The meeting starts in five minutes. The meeting starts in five minutes and Luna isn't here yet.
Luna isn't here so there's no one for me to latch onto and follow around which leaves me standing in the doorway of the meeting room, awkwardly greeting the strange adults with smiles and oddly formal handshakes.
To my utter relief she does arrive, albeit two minutes before we're scheduled to start, sipping from a green straw.
"What is that?" I demand pointing at the cup in her hand.
"It's Starbucks," she shrugs. That wasn't what I was trying to ask but there's no time to argue.
We enter the meeting to find that the host of strangers have arranged themselves interrogations style, all their seats turned to face us. Noora shoots us a wave of camaraderie
The meeting opens with a karakia, which I fumble through. Luna and I are granted speaking rights before we stand up to make our presentation. Like the nervous fifth graders we are on the inside, we simply read out our proposal, alternating on a per paragraph basis. Then we reach the end.
"Are there any questions?" I ask.
There certainly are, but to my relief Luna has an answer for all of them.
"How much money are you asking for?"
"None, we're funded by community organisations." The questions come at us, rapid fire.
"Where will the group meet?"
"The guidance councillor is making accommodations"
"How will we deal with parent backlash?"
"It will be done on an individual basis, but for members under sixteen, parents word rules."
Judging by the satisfied nods being passed around the table the judges are pleased with our performance. We are released by the woman at the head of the table who says "what you girls are doing, it's very brave."
We leave the room as the board turns their attention to a PowerPoint with a horrible amount of numbers on it. Outside I'm finally able to let out a deep breath. I did the thing I was dreading and it was over in the space of what felt like a few minutes. Better yet, it seemed to go well! I'm elated with a sense of victory meanwhile beside me Lunas' expression is neutral.
"Good job," I say to her. She nods in answer.
I recount the experience 100 different times in the time it takes for Luna and I to depart at the corner of the street. She's probable glad to be rid of me. We split up and I head for home. Home; just the thought of it is enough to wipe the smile from my face. There's no way I can tell my parents about the QSA. It's too outlandish, strange; they'd call it attention seeking.
So I don't mention my victory. I come inside, set the table and we eat dinner as if it were any other day. We make conversation like a normal family.
"How was your day?"
"Good," It's always good, even when it's bad. My Mother and I clear the dishes before the three of us scuttle away into respective corners of the house.
_________________________________________________________________________
The next day the runner delivers a sealed note to me in English. My name is written on it in sparkly pink gel pen, Skylar's signature touch. It reads:
Emergency meeting!
3:10pm
Normal Place
As soon as the bell rings to dismiss us I'm running. Through the quad down the hall and I throw open the curtain.
"What's the emergency?" I yell as I emerge into the room. I startle Mr Nordcliffe who is balanced tediously atop a ladder trying and failing to suspend a CONGRATULATIONS
Banner from the rafters. When I charge in he jumps out of his skin nearly falling off the ladder. Congratulations seems like a good sign but I need to hear him say the words.
"Damn," he curses "you're early."
I ignore his decorating attempts. "Were we accepted??????"
A smile as wide as a chasm breaks across his face.
"We were accepted," he confirms.
The embarrassingly feminine squeals of excitement that follow alert the incoming members of our success.
In amongst the celebrations the spotlight turns to Luna and I.
"To Luna and River," Mr Nordcliffe announces, raising an imaginary cup "because without you this wouldn't have been possible." Luna looks as uncomfortable as I feel with the attention.
"I couldn't have written that proposal without Noora's help," I remind them.
The rest of the group agrees with me, which leads us to migrating to the art room and temporarily transforming into a card making alliance. By the end of the meeting I have a large stack of glittery cardstock expressing our tanks to Noora; which is to be delivered ASAP.
The gift presentation is melodramatic. It happens the next day in the hallway near the science classroom. Noora really deserves a standing ovation for her work. Instead I present her with our meagre offering and she loves it. She accepts them as if they're the best gifts in the history of gifts.
"Noora, River," a voice calls as we're about to go into science. Mr Nordcliffe jogs over, red in the face.
"I'm glad I caught you," he says he straightens up "I have a proposal for you." Noora is all ears.
"How would you like to join the QSA?"
I sense her hesitation and assure her "you don't have to."
"It's just," she murmurs "I thought it was like an exclusive thing."
"No way," Mr Nordcliffe says.
"It's a Queer Straight Alliance," I explain "so it's open to everyone." That's all the convincing it takes to get her to join and in the blink of an eye our group of 7 has expanded to 8.
A.N: This chapter's pretty short sorry D:
YOU ARE READING
A Novel Idea
Teen FictionAsking after a rainbow support group isn't the first thing on every new kids mind, but one might say; I often don't have my priorities straight.
