The Righter

LET GO

The story idea isn't mine. Credit goes to a movie called 'Detachment' that I watched and am deeply affected by it.

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Emily's palms were sweating. Her whole body was shaking, she was short of breath. Tired, she slumped back to the bleachers in the basket ball court. It was break time but all she wanted was to hide from everyone. 

'Oh look, the fat cow is here!'

'You need to cut down on your food, sweetie, if you want to get anywhere in your life.'

'Yo, big ass! Ya sure you ain't got any health issue?'

The words revolved around her head making her feel nauseous. She was sick of people telling her to loose weight all the time. Its not like she never tried. But it doesn't work. Being 65 kg and  having all her class mates eyeing and insulting her made her feel an outcast all the time. Hence, the lonely recess time. 

Last week, the new substitute teacher Mr. Barth had joined school and he was such a decent man. He had smiled at her and even kicked Stuart out of class after he called Emily a 'diet bitch.'

She finally made her way back to the cafeteria. As she passed the guidance councilor, Mrs. Parker's office, she heard a strangling noise. Emily stopped and peeked inside. Holding her head in her hand, the guidance councilor was sobbing lightly. Mr. Barth was listening to her. Emily neared in.

"I'm just so sick! These children are hopeless. Not even half of them want to go to college. All they do is swear at me when I call them over to my office. They're wasting their life!"

Mr. Barth convinced, "Don't worry--"

"How can I not worry? I am responsible for them. Every day, every day I come here and listen to them shitting their life. I screamed at a girl today, told her she was going nowhere with that attitude. I've crossed the line. I'm just so frustrated!"

Mr. Barth sighed. The sobbing got louder. "It's so easy to be careless. It takes courage to take care, you know. Why don't they understand."

Emily backed away and roamed to the grounds, her head was spinning. She'd always hated Mrs. Parker because she had no solution to Emily's obesity but today she felt different for her. She felt that maybe, that women behind the thick wire-rimmed glasses had a life too. Aside from discussing others about their feelings, the guidance councilor's feeling were hurt too.

The metallic bell rung loudly bringing Emily back to her senses. She entered her campus building again and stumbled, stepping on the foot of a class fellow.

"Hey, watch it! Can't you see, hippo?"

Emily opened her mouth to apologize but back off when she heard his last word. Somebody snickered from her side, "Your sight isn't what you need to loose."

She pressed her eyes shut and tried to move away from these demented people. Even through the rush of students going in and out of corridor, Emily made a run. As she sped, a voice reached her ears. "You sure you can handle that much running?!"

Emily prepped herself not to tear up even though it was the only thing she wanted to do. Finally her chunky legs halted near the staff room. Loud, hateful screaming could be heard. She got hold of the situation quickly. A student's mother was inside, swearing at their Math teacher for suspending her child in charge of misconduct and bad language inside class room. The math teacher was shaking like she was about to cry any moment.

Emily decided she didn't want to hear this. It was clear that how misinformed these parents were about their children. Instead of scolding them, they were here to threat the teachers.