9:30 A.M
25 August 2020
The City College Of New York
Thirty students were sitting in the small classroom waiting for their professor who was running late on the first day. Quiet chatter filled the small room from those who know each other while the other students were on their phones quietly. Among these students were eighteen year old Perrie and Nineteen year old Leigh-Anne. Perrie turned to speak to Leigh-Anne but as soon as she opened her mouth the professor walked in.
“Good morning class, I will be your professor for the fall semester of FIQWS. My name is Justin Cole but feel free to call me Justin. We’re all equal here. Before we get started I would like to go around the room and share your name, where you're from and your major. Who wants to go first?”
The teenages looked around the room waiting for someone to volunteer.
“Don't be shy, we're all going to go” Justin said, sitting his bag and cup of coffee down before sitting on the desk.
Everyone turned to face the front of the class when someone began speaking. Things were starting to flow smoothly after that.
“My name is Brenda Mensah, I'm from London and I'm majoring in Music”
“Nice to meet you Brenda. Next!”
“Hello, My name is-” “Im Leigh-Anne” The two began to introduce themselves at the same time.
“Sorry” They said in unison again.
“Go, you can go” Leigh-Anne told Perrie who nodded with a smile.
“Hello, My name is Perrie Edwards. Im originally from the U.K as well but I’ve been in the states since i was young.”
“New York or. . . what state??”
“Washington. Seattle, Washington. I'm majoring in Musical Theatre.
“Nice to meet you as well Perrie.Next” He motioned to Leigh-Anne.
“Im Leigh-Anne. I was also born in the U.K but raised in LA and I'm an Architecture Major and acting minor.”
“I'm from Los Angeles too!” Some boy flashed a smile waving at Leigh-Anne. She smiled back at the loser. She was from Los Altos Hills not Los Angeles. One by one the rest of the class introduced themselves.
The rest of the class was spent reviewing the syllabus and other expectations. They were given an assignment and dismissed early.
“I was going to head to the Library and work on the reading if you care to join me.” Leigh-Anne said to Perrie as they walked down the long corridor.
“Sounds good, we just have to find where it is”
Twenty minutes later they found the library. They walked through though the aisles of bookshelves looking for an empty study room but they were all taken by one person or large groups of people when the rooms only held three people.
“They're just sleeping in there.” Perrie pointed in the room. They went up to a quiet floor where they had group study areas. They sat down and got settled. They hit it off and began talking, neither one bothering to open the reading or look at the assignment.
They looked to their left when they heard two students whispering aggressively.
“At least they're quiet” Perrie shrugged.
“What can they be fighting about this early in the day?” Leigh-Anne leaned in trying to hear what they were saying.
“No, you help me understand. I’m being attacked for calling it-”
“Don't call her it.”
“See like that. Why do I have to call someone who's obviously a man,she? Now if he’s just a feminine man I would also be attacked for misgendering him.”
“But she's not a man. So stop calling her, him. Her pronouns are she/her”
“I feel like thats a bit insensitive to my experience as a real woman. He. . . She, sorry wont go through a third of the things i have or will. How come he-”
“She”
“She gets to wake up and decide that she wants to be a woman.”
“I agree with that but don't say real woman. Shes a real woman too, just a trans-woman. You don't have to agree with it or accept it but the least you can do is respect her and other trans people by using the correct pronouns. Especially in a class that is based on the human experience.”
“Are you trans or something?”
“No”
“Then why are you so down my throat about it if it doesnt concern you?”
“Because”
“Because what?”
“It doesn't matter. Just be respectful”
“Is a loved one trans?”
Leigh-Anne and Perrie watched as the girl visibly tensed up.
“Think she's trans?” Leigh-Anne shushed Perrie.
“Wait, what if she is that's why she is so fired up” Perrie was trying to put the pieces together.
“She just said that she wasn't. Now be quiet” Leigh-Anne shushed her again.
“Rude”
Now the two girls were face to face.
“I said leave it alone”
“Fine. . . Jaden.” Jesy teased. She didnt think Jade was trans but she liked to push her buttons. She was shocked when Jade pushed her into the bookshelf behind them. Jesy pushed her back and they began to fight. Leigh-Anne and Perrie rushed to break them up.
“Violence is not the answer guys, come on” Leigh-Anne held her hand out for Jade helping her up. Perrie did the same with Jesy.
“Wanna come sit with us? We can have a cute little friend group.” Perrie offered with a smile. None of them noticed the library staff approaching them.
“I'm going to have to ask you to leave” He spoke quietly. Jade and Jesy went to grab their bags while Leigh-Anne and Perrie sat back down.
“You two too, all of you”
“We didnt do anything”
“Its fine Leigh-Anne. We can go chill in one of our dorms. You stay on Campus right?”
“No, i have an apartment a few blocks down. You can come over, you guys can too but you have to leave the fighting here.” The four left the library following Leigh-Anne out of the building.
“You guys want to grab something to eat?” Leigh-Anne asked, she got two shrugs from Jade and Jesy.
“Yes! Pizza on Leigh-Anne” Perrie pointed to the pizza shop across the street.
Leigh-Anne brought the pizza and the first thing that Jesy noticed was the color of her card.
“Look” She tapped Jade who brushed her off.
“Dont touch me.”
“She has a black card” She whispered, grabbing Jades attention.
“That's not real. It's probably a cash app card or something.”
“Unless she has a lot of money.”
“It doesn't work like that. They don't just give out black cards. You have to be invited in addition to being beyond wealthy. There is no way a freshman at a community college has a black card.”
“Thank you, Have a good day” Leigh-Anne tucked the card away taking the boxes of pizza.
They followed Leigh-Anne to a luxurious looking apartment building.
“Whats wrong?”
“My parents are here. Wait around that corner for me please” They did as told while Leigh-Anne walked into her apartment. ‘
“How was your first day?”
“Good, what are you guys doing here, how did you find me?”
“You thought that you could spend all this money on this place and we werent going to come check it out?”
“Its quite nice. I actually like it. Were sending Grace here to keep an eye on you make sure you focus on your studies and keep your space nice and tidy. Im surprised that its clean in here. If only your room was this organized at home.”
“It was nice to see you guys but i have a few assignments and i need peace and quite so im politely asking for you to get on your way.”
Her parents looked at her.
“Please” She smiled when she saw them grab their bags. She knew they werent really worried about her or how her first day went. They just wanted to see how much money she spent.
“See you later Leigh-Anne”
“Bye mom, by dad. Safe Travels” She held her door open watching them get onto the elevator.
You guys can come in now, im sorry about that”