Chapter 2: ~ Harri ~
I sat in History, bored as we were learning about Roman mythology and there was nothing for me to learn considering it was so similar to Greek mythology. Just name differences and slight changes to the stories. My thoughts always wandered, and I could tell they were about to do so. I momentarily checked to make sure that nothing important was happening before I completely zoned out.
I hated that I didn't quite fit in with everyone. Zack, Erin, and Rith all liked me and accepted me, but there was still something that seemed to set me apart from everyone else. I knew logically that it wasn't that I liked the things that I liked. I liked pop-culture and nerdy things that had become popular among my generation like D&D and Harry Potter and such, but I still couldn't find many people that truly got along with me.
Ellis.
That... was odd. I mean, I liked Ellis, they were cool and stuff, but they liked to keep to themselves.
Ellis.
Ellis was so pretty and so different. I loved that everything they said was something I either didn't know yet or something that everyone else didn't know. They seemed to be in their own little world, doodling sunflowers all over their hands. I wish I could stop caring about the people around me like they could.
Ellis.
I didn't understand why Ellis was in my head. I've been friends with Ellis since 6th grade. I've always had engaging conversations with them, but why would they come up now? Why now would I be thinking about them when I've known them since we were 12?
You like them, dumbass.
No way. They're cool, but it's just a new-found interest.
Why wouldn't you like them? You yourself just stated ALOUD no less, that you like hearing them talk and that they're beautiful. You think they're wonderful and you are interested... In them becoming your significant other :P .
Why would I want them to be my SO? I mean, yeah they're really cool and pretty as you mentioned, but they probably don't even like me. So, what if it is just a short obsession where I want to know them better and then I come to find I don't even like them? And that's assuming that they would be interested in being with me, which, knowing them, they probably aren't. What if I am actually interested and I tell them and then they don't like me? Then there's no point in even pursuing it because the odds of us ever working are slim. I have more chances with Rith than Ellis and Rith is straight.
"Have you seen Ellie? Compared to her, you're a goddess. She'll probably die alone," the girls next to me gossipped. I didn't know what they're talking about, but I was about to sucker-punch them all.
"Ellie is so full of herself. She thinks that she's better than everyone else because she has straight A's. She ignores everyone and does whatever she wants and is every teacher's' pet. She's so annoying," The blonde one continued. I bit my lip.
"It has to be her parents' fault. Haven't you seen them? Her mom is stunning and her dad could be a movie star! They probably told her that she would do anything she wanted in life," The brunette laughed. I slammed on my desk.
"Hey! Ellis's pronouns are they/them and they will get much further in life than you ever will. They will be happy and successful and that's not something I could see either of you being. At least Ellis doesn't shit talk people, and that makes them miles better than you," I stood up, the anger controlling me. I hated mean people more than anything.
"What are you their girlfriend? What's your problem, you dyke?" The blonde glared at me. I took a deep breath and composed myself to the best of my ability.
"Hey, hey, hey, ladies!!!" Mr. York yelled. We all paused in momentary fear. I continued to stand, but I faced him, positive I was getting out of this, scott-free. Good god, I was wrong.
~~~
"I'm giving you three minutes each to explain yourselves. We will start from left to right. Leyla?" Mrs. Spriet pointed to the blonde one.
"Well," Leyla started, her valley-girl accent coming out. "Rain and I were talking, because like, we were done with our work, and then like, we were talking about this girl who was really rude to me, you know? And like, we were just talking about her and she suddenly just like, interrupted us, and like, started yelling in the middle of class about the girl we were talking about, and like, she had absolutely no reason to."
"So, you took class-time to gossip and Harri called you on it. Okay. Rain?"
"Uhm, well, I was just talking about that girl and like, Leyla started actually being really mean when she was talking about her and like, I didn't do anything wrong," she stared blankly at Spriet and twirled her hair ends.
"And you're saying you weren't involved at all in gossiping about this girl?"
Rain nodded, and I simply thought about how the wrong one was blonde.
"Participating in the conversation means you were gossiping, and you didn't stop her from being mean, so you aren't safe, missy. Harri?"
Rain frowned.
"Ma'am, contrary to their story, they were talking about Ellis Hunting, a non-binary student who prefers the pronouns they/them, meaning they weren't being respectful from the start. They were saying things like "Ellie is so full of herself" and "Ellie is ugly" and things that weren't exactly kind, and I got fed up with it, so I stood up and told them they were wrong for that. After telling them it was wrong to gossip, uh... Leyla asked me if Ellis was my girlfriend and called me a dyke, which I will have you know, I'm bisexual, not gay," I said with one breath.
"Oh my god," Spriet rolled her eyes and sighed. "So, you're a liberal snowflake."
I gaped, not expecting that response. Spriet was a reasonable woman, or so I thought. And she's our principal?
"All of you, detention on Sunday. You'll be here from 3-6 PM and you will be cleaning under the bleachers," Spriet announced before shooing us out of her office.
You just got detention for them. You sure you don't like them?
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