Roman's Return

22.

          Before lunch, there was a sub there for Ms. Larenzell that had a bad attitude. "Now, we're going to talk about the slave trade. It was the best way to make money. What the hell are you doing?!" He was talking to Kevin.

          "I'm taking down the notes that you put up."

          "Looks to me that you're drawing graffiti, like the thug you are."

          "Wait a minute! Do I even look like a thug to you?"

          "Yep."

          "Anyways, is it true that slaves would be separated because of their different skin tones?"

          "Just shut up!"

          Lark said, "Hold it! You can't just put him down the way you do just because of his looks! And you have no right to shut him up!"

          "Yes, I do."

          "No, you don't! Kevin has been one of the top teens in our class! He has worked too hard for too long to get this. He not going to mess it up now or ever because of some racist pig!"

          He muttered, "Fucking niggers. Why do they have to be so disrespectful?"

          "YOU KNOW WHAT, CRACKER? THAT'S ENOUGH FROM YOU", screamed Anais.

          "And just what do you mean by that, Ms. Princeton?"

          "Enough is enough with this damn racism! I'm sorry, but I can't keep my mouth shut any longer with this. This is crazy! Just because Kevin and Lark are black, they're not less of a person. They have a right to go to school, they have a right to be what they want after high school. They have a right to be themselves without judgement."

          "COLORED PEOPLE ARE NOTHING BUT BAD NEWS! They're on the news all the time when they act up, ruining our reputation."

          Jacob jumped in and said, "Colored? They've been black all their lives. But us? We change colors, if you think about it. We're pink when we are born and if we choke to death, we'll be purple. If we get frostbite, we turn blue and if we get sunburn, we turn red. Last, but not least we all grow up white and when we get sick we turn green  and you have the balls to called African-Americans colored? And do you know what's ruining our reputation? Racism. People like you every day talk about how bad black people make you look when they built this country from the bottom up. And blacks being disrespectful? Please! You diss them all the time without worry. Let's not forget the fact that some of y'all go to the tanning booths or beach to get a tan when black people are born with it!"

          Everyone stood up and cheered for Anais, Jacob, Kevin and Lark for their speeches and the sub left when Mr. Dinero was right at the door. He said, "Anything else to say about 'niggers'?"

          "I wished that they were all dead."

          "Really? Who signs your paycheck everytime you substitute a class?"

          "Principal Zane. So what?"

          "He's black and pays you every cent while you act racist towards Lark and Kevin?"

          Busted, the sub said, "Let me explain--"

          "In Zane's office." And just in time for lunch, too.

          Vienna said, "Everyone! I  have an anouncement to make! Let's give it up for Anais Princeton, Lark Marone, Kevin Russell, and Jacob Kendarian for their speeches!"

          Everyone stood up and cheered and said, "Y'all showed him!"

          Anais said, "He had no right to say what he just said. Our principal is black and he's acting like this? Uh-uh. I'm not standing for it."

          "No shit! That was uncalled for", said Jacob.

          Lark said, "Well, he might get fired from the school."

          "While we're all happy, Kevin, how was your date?"

          Kevin goes, "The movie was pretty good, but we got interrupted by the stabbing spree, thank you."

          Lark said, "There were two people that were going to stab us. When we ran in the corridor where the bathroom was, we fought back."

          "Lark and I blocked, choked, and tripped up the stabbers. Then we stomped on their faces, knocking them out cold. For me, it only worked for about ten seconds and I got the knife from him. He pulled me towards him and then I stabbed him in his arm and then ran two and a half blocks with Lark."

          Vienna asked, "Why did you run off?"

          "We don't want him to chase us anymore."

          "Which reminds me, I was with Lance in the library when the shoot-out broke out."

          Jacob said, "Are you okay?"

          "Yeah, I mean, it was really scary with the bullets flying all over the place. Lance and I went into the janitor's closet to call for help and I was the one that made the 911 call. Then in the middle of it, one of the shooters was crashing the door down and then the call was done. We had no time left and the gunman had the gun to my face when the door was swinging wide open. Next thing you know, Lance told me to get behind him and I didn't want him in front of me."

          "But you could've been killed", said Anais.

          "I know but Lance didn't want me dead either. Instead of him getting shot, the gunman did."

          "By who?"

          "Roman's dad. He was one of the cops."

          "So you owe Lance and Mr. DeFuan your life."

          "Yeah."