketball team gonna have morning practice this year.
Reply from E-man:
Right, she's a hoe case closed. It's her fault she let her mans post her up like that.
Reply from Simon:
Nah but on real that nigga slime!
Reply from Cammiecam:
Boy you ugly. Can't play ball no way.
Reply from Simon:
Camile get off my stats
Reply from Cammiecam:
Whateva mama said come home right after school
Reply from Simon:
Why u aint just txt me that?
Reply from Cammiecam:
cuz u don't neva text back.
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Text Messages From Ajah to Jacki
Ajah- R u coming to lunch?
Jacki-In the principal's office rn
Ajah- Yea I gotta go and see him after first period...what's he saying?
Jacki- He's about to call my mom.
Ajah- Why? You don't even live with her.
Jacki- He knows that but he just wants to call whoever will yell the loudest.
Ajah- Lol he got the right one then cuz Jessica is always yelling
Jacki- Ugh ttyl the bitch is here -_-
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JACKI
My stomach lurched at the very thought of seeing my mother for the first time in six months, all this time and the first words out of her mouth, "What the hell is wrong with you?" The door to the office hadn't even swung closed yet and staff members edged around the corner to see who was being murdered. Strings of violent profanity spilled from between her lips in whispered venom. I said nothing. Jessica sat down beside me crossing one leg over the other in the perfectly lady-like fashion she so dearly loved to do in the presence of men.
You have to be pretty, and nice or they'll never listen.
Mr. Ramsey smiled lowering himself into his faux leather chair with ease as he looked from me to my mother, polar opposites in one room.
"Detention on the first day? Really Jacqueline?"I slumped down in my seat feeling the weight of every syllable in her words. Another disappointment.
"It was a protest," I said not caring to make eye contact with either of them but their stares burned into me, "Julian sent out an 'expose' video with Ajah in it. Everyone is calling her names and she's getting bullied mom, no one is doing a thing about it. While Julian goes about his business with nothing more than a slap on the wrist." Jessica stared at me for a moment in that way she used to when I was normal.
"Is this true?" she asked Mr. Ramsey who shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the change in atmosphere.
"Well ma'am no, the school is doing everything they can to see that everyone involved receives the appropriate punishment-"
"What exactly are you doing?"
"Well we are in-"
"Investigating? No sir," my mother straightened her blouse her eyes sparkling as if the tiny cluttered office had turned into her own personal courtroom, "you do realize that revenge porn is illegal and can be punishable by the law?"
Mr. Ramsey sat up straight in his chair suddenly aware of what she was getting at. "Yes I do but ma'am I simply can not ruin a student's life by taking this public! I believe that the school can solve this without getting a third party involved."
Jessica brushed a long blond lock from her eye, leaning forward and in a real low but firm voice, "and what exactly are you doing for her? Ajah Waller is like a second daughter to me...her brothers are like my sons and I won't stand for this. If you think for one second you're going to suspend either one of my girls for standing up for themselves, I will personally drop a lawsuit so hard on your asses you'll be running outta here with your tales between your damn legs." Turning to me with a kind smile, "Now Jacki what are your grades like?"
"My grades are fine" I said simply.
"Then I believe, Mr. Ramsey here has nothing else to say to you," her southern accent dripped honey as she smiled eyeing the door, "I'll see you outside okay, Hun? Mr. Ramsey and I need to talk." My eyes drifted up to the man who sat stiff, color draining out of his skin by the second before I made my way to the door, "and Jacki pull up your damned pants, it's incredibly unsightly."
YOU ARE READING
The Crossroads
Fiksi Umum(Crossroads) a point at which crucial decisions must be made that will have far-reaching consequences. Kai has done his time now he wants to be left alone. Ajah can't escape the raptures of slut shaming. Elizabeth feels like she's drowning as her wo...
