January 14, 2018
"What the fuck, Julian?" I yelled through FaceTime. "They suspended you?"
Julian grimaced. "I was in a fight. I'm lucky I wasn't expelled."
"But it was self-defense!"
"No, Sam, it wasn't. I was defending you, not myself."
My mouth went dry. I didn't know how to respond. "Why?" I asked.
Julian averted his gaze. "He- Derek- was hurting you. What if you were seriously hurt?"
"I don't . . . Thank you."
"That's what friends are for, right? Besides, we've developed a bond since you made me stay up for thirty-six hours, high on energy drinks, and watch old drama movies about Italian mafia leaders."
"That was only two days before you fought someone for me."
"What can I say? I get attached quickly."
"You're a mess," I laughed.
"Gee, thanks."
I heard muffled speech from Julian's side of the conversation.
"Si, mama," he yelled back. "I've got to go. See you later. I probably won't be able to text or anything for a while. Bye." He hung up.
Julian was gone from school for a full two weeks. When he got back, he was on a sort of probation. He ate his lunch in the office. During this time period, he had to give the school counselor a report of his day and how he was doing with his classes. Julian had detention the first two days he got back to school.
Derek returned to school one week after Julian. He got the exact same treatment and, along with that, he was (obviously) kicked off of the football team. Football players had to fit a certain criteria: they had to be passing all of their classes with at least a "C," they could not have had more than three detentions, and they could not have been suspended. Derek also had detention every day after school the week he got back.
One Tuesday, the first day of February, when Julian was coming back from his lunch and daily report with the school counselor, he said that he needed to speak with me after school. Obviously, I agreed.
We met by the school buss lot, where kids were boarding there busses from all angles. I didn't have to worry about missing a bus, so I just following him to his bus while we spoke. We walked side by side.
"So," Julian started, "I was speaking with Principal Huff today, during lunch."
"Okay . . . ?"
"I asked him why Derek got a greater punishment than me, and-"
"That's easy," I interrupted, "Derek started the fight. Besides, he would have hospitalized me if you hadn't hit him back."
Julian rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, that's what he said. Well, maybe it was a little less criminalizing of Derek. Anyway, I was about to leave, when he said something else.
"'Also,' he said, 'Sam McBoid put in a good word for you.' Now, I just had to know what he meant by that." Julian grinned mischievously.
"'What do you mean, sir?' I asked.
"'Well,' he said, 'Mister McBoid proved your attempt at the disembowelment of Derek Arnold was well-meant. Sam said that, once Derek was unable to create further damage, you immediately rushed to his side. That is, Sam's side, not Derek's. Now, I am in no way promoting that type of behavior. However, it seems that your priorities were in check. If it hadn't been for Sam, both of you would have probably been expelled.'" Julian laughed.
"Wow," said I.
"Thank you," Julian said, smiling, "it means a lot to me."
"No . . . Problem?"
"See ya tomorrow, Sam," Julian smirked, hopping in his bus.
"Bye."
YOU ARE READING
Rainbow Jam
Teen Fiction"Some people were genuinely scared that I was going to infect them with my "transgender ways." Others just didn't want to tumble down the social hierarchy. I could respect that. They were just trying to survive without scars. There was a thin line t...
