Chapter 14: Straight Like An Arrow
[Pickup truck, Walmart parking lot, 2:44 PM, Dance Dance Revolution]
ABDUL'S MOM: (pulls out crumpled flyer from the car floor) "What's this thing?"
ABDUL: "That's nothing. Just the Valentine's Day dance."
ABDUL'S MOM: (amused) "Valentine's Day dance? Who're you going with?"
ABDUL: "I'm not going."
ABDUL'S MOM: "That ain't okay, sweetheart. Why don't you take Charity? You can ask her out, buy her some nice flowers. Roses; I like some roses."
ABDUL: "Mom, whatever. Can we start driving, now?"
ABDUL'S MOM: "I want my baby to go to school events again." (strokes his hair back) "Hm? You used to go to everything."
ABDUL: "School events got stupid."
ABDUL'S MOM: "What makes you so much better than them, hm? You outgrew dances, sweetheart? I think Charity would love it if you asked her. Bet she didn't outgrow dances."
ABDUL: "Charity and I aren't friends anymore."
ABDUL'S MOM: "What do you mean? Of course you are. I remember you two as children. Always sharing umbrellas and holding hands. Why? Has she got a fella?"
ABDUL: (not pleased) "Something like that."
ABDUL'S MOM: "Oh, no. What's her fella's name? You've got to tell me everything, now. Is he good-looking, at least?"
ABDUL: "She's got herself a girlfriend."
ABDUL'S MOM: (scandalised) "What? A girlfriend? Like, a best friend?"
ABDUL: "A real girlfriend."
ABDUL'S MOM: (having trouble understanding) "Why? Is she a lesbian?"
ABDUL: "Yeah."
ABDUL'S MOM: "Hmph. I always liked her. Good thing you're staying away, now that you know what she's doing. That's my baby."
ABDUL: "Does her being gay make her bad?"
ABDUL'S MOM: "It's not bad, sweetheart. Our God just ain't approve. He don't approve, we don't approve. You understand?"
ABDUL: "No."
ABDUL'S MOM: (rubbing his shoulder) "You will when you grow up a bit. Everything's so confusing, now. We've got all these people protesting and fighting and arguing. Where's the harmony, Abdul? You just got to keep a straight head. Straight like an arrow. Don't get caught up in all this 'gay this' and 'gay that', 'women's rights' and 'GMOs'. Keep your head clear, baby. Be kind, that's all you can be."
ABDUL: "You should be kind, too."
ABDUL'S MOM: (indignant) "Of course. I always am. Never not been. Just don't want my baby getting any ideas, is all."
ABDUL: "Ideas, such as?"
ABDUL'S MOM: "It's good you're staying away from Charity."
ABDUL: "I'm not going to become gay if I hang out with gay people."
ABDUL'S MOM: "Just keep doing what you been doing, sweetheart. Don't listen to all the noise. Let's go home, now."
...
[Outside, Atenamal Regional High, 12:09 PM, Brail-Kebab]
BASIL: "Did you do the history homework?"
OSCAR: "No. Did you?"
BASIL: "No." (eating) "I seriously wonder when we're gonna stop learning about the American Civil War. That shit grew old in fifth grade. Oscar?"
OSCAR: (snapping out of it) "Yeah? Sorry. I spaced out."
BASIL: (looking where he had been staring) "Thinking about Mr Bender? Oh, great. Now he's coming over here. See what you did?"
[Enter Fender]
(Fender joins them at their picnic bench)
OSCAR: "Yes. Take a seat. You're entirely welcome to join us."
FENDER: "I thought - I can go, if you want..." (starts rewrapping his sandwich and getting up)
BASIL: "Sit, Fender. Lord Jesus. We're gutter rats as it is anyways. Hanging out with you won't make much of a difference."
FENDER: "Sorry."
BASIL: "My social status can't get much worse. I have nothing to lose. Oscar, on the other hand..."
OSCAR: "I'm worst than her, social-wise. She can crack a joke. All I do is force my socialist beliefs on unsuspecting students and eye-fuck Mr Goering."
BASIL: "It's good that you're here, Fender. That way I can grill you."
OSCAR: (intercepting) "Now, when you say grill, do you mean question-wise or barbecue-wise? I might be in the mood for a Brail-kebab."
BASIL: "One or the other, depending on the next move of our opponent." (stares down Fender, who looks from her to Oscar, scared and confused)
FENDER: "If you guys want me to go..."
OSCAR: "No, stay - "
FENDER: "Because I get it a lot. I get it. Usually I just eat in a dug-out, or something."
