On Friday the following week during tutorial, Sandra, Paula, Lucia, and Natalia go up to the podium. They often take advantage of the opportunity to announce parties or events organized by them. Gonzalo, Jaime, and Mario go with them. They all have serious looks on their faces and they shoot us all defiant glances before they start.
Natalia break the silence:
"We are aware that our classmate Fátima's is currently in her home country, unable to study. Aren't we going to do something?"
Lucia continues:
"We have all the tools and means to combat the unacceptable inequality present in the world today. Colonialism, chauvinism, capitalism, and the patriarchy are the root of this kind of unjust inequality between men and women."
The more I listen, the more I can't believe what I'm hearing. They're talking about equality when they've spent years ruining other people's lives? "No, Judith,", I say to myself, "don't lose it, our plan is at stake and it might just work. Don't mess it up now, don't say a word."
As if performing a well-rehearsed dance, Paula steps up to the podium:
"A fire has been lit in the minds of the school's students, especially in this class, a fire in honor of our fellow classmate, Fátima. As you all know, she hasn't returned to school since the summer break."
My rage is burning stronger and stronger by the minute, I can't stand what I'm hearing. I decide to start recording it to send to Fátima and Diego.
"Dear classmates, as you know, Fátima hasn't come back because she is being held hostage in her own country and is being forced to get married against her will. Yes, you heard it, she's being forced into an arranged marriage with somebody she doesn't love. And who is possibly a lot older than she is. We have to denounce this unacceptable situation for the sake of our classmate in the face of such misogynistic abuse. We have to work together as a class to make the strength and diversity of feminism visible and demonstrate our transformative power."
Everybody starts talking. The general buzz increases by the minute and the atmosphere becomes charged.
In a sudden outburst, Gonzalo takes the floor:
"We feel obliged to protect most vulnerable of us and we want to tell you about our idea."
Son of a bitch!! I know hypocrisy and cynicism when I when I see it and suddenly a lot of thing things make sense. How can they be such assholes? Thank God Plan Unpopular is underway. If not, the rage bubbling up inside me right now would make me explode.
In the midst of the growing buzz, Juan raises his hand. An awkward silence fills the room. They've learned that both Juan and I can be unpredictable and go off the approved script without warning. Despite defending freedom of speech and equal rights, they still can't stand people who think differently or disagree with them in their own class. To be honest, I have no idea what Juan is going to say, so I'm also on tenterhooks:
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Unpopular
Short StoryThis book is about those who nobody talks about, about those who go unnoticed in class, those who receive criticism, so much criticism that they are silenced. We are the Unpopular, and we're here to share our story, with its lights and shadows, but...
