Miss Nail Techie | ✓

6 | My Name Is Lila Pham

"Fair enough." Raelynn acknowledges, not pushing the topic any further. I turn away from the brunette as I greet the rest of my friends; a smile wave or a word of greeting. Naomi returns with a smile, as she gives me finger waves as her greeting and Aubree replies back with a soft hello, returning back down to her phone.

"Are we ready to go?" Raelynn comes to my side, linking her free arm around mine. I nod, feeling the bag hitting the back of my elbow and I softly positioned myself to become comfortable underneath Raelynn's grip.

We begin to move away from our location and towards the school building: Claremont High.

The high school that suffered through a large sum of reconstruction three years ago. The outcome had been a good one—thank god—and the reconstruction allowed for one of the biggest renovations the state has seen. The fields were bigger, the classroom had more technological advancements and it placed value on our school's ranking. In the end, Claremont High wasn't just a regular high school anymore—it was modernised.

"Let me tell y'all something," Raelynn begins, speaking up from the silence in our walk. "Someone DM me on IG and asked me to—"

"THE DRESS CODE CREATES A SEXIST SYSTEM THAT SEXUALISES YOUNG FEMALES FROM THEIR EDUCATION." Raelynn was cut short by a voice. Our attention turns away from our best friend as we found interest in the black girl protesting in front of the school building. Her movements fluid as she jumps from one side to the other, making her points loud and clear. "WE ARE CHOOSING THE EDUCATION PRIVILLGE OF MALES OVER FEMALES. WE SEND HOME FEMALES FOR WEARING SHORTS BUT ALLOW A MALE TO CONTINUE HIS DAY WITH HIS PANTS HANGING PASS HIS KNEES."

She had an ambitious voice to her tone; passionate, fuel with fire that it almost makes you understand her points. She adjust her long black braids that draped pass her chest to the side, shoving a flyer into a passing student's direction.

Raelynn's grip on me tighten, adjusting her purse closer to her as we walk closer. We took our strides, eyes never leaving the protestor's figure as I knew we all prayed for a miracle. Aubree kept mumbling under her breath somewhere between the lines of don't come here, don't come here.

"Hey," the girl stops in front of us. Her medium tone skin golden underneath the hot sun as she stood a good height taller than the four of us—and Raelynn was 5'5, Aubree was 5'6, and Naomi was 5'2. "Do y'all want to sign the petition for the dress code?" Her voice wasn't aggressive, but it wasn't friendly either. It was hinted at determination, and left no cracks for her to argue. Stern, focus, with one intention in mind. "The dress code perpetuate the rape culture we—"

"No thanks." Raelynn shoves her flyer back to her face, pulling at the three of us to move ahead. We did, as we left the protestor out in the front of the building. Raelynn drags us into the school, the air conditioner hitting our skin before she pulls us to the side, unblocking the front doors.

Her grip loosen and she pulls apart, breaking our chain. She turns to face us, her back facing the front as she gives us a stare. Her ocean blue eyes scan us before suddenly, she burst into a laugh. "Did you see her?" She chokes between her laughter, "how stupid she looks out there?"

A smile form on my lips as the image reappear to me; the girl standing outside at morning to wave around flyers about a dress code that is reasonably enforced. Like Naomi once said, a hoe will do anything she wants with her body to grab attention, even school. The dress code is a needed accessory in the school's mandatory system and all of my friends had told me so. I agree, with everything I'm told, it makes sense.

"She's so dumb." Aubree declares with a smirk on her lips. She shakes her head, her thumb jabbing back towards the front door. "That is what happens when you dedicate your life to feminism. You basically forfeit your rights to a life."