OSCAR: "You go way over there to eat?"
FENDER: (getting nervous) "I mean, where else? Riots are starting. People want me out of here."
OSCAR: "Well, yeah. I guess there's that."
FENDER: "Mr Wilks thinks I should graduate here, though. Great. Another two years of torture."
(...)
(...)
FENDER: (lifting himself from the bench again) "Sorry. I should really go."
OSCAR: "Fender. I talked to Abdul. He told me what happened at the party."
FENDER: "...Abdul?"
OSCAR: "Yes. Sit down. He told me everything. You were right, Fender, I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that happened to you. But you have to tell someone, before things start getting political."
FENDER: (confused) "Abdul told you what happened at the party? Abdul Trabelsi?"
BASIL: "That's what my boy just said, Mr Bender. Why do you look like that? We're on your side, here. You should be kissing our feet. I'd lift mine so you can reach it better, but... circumstances restrain me."
FENDER: (shaking his head) "Why would Abdul tell you? He wasn't at the party."
OSCAR: "What?"
FENDER: "He was in California with his family. Remember? He missed the first day of school."
OSCAR: "I don't understand. But - but he said - "
BASIL: (getting steely) "You heard the man, Oscar. Abdul can't be trusted more than anyone at this stupid school."
OSCAR: (in shock) "So... what happened, then? At the party? Did you..."
FENDER: (pursing his lips and standing up) "I had sex with Emma. Because I'm a straight teenage boy, Oscar. That's what we do."
(leaves)
...
[Outside, Atenamal Regional High, 4:33 PM, Just Another Ex]
OSCAR: (shouting) "Abdul! Hey, Trabelsi!"
ABDUL: (turns around) "Hey, Oscar. What?"
OSCAR: "Why did you lie? What's your game, here?"
ABDUL: "My game?" (shakes head) "I didn't lie about the Fender thing. Why would I lie about that?"
OSCAR: "I don't know. Maybe for the same reason Ronny stabs girls in the back and Igor makes constant sexist remarks in class. You say you're not one of them. That was a lie, too, wasn't it?"
ABDUL: "I have to go to piano practice, man."
OSCAR: "I don't know who to believe anymore, Abdul. Fender tells me he didn't do it, but then he doesn't exactly defend himself very well, either. You tell me he didn't do it, but then he tells me you weren't even at the party. Emma doesn't want to relive what happened to her. Olivia shuts down whenever someone speaks to her. Gabi is convinced Fender should be behind bars, like seventy percent of the school. Mr Goering and Basil are trying to stay as neutral as possible. How am I supposed to know what's true and what's not, anymore? I thought you were the turning point, but... You're just another part of the equation. Another x, if you will."
ABDUL: "I have to go, man. Sorry." (starts walking away)
OSCAR: "Just tell me the truth, Trabelsi! Did Fender rape Emma?"
ABDUL: "I already told you the truth! He didn't!"
OSCAR: (to himself) "Bullshit."
...
[Mr Goering's office, Atenamal Regional High, 1:45 PM, Match-Maker Goering]
OSCAR: "You don't have to tell me. I already know that this is the highlight of your day."
MR GOERING: "I keep telling myself that God works in strange ways. It keeps me going."
OSCAR: "We all have our little habits."
MR GOERING: "Have you got any little habits, Oscar?"
OSCAR: "Well, I wouldn't call it little, but it definitely is a habit."
MR GOERING: "I... I don't think I want to know what that means."
OSCAR: "I don't think you do, either. So. Meeting. Report. Words. Pencils. Yay."
MR GOERING: "I've never seen you so excited for the monthly report before, Oscar. Maybe you should crack masturbation jokes in front of your teachers more often."
OSCAR: "Wow. Maybe you're right. Maybe that's the answer to all our suffering."
MR GOERING: "I think the answer's got to come from you, right now. How are your classes?"
OSCAR: "Just as meaningless as they always are. Next question."
MR GOERING: "The syllabuses are fine? Pacing is okay?"
OSCAR: "I don't think I'm qualified to comment on the syllabuses and pace."
MR GOERING: "Of course you are. This country values freedom of speech and the contribution of its citizens among the higher powers."
OSCAR: "I think that might have been the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard."
MR GOERING: "Okay, Oscar. Save your political vendettas for another time. We're talking high school, here."
OSCAR: "If we're talking high school, Goering, then we know what the classes are like. We know what the teachers and the students are like. All disappointing and subpar. What about the rumours? What about the bullying?"
