Upgrade (Boyf riends)

Prejudice

Jeremy's Pov
I don't think this "game" is critical for your grade. I'm logging off. Have fun.

Oh, alright.

Do not mess up while I'm gone.

Okay.

•••

"I want to find a way to divide the class," Mrs sawyer starts. "Let's start with this! Everyone with long hair can stay on the right side of the class, and everyone with shoulder length or less can be on the left!"

"Please clear the room so we can start!"

Desks and chairs slid across the classes tile as students, bumping shoulders and elbows, dragged their belongings across the floor.

The class quickly shuffled to their selected side of the classroom. As a short haired student, I walked over to the right side.

There were about 10 students on the longer haired side: seven girls, three boys, and 14 on the short side: three girls, eleven boys.

"Does anyone want to guess why I separated you in this way?" Mrs. Sawyer questions, gaining no replies.

She walks over to a kid in our class, Evan, and whispering something into his ear that I can't quite make out.

"I want to ask Evan something. If I were to give students on one half of the class passing grades for the rest of the year, and let the other half fail, which side would you choose to pass?"

"My side I guess." He trails off, clearly nervous.

"And why's that?"

"Because I'm on it." Evan answers hastily, quickly heading back to his "side",

"Thanks Evan. In our game, we should consider short haired the better people. Long haired people can be stereotyped to be lesser people."

"Okay, what's this supposed to teach us?" A student asks.

It's good to have people in your class that aren't afraid to ask questions.

"Within our world, you'll meet many people. People of different backgrounds, races, social classes, all of it. I believe it's important to understand people. Sadly, most people learn to take in prejudice first. "

"Do any of you think that any of these new terms are fair?"

Various disagreements rose from the class.

Miss Sawyer walked over to the left side of the room, stopping at a long haired student. She let out a visible gulp, running her manicured fingers through her thick, blonde hair.

"How long have you been growing you hair out for?"

"I haven't gotten it cut for years, why?"

"Is there any reason you've been growing it out?"

"I like the way it looks."

"Okay. Would you say that your hair is a part of you? Like, your personality." Mrs sawyer asks.

"I guess so?" She responds.

"Your hair, I think you should cut."

"Why?"

"I don't like it."

"So?"

"I don't know, I's weird. People with long hair aren't normal, remember? It's all unprofessional, pretty disgusting. I don't know if I could ever walk around looking like that." Mrs. Sawyer takes a pause, reading the students reaction.

"For the sake of the game, members on the right side should be treating people like her the same way. You should be making her feel like this. That she's flawed because of something irrelevant as her hair length."

"If this were a real scenario, would you all react? The system doesn't affect you. This is the way it is. We need to push down people like her, make sure she stays in her place."

"This is stupid. It's none of your business anyway. Let me be who I am."

Mrs. Sawyer then walks back to the front of the classroom, facing all of us for a final announcement.

"I appreciate your response. I'm sure that most of you can recognize the way I berated Brooke just now was unfair."

"I sincerely apologize for that sweetheart. I picked on you because you said discrimination doesn't really effect people anymore. I wanted to try and make you an example."

"Well, yes, but-"

"I wanted you and for the rest of the class to understand that people are still effected by cruelty like that to this day."

The teacher pauses for a second, looking back to her.

"You were right, you deserve to be who you are, but so does everyone else. I would love to teach you all acceptance. I want this to be a classroom where we can all affirm each other and be kind to others."

Her class makes me think of before. How I was without the squid was terrible. The bullying, the self doubt, constant loneliness.

I can't ever go back to that again.

"You have fifteen minutes before the bell, move your desks back and pack up, and Jeremy, please come here." The teacher directs from her desk, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"About your fight." She begins, drawing me to hear her.

"Do you really think you did the right thing? Instead of fighting, you could've just shut down those rumors."

"Yeah. I know." I answer coldly.

"I get that you felt threatened. Just think of it like this:"

I lean closer to her side as she continues on.

"Did you really stop anything, or did you just repeat the cycle?"

Did I just repeat the cycle?

What is she talking about? Things can't go go on like this forever.

I can't repeat this. The constant worrying, the stress of high school, constantly chasing popularity.

I don't think I can take it.

I start to walk towards the door.

"Jeremy, class isn't over yet! Jeremy!" The teacher calls out after me. I pick up my pace.

I can't be here right now.

I have to go.

I have to get away.

Hey guys! Sorry this chapter was a little bit long, also sorry that I'm posting this a little late.

Kisses
-Triple_A