Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a couple of weeks. I had some family problems. Anyway, I'm leaving for boot camp in a couple of hours. I'll be home in 10 weeks.
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On Sunday, my mother picked me up from Aysha's. We went to church and she told me that she agreed to talk to Melinda's mother on Friday after school.
Monday was unusually normal. No strange looks or anything. No whispers in the hallway.
Tuesday, however, was a completely different story.
I got off the bus and walked into the school. A few people cast strange looks. I didn't think too much of them until I got to my locker. I was taking my books out when I noticed a group of girls huddled and whispering. One of the girls looked over her shoulder at me then continued whispering. She wasn't very good with that whole inconspicuous thing.
I shut my locker and started to walk to homeroom. "Dyke!" one of the girls from the group "coughed" as I walked by. Then it hit me. Melinda. It got around.
Homeroom wasn't any easier. More whispers and looks. It was like being gay was this unheard of plague. Then again, I was in NowhereChristianville, South Carolina.
Right before announcements began, one of the people whispering had the guts to approach me. "Hi," he said.
"Hi?" I responded.
"Melinda Wincock says you and Aysha Polands are together. Like together-together. Is it true?"
"That's none of your business."
"Come on. Tell me."
"Go away!" I snapped.
He held up his hands in defense and backed away. I watched him walk back to his friends and shrug his shoulders.
The rest of the morning was like that. Stares. Whispers. Questions. Looks. After a while, I just started to ignore it.
In Government, I suppose Mr. Cutch heard the rumors and decided today was the best day to do a lesson on state rights. Mainly, the right of the States to individually define marriage.
"...so states have the right to regulate marriage. Marriage is a state right, not federal," he said.
I raised my hand. "So if marriage is a state thing, then how come interracial marriage cannot be banned in any state? A recent poll showed the majority of Mississippians would like to forbid interracial marriage. So, wouldn't marriage be a shared right?" I asked.
"Well..." Mr. Cutch started.
"Why do all you faggots have to push your 'marriage' on us in unrelated subjects? We don't want to hear about it," a girl said.
"I'm not a faggot and I think it's related. Mr. Cutch is doing a lesson on state rights and he mentioned marriage. Chill," I defended.
"Obviously you are a faggot if you're kissing Aysha Polands," she spat.
"My personal life is none of your.." I started.
"Enough!" Mr. Cutch said. "In regards to your question..."
The bell rang and cut him off. I wasn't going to stick around to hear what he had to say. I went straight to lunch. I sat in my usual spot.
I ate as quickly as I could to avoid people when I got up to throw out lunch. I sat at my table and tried to finish my German homework that I neglected the night before.
I heard a chair being pulled out across from the table. I didn't need to see who it was for me to know. I sighed and put down my pencil. "What do you want now Melinda?" I asked.
"Oo, touchy. I was just going to ask how your day was," she said with mock sweetness.
"My day is just peachy. Now leave me alone."
She ignored me and spun my German textbook around to face her. "I see someone didn't finish their homework. Too busy engaging in deviant behavior all night?"
"Go fuck yourself."
"You see, I'm a God-fearing girl. I don't engage in selfish or deviant sex acts unlike somebody here."
I spun my book around towards me. "I thought premarital sex is considered deviant and selfish," I started. She turned red, so I continued. "I hope I get to see you after Aysha has time alone with you. I know she's here today and I know she has heard what's being said and who's saying it. No one can prove anything and we all know how Aysha is when she's pissed."
Melinda stood up in anger. "My original intention was to give you an opportunity to make this go away but fuck you," she said.
"I don't want your opportunity," I said to her back.
She turned around. "Good. Oh, by the way, I like what you did with your locker."
I gave her a confused look but she said nothing. She just smiled and walked away.
I ran to my locker as fast as I could once the bell rang. It was vandalized. Fag. Dyke. Whore. Everything was written on it. I opened it to put books away and papers fell out. I picked one up and saw it was my math homework from the previous day, ripped. My notebooks were torn up.
