The new girl - Elmax

Chapter 20 : The essay

- "Before the vacation, I asked you to write an essay about your dream job," Mr. Johnson began.

The party and Jane were in psychology class, scattered a bit everywhere in the room. Jane was near the window with Mike in front of her and Will behind her. Max was two rows on their right, at the back of the class, Beverly in front of her, Lucas at her left, and Dustin in front of him. The teacher walked between the teens, giving them their papers and discovering their marks with commentaries. When Mike had his paper, he turned to watch Jane. The girl was frowning while she was reading, she seemed angry, like very angry.

- "Are you okay?" Mike frowned.

Jane didn't answer. She was clenching her jaw and closing her fists of anger. She thought she was going to explode. She turned to her teacher, who was still giving back the works, and killed him with his eyes.

- "Is there a problem, Miss Brown?" the man asked.

- "Are you really asking!? How can you write « funny » and « stupid » to someone's work!? What's wrong with you!?"

- "You should lower your dream, it's a bit too much for you."

- "Too much for me!? (stands) Why is it too much for me!?"

- "Because... (shows her with his hand)"

- "Because what!? Because I'm a girl!? That's what you mean!?" Jane got worked up.

- "In policeman there is the word « man »," Mr. Johnson firmly stated.

- "Put a « wo » inside and it becomes policewoman! What's the deal with that!? You don't think a girl can be a cop!? Only because I have a pair of boobs and not a pair of balls!? I've been training everyday for years now to become a cop! Who are you to tell people their dreams are bullshits and stupid only because you're an asshole!?"

The class stayed dazed. Jane was usually quiet but now she was furious!

- "What is she doing?" Mike murmured to Will.

- "She is standing for herself," the other boy smiled.

Will was proud of her and proud to be her friend.

- "For someone who wants to be a cop, you don't have lots of cold blood."

- "I have cold blood! I had so many times cold blood that you are paying for the other dick heads!"

- "Miss Brown!" the teacher got angry. "Leave my class, and go to the headmaster!"

Jane stared at him, her eyes full of anger and the smoke leaving her dilated nostrils. She put her stuff in her khaki bag and went in direction of the door before stopping and facing the man again.

- "I hope, one day, when I am a cop, you will need my help, that I'll have to save you and you will understand how wrong you were about me!" the girl said before leaving the class by slamming the door.

Max didn't realise how big her smile was and how red her cheeks were. Even if she was denying it, she had this small feeling inside her, burning and ready to show up.

Jane waited in the headmaster's office for her sister to come. She was working and couldn't always free herself when she wanted. After an hour, the blonde head finally arrived. She saluted the headmaster and the teacher before sitting next to her little sister.

- "Do you know why we are here?" the headmaster asked.

- "Barely," Constance answered.

- "Your sister showed a deep disrespect to her teacher by insulting him and humiliating him (Jane rolls her eyes) in front of his class," the man explained behind his desk.

- "Liar," Jane mumbled in a murmur.

- "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

- "I said : liar. It's not what happened."

- "That's not what he said."

- "Maybe," Constance intervened, "maybe we could hear her version?"

The headmaster leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

- "Fine."

- "Um...Mr. Johnson gave us back our works about our dream job. He wrote on it things like « it's stupid » or « you're really funny » and...I didn't really appreciate it and told him..."

- "You called me a dickhead," the teacher stated.

- "I...I know, I've used some bad words, but it's only because YOU disrespected me too by implying that I could not be a cop because I'm a fragile and weak girl!"

- "Because it's ridiculous!"

- "We are not in the fifties anymore! Girls can become cops and boys can be nurses!"

- "Enough!" the headmaster intervened.

Jane crossed her arms and looked down of anger while the teacher sat again in his chair.

- "We don't tolerate such behavior within this establishment, is it clear?" the man told. "And we hope you will remedy that," the headmaster finished, talking to Constance this time.

- "I, I don't think I have something to remedy," the big sister frowned like if she was thinking. "I mean, how a teacher can ask for respect when even him doesn't have some for his students? It's hypocritical. I won't tell her anything because I know you won't tell him (shows the teacher with her thumb) anything. And plus, you probably punished her, (turns to Jane) what do you have to do?"

- "Three hours of detention."

- "It's enough. I won't blame her for telling the truth, I'll just talk to her for the way she said it. That's all I can do."

- "Are you kidding me!?" Mr. Johnson got angry, now standing.

- "Okay, okay, if you insist!"

Constance turned to her sister, placed her hands on her waist and had a fake angry frown.

- "Don't have dreams Jane, it's bad, it will give you hope and make you happy. Don't be happy. And let people taking you down, it's better, don't fight for yourself, okay?" Constance sarcastically said.

Jane had an amused and relieved smile to her sister. It was always comforting to have someone who was always on your side, no matter what.

- "Is it over?" Constance told.

The principal and the teacher stayed dazed. Constance stood, followed by Jane, and left the office.

- "I'm sorry for this, I didn't want to bother you at your work..." Jane apologized.

- "It's fine, Robin replaces me, but, be careful Jane, I don't want you to have problems with school authorities, you can't stand up in front of everyone, there are consequences and you need to think about them before it's too late."

- "I know...I'm sorry, I think it's because of this week-end..."

- "Yeah, I understand, but people don't care about your personal problems. Next time, take a breath, this guy is just a teacher, this essay you wrote won't have any impact of your futur life, but your behavior towards him can become a real problem, do you understand?" Constance explained with a calm tone.

- "Yes," Jane nodded.

- "You should apologize, even if it's not sincere and totally unfair, you should, to be sure he won't write bad things in your record."

- "Okay," the young girl sighed.

Constance smiled and kissed her sister's head before going back to work. Jane followed her sister's advice and went to Mr. Johnson to apologize. The man accepted them and told the headmaster to forget about this story. Jane went back in class, more motivated than ever to become a cop.