My early morning the same day (Friday) had been less than exceptional. The Principal, himself, had sent a few students to his office for teasing me.
They had cornered me in the hallway and threatened me. The Principal was standing behind the group that was teasing me after patrolling the hallways to make sure everyone was where they were supposed to be. He listened to them for a few minutes and what they had to say. When the Principal cleared his throat, their laughs faded as they turned around and saw the Principal.
The bell sounds and everyone transitions to his or her next class or lunch. For me, it is lunch A. I try to move quickly enough so I could get in the lunch line before it got too long. Also, so I would not be subjected to being tripped and/or shoved. I make it without any kind of follies. I jump in the middle line that always keeps their French fries along with whatever they are serving nice and hot, my tummy growls at the pleasant smells of the lunchroom food.
"Hungry, eh Sirrah?" A voice catches me off guard.
I turn to see Andy behind me, a definite surprise.
"You know it, Andromeda." I chuckle. "Wait, what are you doing at A lunch?"
"Please, call me Andy. I can't stand Andromeda," She sticks her tongue out, "Blah." I giggle at that. "Anyway, I had my schedule changed. I was not about to do that Youth Group thing my mom 'secretly' signed me up for during open house. Trying to be slick and shit."
We giggle together and the line moves while the lunchroom also known as the commons area in the mornings and afternoons starts filling up with hungry students.
"'Cuse me small fry." I hear Alchemy say as she shoves her way to where Andy and I stand.
"Hey, you can't do that." Andy squeals at Alchemy.
"Girl please." She shoves Andy in her forehead. She turns to me, "Hey, Sirrah, what's up?"
I can hear the attitude dripping from Alchemy's tone. I am not really in the mood for whatever Alchemy's problem is today.
"Hello, Alchemy." I trimmer a little. I do not want any problems from anyone.
"So. . . I am sure you have heard the news." Alchemy assumes studying her fingernails.
The line moves up and the chatter in the lunchroom becomes a little louder as more students begin to file in.
"Heard what news?" I ask not sure what she is talking about.
"Louis ditched me last night and dumped me this morning in the parking lot of the school." Alchemy sneers at me.
"I am sorry to hear that, Alchemy." I sympathize, truly.
"Are you really? Because he said you gave him the idea to leave me."
Shocked, I stare wide-eyed at Alchemy. I cannot believe she is accusing me of this.
Andy jumps to my defense, "You know that's not true, Alchemy. Stop trying to start shit. You are always trying to start some bullshit."
"Shut up, Andromeda!" She turns to Andy. "You don't know shit, now do you?" Alchemy is shouting now and most of the students' eyes are on us.
I start to fidget with my fingers. Alchemy turns back to me, anger and vengeance glossing Alchemy's eyes.
"Couldn't bear to see me happy when you're so miserable and can't even get anyone! Not even your own brother wants to be around you."
"Alchemy shut up!" Andy warns.
"So, you tell Louis to leave me. So you and he can possibly start fucking or have a future together?" Alchemy gets in my face, ignoring Andy's plea.
"Alchemy," my voice shaking and small, "I didn't say anything like that to him. You can even ask Sydnie, she was standing right there. I didn't say anything to him at all."
"Yeah, like I am supposed to believe that crock of shit! He told me himself this morning that you said he should leave me to be with you! That you would do more for him than I would or could ever do."
I stand there, shaking my head, "I did not say that, though at all. I didn't even talk to-."
"Shut up, Porch Monkey! I know you did it!"
The lunchroom is now eerily silent; I can feel everyone's eyes on me, once again. There is slight murmur going throughout the lunchroom. My heartbeat quickens and my chest tightens. I begin to slightly trimmer as I ball my fist up to control it, Alchemy continues her spat.
"You just don't want no one else to be happy, do you? That is it! Because you cannot get someone. You have to make everyone else miserable with you." Alchemy flails her arms about dramatizing everyone; she shoves my shoulder and slaps me.
Paralyzed with shock and dismay, I stand there looking Alchemy in her eyes and holding my cheek. A stranger that I do not know has replaced the best friend that I have known for years. Sydnie was right...about everything. But, for Alchemy to have slapped me.
Alchemy raises her hand to me. "Nigger, you need to be put back on the fucking block and sold."
Alchemy's hand came within a few meters from hitting me in my face again, my instant reflexes jump in and I right hook Alchemy in her face causing Alchemy and me to tumble over the railing. Something inside me snaps, I find myself punching Alchemy in the face, letting go of every harsh insult, every physical abuse, emotional, and verbal that had been coursing through my veins for years. My blows become stronger and stronger as her head bounces off the floor and into my fists. A thick circle appears around the fight and I am suddenly being pulled off Alchemy by a female officer. She holds me tight as I am kicking and screaming.
"Sirrah, calm down. Sirrah." She calls. But, I hear nothing but faded mumbling and slurs. I finally come too and I look down not believing what I had just done, stunned.
