"so how excited are you guys for the homecoming game?" ani asked.
"wait, that's still happening?" i asked.
"yeah, i'm pretty sure they're still letting the game happen." justin told me, sitting next to me at lunch.
"what? they can't do that." i said.
"why not? it's the homecoming game." clay said.
"i'll see you guys later." i said, kissing justin. i grabbed my things and stormed into principal bolan's office.
"principal bolan, you have to cancel the game. boys sports are the reason most girls don't feel safe here." i told him. "cancelling the game will send a message!"
"yes, i know your reasoning. my secratary transcribed 47 voicemails from your supporters and showed me the online petition you started. the fact is, homecoming is a tradition." he told me.
"you just ignored everything!" i told him.
"homecoming is a tradition, and is not itself a contributor to sexual assault. and if this game gets cancelled, i promise you, no one will take it the way you intend." he said to me, sitting down.
"that petition was signed by over a third of the student body." i informed him.
"and are all of them fully aware of your personal relationship with bryce walker?" he asked me. "and jessica davis's, or hannah baker's?"
"I don't-- what? i have never had a relationship with bryce walker! neither did jess, and neither did hannah. but this isn't even about bryce walker."
"what if i told you i received a phone call from his mother this morning inquiring about re-enrolling him for the spring semester?" he asked me.
"what?" i asked. "you're letting him come back?"
"we've only just received the request, but..."
"he raped me." i told him.
"and if he returns, we will take every measure to ensure your safety." principal bolan said to me.
"and the safety of every other girl at liberty?" i asked.
"it is our utmost concern." he replied.
"no it isn't. because if it was, you would have cancelled boys' sports years ago." i told him, walking out.
i walked back to where the girls were having their meeting.
"he ignored everything." i told them.
"such bullshit." one of the girls said to me.
"no more wasting our time. we need to do something huge." i said to them.
"yeah we do." casey said back.
"the homecoming game is in two days. we need to get in there and get our message out." i explained.
"you mean like posters at the game?" ani asked.
"fuck posters! bigger than that." i replied. "we need to show everyone that we are done being silent victims. that they're going to face our anger whether they want to or not." i said, excitedly.
"so, like, we'll be out there in front of all the football players?" tyler asked.
"in front of the whole wide world." i replied. they all cheered. "alright, meeting adjourned."
i got a text from justin when we all took off.
from: justin ❤️
meet me in the empty science classroom.
i put my phone away and walked over to where i knew he was.
"justin, what--" he immediately put his lips on mine.
"is this why you wanted to see me?" i asked, holding the collar of his shirt in my hands.
"of course." he replied, smiling. "are you gonna come watch me play the homecoming game?"
"why do you always wanna talk?" i asked, continuing to kiss him.
"seriously, kylie." he said to me. "i want you and the little to come to my game. it'd mean a lot to me."
i just looked at him.
"what?" he asked.
"i'll... i'll be at the game, i'm just not really coming to watch... exactly." i replied.
"what are you coming to do?" he asked.
"i cant tell you." i said to him.
"what, like, you guys are gonna bomb the game or something?" he asked, chuckling. i just looked at him, showing no emotion.
"you aren't going to bomb the game, are you?" he asked.
"no, of course not. but we do have something planned. i just can't tell you, okay?" i replied.
"why not?"
"listen, this thing is bigger than me and i need you to respect that, okay?" i asked him. there was a knock at the door and we both left, walking to our respective classes.
i walked into my health class and saw that the sex education teacher was there. i rolled my eyes and walked to my seat.
"hey, kylie, i don't think you need to be here. you're about nine months too late." monty joked.
"maybe the teacher can teach you and your buddies not abuse your girlfriends and rape other girls." i said, looking behind me, receiving several 'oohs' from kids in the class.
"i never raped anyone." he shot back at me.
"okay, you two, that's enough." the health teacher told us. i rolled my eyes at monty and turned around.
DAY OF THE HOMECOMING GAME
when i got home from school, i noticed an envelope on the counter. when i saw who it was from, i also noticed the name and the address.
Annabelle Ramirez-Andrews, #9818783
Fremont Jail
1990 Stevenson Blvd
Fremont, CA 94538
"shit." i said to myself, sitting down and opening the letter.
Dearest Kylie,
I know that you haven't heard from me in quite a while, but I wanted to let you know how much I miss you and how much I can't wait to see you and meet my grandbaby. You probably hate me for what I did to your dad, and I don't blame you. You hating me is perfectly normal. I wouldn't like me either. I'm very shocked that Justin came to see me when you haven't seen me in years. I'm sure Justin is the best guy for you. He told me about a lot of the stuff you've gone through. I went through a lot of the same stuff, but I survived. I know you can too. I believe in you, mija. I'm doing a lot better, too. I'm ten years clean. I completed a program that helped drug addicts and alcoholics like me. My program was a bit more extensive because when I was using, I killed somebody. Since I've already done 11 of my 24 years, I'm eligible for parole and my hearing is next week. I'd like you to be there if you can. And if I get parole, I'd like you to live with me. Both you and the baby. I get if you don't want to. From my understanding, you are doing better than you have in a while. I love you, bug. I can't wait to see you again, hopefully.