"Damn Riley. Remind me to not hire you for interior decorating," I heard Sarah say from behind me.
"Not funny," I said grimly.
"I tried," she said. "Gather up the papers and let's go to the office. I'm sure Frau Schwarz will understand."
I nodded and gathered up the papers. I shut the locker and Sarah took a picture with her phone. We walked into the office together.
"Hello," Sarah said to one of the secretaries. "We need to see Mr. Nocella. It's important."
"You can only see Mr. Nocella by appointment only," the secretary said without looking up.
Sarah took some of the papers from my hand and pulled the picture up on her phone. She slammed them down on the counter separating the secretary from us. "I said that it's important."
The secretary looked at the picture and the papers. She huffed as she dialed Mr. Nocella. "You two can go in now," she said, irritated.
Sarah and I walked to the office of Mr. Nocella, our principal. "Have a seat," he said as we entered.
"Hello sir," Sarah started.
Mr. Nocella waved his hand. "Do your teachers know where you are?"
"No," we said together.
"Let me called them first."
We gave him the names and he called. After he hung up with Sarah's teacher, he turned to us. "Now, what is the problem?"
"Well," Sarah started. "Someone started a rumor about Riley and due to that rumor, her locker has been vandalized. I have a picture on my phone with the exterior."
"You shoudln't be using your phone during school hours but is there anymore damage?"
"Yes," I said, placing my torn papers and notebooks on his desk. "I don't know how, but they got in my locker and tore up my notebooks and papers and everything I'd need for my classes."
"Let me see the picture. I won't confiscate the phone," Mr. Nocella instructed.
Sarah pulled up the picture and placed the phone on the desk. Mr. Nocella picked it up to get a better look at it. "Well," he said, placing it down. "I take it these rumors are about your....persuasions?"
"Yes sir," I answered.
"I see. In regards to the vandalism, I'll see if we can check the tapes. Where is your locker located?"
"C hallway."
"We don't have cameras in the C hallway. Was you locker fine before you went to lunch?"
"Yes. It was fine this morning when I walked in."
"Okay. Also, don't give out your combination to anyone else."
"I never..." I started.
Mr. Nocella waved his hand and the bell rang. "Better head to your last class," he said.
Sarah and I walked to my locker to put the papers back in. She gave me a hug and we went to band. Once we walked in, I saw Aysha getting her bassoon out. I walked up to her. "Hey," I said lowly.
She looked up at me and smiled. "Hey."
"Um...I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Um..." I started again.
"Riley's locker went under redecoration. Not very good may I add," Sarah piped in.
Aysha grew silent and opened up her case. "What do you mean by..." she started to ask then stopped. Her eyes grew wide. I looked down and gasped.
A piece of her bassoon was missing and what wasn't had sticky soda dumped on it. Coke, I would presume, from the can left in the case.
"Okay," Sarah said. "I understand 'dyke' is an insult for Riley's gayness but how is Coke?"
"The point was to ruin the instrument," Aysha said slowly. She was furious. "Plus, my reeds are gone. I can't play."
"Oh," we heard an all too familiar voice say. "Did you spill some soda?"
I knew what Aysha was going to do before she did it. I placed a hand on her chest to hold her back. "Don't."
"Yeah," Melinda continued. "Listen to your dyke and don't even think about it."
"If it wasn't for the fact she doesn't need to get suspended, I'd let her go at you right now," I said to Melinda.
"I'm so scared."
"Don't tempt me."
"Let's get ready!" Mr. Bender called.
"Yeah, you two, get ready," Melinda said. "Oh, wait, you forgot your reeds Aysha."
I closed my eyes. She was just asking for it. "Just don't Aysha," I said as calm as I could.
"After all the shit I heard today.." she growled.
"I know. Just don't. Tell Mr. Bender your reeds are gone."
Melinda just smirked and walked away. Aysha informed Mr. Bender of her lost reeds. Other than that, band went smoothly. Aside from Aysha's bassoon and weird looks, it was okay.
I just couldn't wait for the week to end.