My fists wrapped in bandages, I am sitting in Mr. Ethics' office as he tries to make sense of the fight that went down 30 minutes ago in the lunchroom. My tummy grumbles, I rub it in hopes I can join 'B' lunch after this. I look at my bandages still a little shaken at what I had done. How am I going to explain this to my parents? Is Alchemy alright? I begin to think about the worst. What if Alchemy sues me? What if she is seriously hurt? What if she never walks again? What if....what if....what if?
"So, let me get this straight," The Principal, says shaking his head and stressfully rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You fought Alchemy because...?" We have been over this at least ten minutes. What happened? Why it happened? Why the star student suddenly snapped? Why? Why? What? When? How? The same thing over and over and over again.
"I got tired of her bullying me. I just...something snapped inside me." I say aggravated about the situation. I rub my knuckles as the pain radiates up my arms and into my shoulder blades.
"I don't know. None of this makes any sense to me, Sirrah." He rubs the bridge of his nose. "Please, explain it to me one more time."
I sit up straight as straight as my pain back would let me. Everything just hurt. "Alchemy was in my face, yelling, spitting, talking about some rumors she heard. I tried to tell her it was not true, but she wasn't hearing me. She slapped me once." I touch my face where she slapped me. "I didn't do anything when she slapped me, I just stood there. I was in shock she would even do that, she was supposed to be my best friend." I hear myself shouting and lower my voice. I look to the right. "I tried to tell her one more time that I had nothing to do with what the boy said, once again she wasn't hearing me. She kept calling me all kinds of horrible names, just when she was about to slap me again. I jumped on her, tired of all the shit I have taken from her over the years. Just so tired."
Mr. Ethics' raises his eyebrows. I am guessing he didn't know how bad the bullying had escalated between Alchemy and me. He picks up a sheet of paper, "A witness said Alchemy had been bullying you for a long time, Sirrah."
I meekly nod. "She has. I just thought she was having a few bad days and that she would go back to being my friend soon. I never thought it would get so out of hand." I look up at him then look to the side ashamed of what I had done. Tears form in my eyes, I sniffle and wipe my nose with my sleeve.
He continues reading the statement, "Alchemy slaps you once, you don't entertain the fact. She then raises her hand to slap you again, that's when you retaliated. She did shove you a few times during the argument?"
"Yes." Fighting is not in my nature at all.
He puts the paper down, "Listen, Sirrah. I know you are a model student and you endure a lot of bullying around here. I know you do what you are supposed to do and when you are supposed to do it."
I am the least bit shocked that he knows what has been happening around here with the bullying. But, I am more pissed that he really does not do much about it. Or maybe he does and I just don't know about it.
"Are you saying that I am in trouble?" I am angered by the matter but calm my nerves. I know about the policy on fighting in Angelwood Academy. I know about all of their rules. I just don't want to get in trouble for finally defending myself.
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Not really, Sirrah. Seeing as how you didn't start the fight or entertain the matter, you will be on probation meaning no morning or after school clubs. You go straight home." He points his pen at me.
"But, I am a part of the newspaper club. Can I at least sit in on the meetings and take notes so I won't miss anything important?" I lean forward, whimper in pain, and sit back. I keep forgetting that I am hurting all over.
Mr. Ethics thinks for a few seconds. "You can."
I look down trying to think about where it all went wrong with Alchemy. During Elementary school, when my mother threw a better birthday party than Alchemy's mom? Or during middle school, when a boy Alchemy had a crush on invited me to his pool party instead of Alchemy? She did not talk to me for months after the party. There are so many situations where Alchemy's jealousy or anger got in the way of our friendship.
"Sirrah?"
I look up. "Sir?"
"There is another way of going about this."
I listen.
"With the witnesses you have and your history, you can take this to the Youth Group Courts here."
I look up, I do not need any attention...any more than I have already created for myself earlier today.
I shift in my chair. "What will happen to Alchemy if she gets convicted?" Still having a heart for my now former friend. I know how the courts work but never found out what happened to the ones who were guilty for their crimes.
"With a record like Alchemy's, she will be suspended and sent to P.D school."
"What's P.D. school?" I furrow my brows.
"Psychological and psychosocial Department School. P.P.D.S to be exact." He clears up. "Alchemy has some issues that Angelwood can not help her with, but that school can. Issues I am not allowed to share with you, Sirrah."
"I understand. It's a confidentiality thing." Knowing I have a rather difficult choice to make, I gather my things so I can take it to 'C' lunch, and stand up. "Will it be okay if I let you know my choice by Monday?"
"That will be fine." He stands as well.
"Thank you." Before I touch the door knob, Mr. Ethics says, "Sirrah, Alchemy is at General Hospital if you want to go see her. Also," he searches his desk and hands me a sheet of paper. "If you want, maybe you can go to counseling to talk about your issues. I am not saying you should, but it's a suggestion."
I take the sheet of paper and look at the list of therapist and their phone numbers. I notice one of them as my next door neighbor. Hmm, never knew she was a therapist. Then again I don't talk to our neighbors much, just a wave hello. "Alright." I leave his office.
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