Love,
Mommy
i ripped up her letter and threw it in the trash. until justin got home, i sat on the couch.
"hey!" i exclaimed when justin came in.
"hey, sweetheart." he said to me. "you excited for the game?"
"why would you go to see my mom?" i asked him with tears in my eyes. "why would you tell her about anything that i've gone through?"
"kylie, what're you talking about?" he asked me, setting his bag down.
"mommy dearest sent me a letter from jail today. says that she likes you and is surprised that you somehow went to see her when i haven't seen her since i was six." i told him.
"i figured you'd wanna see her when she--"
"no! i don't! because you know what i see when i look at her? you know what i see when i think of her?" i asked. "i see her grabbing a gun and shooting my dad in the chest over a petty argument. at six fucking years old, i sat there next to my dying dad, trying to comfort him and make sure he wasn't in any pain. but my mom? well, mommy left to get more booze using his money. how crazy is that? you can just shoot your husband in the chest in front of your six year old daughter and steal money from him. she didn't care what she did to him. she didn't care that she took him away from me. you know why? all she wanted was drugs and alcohol." i explained to him. "believe me, i know you've gone through some of the same stuff, and while you may be over it, i'm not and i never will be. that woman took my father away from me in front of me. that's not something i don't think i'll ever be able to get over. so forgive me for not wanting to have anything to do with my mom. and next time, just mind your own fucking business. better yet, don't worry about me ever again, because we're done." i said, beginning to walk out.
"kylie, where are you going?" he asked me. "you can't just say something like that and leave." justin told me.
"i have a meeting." i replied, walking out the door.
i drove to the school, picking up ani on the way, and we began sorting through everything.
"all right, who's the keeper of the banner?" i asked the girls.
"got it." one girl said, walking up with the banner.
"and the paint?" i asked.
"right here." another girl replied.
"okay, great. just make sure you hide it when we go outside, okay?" i told her. "and the megaphone." i finished.
"no idea. can't find it." casey told us, using the megaphone. we all laughed and ilooked around.
"this is gonna be the biggest fucking wake-up call liberty's ever seen." i said to them. we all cheered. "alright, phase one, let's go!" i exclaimed. just then, i got a text.
from: bryce
please come out to the front of the school. i have to talk to you.
i looked back up at everyone. "um, i forgot my towels in my car. i'll be right back, okay?"
i walked out and saw the hillcrest bus. i waited until he got out.
"how fucking dare you." i said to him as he walked up to me.
"i wanna give you something." he said to me.
"i don't want anything from you." i replied. "i'm leaving."
"wait, it's not what you think." he stammered.
"what do i think?" i asked him.
"i just wanna give you something." he replied.
"then give it to me." i told him.
"well, i wanna explain what it is. like, where it comes from." bryce said to me.
"sometime today, mr. walker." i heard his coach say to him.
"could you maybe meet me in the field house in ten minutes?" he asked.
"where the whole school can see us?" i replied. "you know, i shouldn't even be talking to you here." i said to him.
"okay, um, what if maybe after the game, we could meet at the navy pier?" he asked. "where we all used to drink back when?"
"yeah, i remember." i told him. "so you want me to meet you in the middle of the night, alone? out on navy pier in the middle of the river?" i asked.
"yeah, i hear that." he said to me. "um, listen, come, don't come. bring someone with you if it makes you feel safer. i just... i'd really like to give you something." he told me. "either way, navy pier is where i'll be. i hope to see you there." he told me, walking away.
when they began the second quarter of the football game, all of the girls and i ran out into the field and began chanting 'rape culture has got to go' to begin our plan. we all began taking off our clothes. since i was pregnant, i had leggings on, but i took off my shirt. we began to put red paint all over our bodies as we continued to chant. i noticed bryce talking to ani and eventually, she came up to me.
"kylie, they've got police." she said to me.
"so what? we're not trespassing." i replied.
"but we're gonna get hurt." ani told me.
"people have already been hurt. ask your friend bryce!" i exclaimed. i pushed her back. "go on, go."
all of the other girls left or were forcefully taken off the field, except me. i continued chanting.
"hey, nice ass!" one of them said.
"nice tits!" another one told me.
"fuck you!" i exclaimed.
i continued cheering until one of the hillcrest players grabbed my boobs from behind.
"hey, what the fuck!" i exclaimed, pushing him off of me.
i kneed him in the nuts when justin came up and punched him. everyone from liberty was fighting someone from hillcrest. a policeman tried to escort me off the field, but i left his grip and grabbed the megaphone.
"is this what it takes for you to see us?" i asked, loudly. "then get a good fucking look, 'cause we're not going anywhere!" i exclaimed.
eventually somebody came and grabbed me from the field. we all got dragged to the gym.
"hey, we made a statement tonight." casey said, nudging me.
"at what cost?" i asked her as the deputy walked to the front of the gym.