That afternoon, during free time at the field day, a boy approached Ashley. “Hey, Ashley,” he said with a sleazy grin, “some hot guy wants to meet you by the woods. You know, the usual
spot.”
Every school had that spot. The unspoken
make–out place. In my previous life, that boy
had come to me. Now, it was Ashley’s turn.
She tilted her head, feigning indifference. “Who
is it? I’m not going unless you tell me.” But
even as she said it, she was smoothing down
her clothes, getting ready to go.
I stuck my foot out and tripped her. She landed
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Tаce–first, scrambling up Turiously. Saran! Are
you insane? What is your problem?”
I stared at her coldly. “Don’t go. You want to
get caught by Principal Thompson?”
Her anger evaporated, replaced by a strange smirk. “Oh, I get it. You’re jealous some hot guy wants to meet me. Yeah, you used to be the
one getting all the attention, didn’t you? Too bad your reputation’s in the toilet now. No guys interested in you anymore.”
I shuddered. Was she serious? “You know
what? I’m going because you told me not to. Go ahead, tell the principal. See if I care. I’ve got
nothing to hide.” And with that, she marched off towards the woods, ignoring the concerned whispers around her.
I shook my head. I didn’t want to get involved. But this was a crucial point in the timeline. If I wanted to take Mark down, I had to act.
34
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9:58
I quietly pulled a few of my friends aside, gave
them some instructions, then slipped a
megaphone into my backpack and followed
Ashley.
As I approached the woods, I saw her burst out, looking panicked. Her hair was a mess. She
grabbed my arm. “Sarah, help me! Those
guys… they tricked me! They’re trying to…
to…”
“Where are they?” I asked. “What did they do? Do you want me to tell a teacher?” I
remembered Mark trying to force himself on me
after I rejected him, trying to manufacture a
sense of intimacy. Had they done the same to
Ashley?
“No teachers!” she pleaded. “Then it’ll be
official! My mom will kill me! Just… just go talk
to them. They’re scared of you, right? Just tell
them to back off. Please?”
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Her eyes darted nervously as she pushed me
towards the trees. Something wasn’t right. I
played along, stepping into the woods.
Suddenly, a dozen boys emerged from the
trees. Kevin’s crew, plus a few unfamiliar faces
who looked like they didn’t belong at the
school. “Nice work, Ashley,” one of them
sneered. “You actually managed to lure the
class president out here.”
Ashley, her fear gone, smoothed her hair and
giggled. “Well? Where’s the star of the show? We can’t have a confession without the leading
man.”
Mark was shoved forward, wearing his usual
timid expression. I raised an eyebrow. He
walked towards me and mumbled, “Sarah, I… I
really like you. Will you be my girlfriend?”
I stared at him, then at Kevin and Ashley, who
word watching with amuromont
<
9:58
34)
were watching with amusement. I was
completely baffled. Why was he doing this again? “What do you like about me?” I asked.
He thought for a moment. “I… I like how… how you’re… above it all. Like a… a beautiful lotus
flower.”
The cheesiness made me gag. The other boys started hooting and hollering. “Just say yes, Sarah! It’s your lucky day! Mark’s a big deal now, he’s practically running the school.” “The toad and the swan! Never thought I’d see it.” “Go on, Mark! Kiss her! Show her how you
feel!”
Emboldened, Mark grabbed my hand and tried
to pull me closer. I recoiled.
“What are you waiting for?” Ashley shrieked.
“Hold her down! I want to see a kiss!”
As they closed in, I whipped out the megaphone
and awitched i+ ^n The coronlitting foodhook
<
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34
and switched it on. The earsplitting feedback made everyone clutch their ears. I raised it to my mouth and, with the righteous fervor of a political candidate, I began to speak.
“Get away from me! Don’t your parents pay for you to come here to study, not make out in the woods? Wouldn’t your time be better spent studying? You’re wasting your teachers‘ time! You think you can drag me down with you? Think again!
And Mark? You think it’s okay to team up with these thugs and bully your classmates? After all the school has done for you? No one looks down on you because you’re poor, but this… this is just disgusting.”
My amplified voice, combined with my over- the–top performance, stunned them into
silence. Then, from the edge of the clearing, I heard applause.
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Principal Thompson, his bald head gleaming in the sunlight, strode into the clearing, our ashen–faced homeroom teacher trailing behind him. “Well said, Miss Davis!” he boomed. “No wonder you’re an honor student. This is what a student leader should be. You, you, and you… all of you, get to my office! We’re calling your parents. And who are these… outsiders?”
The non–students, seeing the principal, tried to bolt, but they were quickly apprehended. “It was Mark!” one of them yelled. “Mark and Kevin paid us to come here! They said we could sneak in during the field day and… and… that
the girls in their class were hot and we could… you know…”
Whoever Mark had hired, they folded like a
cheap suit.
Mark’s face was as white as a sheet. He
dropped to his knees in front of Principal
Thompson and Mr. Henderson. “It wasn’t me!
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ariu IVIL. I
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Kevin made me do it! He’s been bullying me!”
