Lani in the Middle (Malcolm in the Middle)

What are rules?

Cynthia and I walked into Principal's office. I didn't feel nervous, although the school board was sitting, looking skeptical and already bored. We'll show them.

"Sit down, girls." A short balding man instructed us.

"What do you have for us today?" Another man said, laughing.

"Listen. The way Principal treated us was unfair. First of all, we weren't on school grounds during any physical contact happened. When Cynthia hit me, I stumbled back a few steps, and she walked forward also. Second of all, we didn't fight, Cynthia just hit me. We checked the school rulebook." I said, sitting down in a brown cushioned chair. "Cynthia. Want to take it from here?" 

We fought with the school board, until they finally seceded and admitted that we weren't on school grounds and didn't actually have a fight. 

"If we were boys, you wouldn't care." Cynthia stated.

"Actually, I agree with them. This is just a patriarchy! Girls shouldn't date boys." A tall lady shouted.

I was surprised at her insane feminism.

"Lani's dating a boy. Isn't that crazy?" Cynthia said jokingly.

The feminist crazy lady flared her nostrils and glared at me. I just waved at her, not knowing what to say.

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Finally, our argument was over. We didn't have detention, but the men weren't admitting any sexism. What's new? I walked outside to see Malcolm leaning against a wall.

"Hey. I can't believe your dating a boy. You sexist bitch. You suck at being a feminist." Malcolm joked teasingly.

"Shut up." I nudged him, smiling.

"Let's leave this school." 

"Gladly. This was like my detention for the day. Staying late at school to argue with old stuffy assholes wasn't so fun." I replied.

As we sit in Dunkin Donuts eating munchkins, I decide it's time to show him a special place.

"Malcolm. Tonight at 9:00, sneak out and meet at my front lawn. I need to show you something. Oh. Bring your bike. And a bathing suit. And a flash light."

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I sneak outside with my bike and find Malcolm sitting on the sidewalk at the end of my lawn holding a backpack and balancing his bike on his leg. 

"Ready to go?" 

We bike without talking, unless I'm telling him where to turn. Finally, we come upon a dirt pathway surrounded by trees.

"I don't know about this. Isn't this where the horny teenagers always get killed in horror movies???" Malcolm mumbles.

"You're the only horny one. And this isn't anything like that. Don't worry."

He grabs my hand as we walk down the familiar dirt path. 

"Wait. Let me get my flashlight." I say.

Malcolm follows me and gets his flashlight also. 

We walk, shining the flashlight on the dirt path. 

When the dirt path finally ends and it opens up into the designated place, Malcolm falls silent.