Icing on the Cake

~24~

I calmly told Calum what happened in the hallway while we were in seventh hour. I was starting to freak out a little, but Calum thought it was hilariously ingenious and inspired.

“I think they’re going to call an assembly at the end of this hour.” I said.

“What can he say that wouldn’t incriminate himself?” Calum asked. “Either he’ll tell the truth and make himself look like a dick or he’ll lie and everyone will know.”

With about fifteen minutes left of class, the principal did call everyone down to an assembly. Standing at the podium in front of us with a microphone, he went on a rant about the recent “blogging” two students did to incriminate school officials and how it was inappropriate and blah, blah, blah. He then said that no refunds would be given to prom. He couldn’t force any students without tickets to buy but no refunds would be given. Only about half the tickets projected to sell sold, and he said that the school does not need to put on prom. People were recording him saying that and saying into their recording phones, “Parents won’t like that.”

He rambled until the bell rang, signifying that the school day was over. Everyone was filing out, and Calum did something no one could believe. He ran up to the podium, and said into the microphone, “Maybe Mr. Strands should protect us, Luke, from the bullies that punched him instead of punishing us!”

Calum and I tried to quickly walk out of the school before Mr. Strands could do anything. But then we realized he wasn’t trying to retaliate. Maybe because he knew Calum was right, but probably because he would wait until the next morning.

We actually waited for most people to file out of the building before leaving. I was partially trying to avoid Brett.

As we were leaving, we walked by the office hearing one of the secretaries saying on the phone, “I understand but at this time we are not allowed to issue refunds, Mrs…”

“They’re already getting backlash.” Calum said. “We should send a mass text saying that he gave us a refund.”

Once we were outside the school but on the sidewalk surrounding the school, I stopped and leaned against the building. A wave of stress and anxiety splashed over me.

“I’m sick of fighting.” I said. “Why do we have to fight for everything just because we’re different?”

Calum looked down, his facial expression suddenly becoming serious. “That’s just the world we live in. But Luke, if we don’t fight, we’ll never be treated fairly. What’s being done to us is not fair, and we can’t let it happen!”

Out of literally nowhere, a woman in her mid thirties, wearing a skirt suit, loud heels, long nails and a smartphone with a microphone came up to us on the school sidewalk. “Hello.” She said. “My name is Martha Kurry and I’m from Channel 7 news. Can I buy you two a frozen yogurt?”

Notes

Mmmmm current obsession: almond fro-yo!