IDGAF About My Reputation

Prologue

A/N: Sneak peek of my new Norminah, Camren, Vercy, and Ms. Hernandez High School AU fic.

May 2020

"Hello?"

"DJ? Is that you?"

Dinah froze. She hadn't been called that in 10 years.

"Hello? Dinah? Uh...may I please speak to Ms. Dinah Jane Hansen?"

"Who is this?"

"Sorry. Should've started with that. This is Lucy. Lucy Vives from Harmony High class of 2010."

"Oh...hey..."

"You're DJ?"

"Yeah," Dinah said, feeling uncomfortable at her nickname.

"Hey DJ!" Lucy said enthusiastically, "How've you been for the past decade?"

"Good...uh...I'm kinda busy right now," Dinah lied shortly.

"Oh sorry! I promise this won't take long. I'm making a documentary about-"

"No."

"But you haven't even heard-"

"No."

"Please think it over, Dinah."

"No," Dinah said firmly, "I don't wanna talk about high school. I've moved on and so should you."

"I can't...we can't..." Lucy said desperately, "It's been 10 years but nothing's changed...in fact, it's gotten worse...The numbers are rising each year. We have to do something. That's why I'm making this documentary to-"

"Look...what you're doing is important and I commend you for it, but you don't really need me, do you? So many other people were there."

"But you're the reason it stopped! Without you who knows how many-" Lucy took a deep breath to calm herself, "What I'm trying to say is that your perspective is essential."

"I think Camila and Lauren's perspectives are more important."

"They're already on board and they've been talking about it for years. In fact, all of us have. You're the only person who hasn't. No one knows your perspective because you haven't even kept in touch. Do you know how hard it was to get ahold of you. You're all the way across the world with no social media and our old phone number doesn't even work!"

"How'd you get my Australian number anyway?"

"Uh...my wife has her ways..." Lucy said vaguely.

"Your wife...?"

"Vero."

"Wow...she ended up marrying you?"

"Yup. In the end she couldn't resist my activist charms."

"I can see that you're just as determined as you were in high school," Dinah scoffed. Then she sighed with a tone of finality and said, "Look Lucy...thanks for reaching out, but I really don't want to be a part of your documentary."

"Please Dinah..." Lucy begged, "Please think about it...for Ms. Hernandez."

There was a reason why Lucy Vives had won the debate portion of the Academic Decathlon all those years ago. She was just as annoyingly persuasive as she'd been in high school. Ally Brooke Hernandez was the teacher who'd changed Dinah's life. And Lucy seemed to know that very well.

Irritated, Dinah said, "If you think you can emotionally blackmail me into-"

"That wasn't my intention," Lucy clarified quickly, "It's just that...we owe her to keep fighting. At least that's how I feel because I haven't gotten over it. And neither have Vero, Lauren, Camila, or the other students. But I'm glad you've dealt with it and moved on. Sorry for wasting your time, DJ. Take care."

"Wait..." Dinah sighed reluctantly, "What'd I have to do?"

A/N: What do you think this fic is about? Take a guess.