This whole mess started when I had to use the bathroom. I raised my hand and simply asked my teacher, "May I use the bathroom?"
"What's your favourite fruit?" My teacher asked me. I lowered my hand in confusion, why did she ask me that? Was it a way to remind me to say may instead of can? I did say may though.
"Strawberries." I said truthfully.
"Go to the office." My teacher said sternly.
I began to protest, I had done nothing wrong! Is it a crime to like strawberries? "But-I-" I stood up. "Miss, please."
"Now." She said, raising her voice.
I lowered my head in defeat as I shuffled out of the room. When I got to the office I sat down inside. The principal emerged from his office, "What are you here for?" he asked.
I sighed. "I asked my teacher if I could use the bathroom. She asked me what my favorite fruit was and I said strawberries, then she sent me here. May I please use the bathroom now?"
My principal became angry. "You're expelled, go home!" he yelled as he got real close to my face. I could feel his spit hit my cheeks.
I shrunk into my seat. "Okay." I whimpered, unable to say anything else.
It wasn't a long walk home, thankfully it was spring so my light sweatshirt was enough to keep me warm. My mom was a stay at home mom, so when I walked through the door I wasn't surprised to see her in the kitchen making herself lunch.
However, she was surprised to see me. "Why are you home early?" she questioned.
I shrugged my backpack off. "I really gotta use the bathroom..." I said.
"You know where it is." She said, obviously confused.
I rushed over and was thankful to finally do what I needed to do. When I came back out my mother was sitting at the kitchen table.
"So why are you home early?" She asked again.
I explained to her my situation. I expected her to be flabbergasted that I was expelled for such a silly reason, but she was angry. Angry at the school. I thought.
"Young man! Go to your room! Wait until your father hears about this!" She shouted.
That night my father walked into my room. "Son, you're kicked out, leave at six am tomorrow morning." he told me before leaving.
I sat on my bed estonished. Why was everybody suddenly so against me and strawberries? And now I was expelled from school and kicked out of my house? I barely slept that night thinking about it.
In the morning I packed my things and set out alone. My parents weren't awake, I didn't bother saying goodbye to them. I walked around town for about an hour looking for a good place to eat.
I passed a cop at one point, I don't think about it until he stopped me. "Hey kid, whatcha doin out here by yourself?" he asked.
I looked up at him with tired eyes. "Well officer, it's a complicated story. You see, my teacher asked me what my favourite fruit was when I asked to use the bathroom. When I told her strawberries I was sent to the office, then my principal expelled me. When I got home my father kicked me out." I explained. The next thing I knew I was in the back of a cop car with handcuffs on my wrists.
Is it illegal to go to jail without a fair trial? When I stepped into the courtroom to tell the judge my story I was immediately sent to prison. No jury, no lawyer, no nothing. When the judge asked me what I had done, I told him what happened, he just told me I was going to jail. And not even juvie, actual adult jail.
I was cellmates with a pretty large guy. He was tall, round, and very frightening. "What are ya in for?" He asked.
I thought, Well it can't get much worse. He'll probably beat me up then I'll get in trouble. I told him why I was there as if it was normal to get arrested for liking strawberries. When I finished my story I expected him to be angry just like the rest and do something awful. Instead, he sat there silently.
"Hey kid, I'm a big guy...I could run through the wall and bust it down. Sure, it'll kill me, but I got nothing to live for. You can just jump through the hole and escape." He finally said.
Without thinking I nodded. "Yes please."
My cellmate stood up and walked towards the front of the cell. He started running before hitting the wall and causing it to collapse.
I didn't even bother to check if he was dead. I jumped out the broken wall and dashed into the street.
Suddenly, I felt impact on my side. I heard numerous cracks, my heartbeat was pounding in my ears, I coughed up blood. I was dead as soon as I hit the ground. The car that had hit me halted to a stop.
Moral of the story? Look both ways before crossing the street.