MR GOERING: "Are you being bullied, Oscar?"
OSCAR: "Of course I am, but that's not - "
MR GOERING: "Who's bullying you?"
OSCAR: "What I was getting at was - "
MR GOERING: "Oscar. For once, just listen to me. I want to know who's bullying you. I've been hearing you drop your little hints for months now. If things are getting as bad as they were last year..."
OSCAR: "I'm not going to tell you who's bullying me."
MR GOERING: "Are they getting physical?"
OSCAR: "They've gotten physical with me once, this year. But I have to tell you, Goering: sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can break your heart."
MR GOERING: "And is your heart broken?"
OSCAR: "It's hanging in there. I slap some Sellotape on that shit and it's all better. What I wanted to emphasize, though, is that you and your team of paper lizards are doing a terrible job at keeping your students under control."
MR GOERING: "What can we do better?"
OSCAR: "I think I should hear that from you. What do you think you can do better, Goering?"
(...)
MR GOERING: "Well... I think we can listen to the students some more. I think we can stop paying attention to the rumours and start making action against allegations."
OSCAR: "Maybe that's what you should do. Maybe you should start taking action against Fender."
MR GOERING: "I was under the impression you believed Fender was a good guy?"
OSCAR: "I've been under a thousand impressions in the course of one month. Now I just want the truth."
MR GOERING: "And you think, if administration takes this issue completely into our hands, the truth will be found?"
OSCAR: "It would be better than me getting yelled at and lied to every day."
MR GOERING: "Can I ask you a question, Oscar?"
OSCAR: "I guess this is an amicable start. Shoot."
MR GOERING: "Why have you been so involved in the business with Fender? It doesn't concern you at all. Is there something you think you should tell me?"
OSCAR: "I think... I think we're all involved. If those girls were raped, whether by Fender or another student, we all failed, Mr Goering. You and your colleagues failed to protect your students. You failed to teach your students how to be good citizens. And the students failed, too. We failed at protecting each other. We failed at resisting social pressure. It's on all of us."
MR GOERING: "I don't doubt that this is what you believe, but somehow I don't think it's the full story."
OSCAR: "Why?"
MR GOERING: "Even Basilica doesn't care that much for what goes on between Fender and the rest of the students. It's just you. Running around, trying to make sense of things. It can all be out of the goodness of your heart and the justice-driven curiosity you have, but I've been in this business for years, Oscar. I know a crisis when I see one."
OSCAR: "You're right. This is a crisis. And I would appreciate it if you took some of the load off my back and put it onto administration's."
MR GOERING: "That isn't what I'm talking about. What I'm about to tell you can't be repeated anywhere else, okay?"
OSCAR: "Sure."
MR GOERING: "Fender's father came into my office not too long ago and showed... concern for his son. He thought Fender might be gay."
OSCAR: "Fender? Gay? He's the biggest womanizer I've ever met."
MR GOERING: "Well, this is what I'm thinking. I don't think Fender has support at home. And if he was... gay, I think he's of the personality that would try everything to hide it."
OSCAR: "You think Fender's gay? Wait - wait. If you think Fender's gay, and you think I'm gay, then.... Oh my God, Mr Goering. Do you think we're dating?"
MR GOERING: (a bit peevish) "I can't say it hasn't... crossed my mind. I was thinking a secret relationship. Only meeting at night, perhaps, in secluded places."
OSCAR: "Ew! You fantasize about your students having gay affairs?"
MR GOERING: "It's not me fantasizing, Oscar. It's my job to make sure my students are okay, in their personal lives as well. If you aren't an item, then I'm going to be really blunt with you here and tell you that you need to make it happen."
OSCAR: "I'm so confused. I am so confused, right now."
MR GOERING: "I've done some investigation myself. Into both of you. If you won't come out to me, you better come out to him. It might change everything."
OSCAR: (almost speechless, shocked, and amused) "You really think I'm gay, don't you?"
MR GOERING: "You're a strange kid, Oscar. You don't fit into all the stereotypes. But, like I said, I've been working here long enough to know a crisis when I see one. And I've been speaking to you long enough to strengthen my suspicions. I want to let you know that there are things you can do in your life to make things better. One of the things you can do is be honest with yourself. Another thing you can do is be honest with the people you trust most, like Basilica, or me, if you trust me. Another thing you can do, is be brave, Oscar. You're a brave kid, but you can be even braver, especially when it comes to this. Don't wait on Fender to give you a sign. I think what you need to do... is give him a sign."