Squires-35

*Before…

They got out with the others and took up their signs and Johnny got a box out of Brian’s trunk and he carried it inside for her. Nick brought his laptop and a bookbag of things and met with his dad and they actually took the lead to head inside.

There was a determined mood as the kids met parents and started heading inside and there were shouts from some of the protesters on both sides now and there were a lot of hostile looks from the parents of the Alpha kids and all the others and a pretty big crowd that they had trotted out to fill as much space as they could and there were some press inside as well as several city police and some officials that looked like more than just from the school board.

There was a good deal of chaos in getting seats as those that got here first were quietly making it as difficult as possible for people to sit or pass through to get to seats.
It still never stopped anyone though it got really tense.

Jessie and the others sat together under threat of Brian and Andy’s sheer size and keeping folks from starting stuff.

They just sat down and the board came in and sat with the chair banging his point of order gavel to get things started.

*And Now…

The man with the very passable resemblance to the busy-body neighbor fellow from The Gilmore girls started things with several bangs of his gavel.

“We’re here today in a special meeting of the community school board to address the problems that have been surfacing with web pages and unapproved surveillance at West Chicago High.”

Nick’s father stood immediately. “I respectfully disagree with the opening statement we’re here to address the rights and safety of the students in regards to bullying.”

The man looked irate. “Sir there are procedures in place for bullying.”

Nick’s father. “Respectfully we have witnesses that will testify otherwise.”
“Testify, sir this isn’t a court of law.”

Nick’s father. “I have the correct paperwork with me. That can be amended.”

There were some murmurs and some outright angry looks from some of the parents on both sides as tension surged. Nick’s father looked around and gestured. “Look at the turnout, look at these kids here at one of these meetings when it never happens. There’s things going on, they want their voices heard.”

One on the other parents shoots out of his seat. :”Be heard!? Fuck that be heard John was in line to play ball in at least the minors and because some whining little backstabbing shit he’s getting the evil eye.”

Jess said from his seat. “John shoved a kid for zero reason down part of a stairwell and laughed about it. It was caught on a phone and put up and sent out to where it needed to go.”

The man yelled at Jessie. “That’s bullshit, that was made up! You’re just trying to wreck his life!”

Jessie asked. “Why? Why would give two figs what goes on with John’s life?”

“They’re fucking jealous!”

“He’s a shitty bully and was forcing the kid he pushed to write reports and papers for him. He was told no and John got violent, actually entitledly violent and he got caught.”

The guy lunged and was held back and the head chair of the school board was beating his gavel. “Order, order we’ll not have these sorts of outbursts!”

Nick’s father was still standing, had stood through the whole exchange arms crossed behind his back waiting politely.

Jessie just adjusted his seat from looking at John Price’s father to facing forward like he was paying attention in class.

People slowly started to get that there were nearly a dozen kids that filmed the whole exchange.

One of the board members yelled. “Put those phones away!”

Jess spoke up. “Audio and video evidence of the things we are facing everyday is part of our freedom of speech laws. Us recording it and sending this out to tell other of these things when we don’t have the words or the strength because of the things that we face has to be respected sir.”

He glared at Jess. “It’s a violation of personal privacy young lady.”

Jess shot back. “It’s young man actually and your privacy doesn’t trump anyone’s rights to safety, security and their own pursuit of happiness.”

Nick’s dad added in. “Privacy has no expectations in a public environment.”

The councillor said. “Filming others without permission is illegal.”

Nick’s father countered with. “Bullying levels of violence, assault and intimidation are illegal as well is the school board willing to issue the funds to appropriately have enough guards on to protect the student body to where these things don’t happen.”

The councillor got angry and shouted. “Life is hard molly coddling people only makes things worse. “

Yasmine stood and Nick’s dad sat and let her speak. “Life is hard unless you’re the right shade or shape or the right faith then it’s completely different.”

There were a lot of boos...and not just boos but people that were siding with the bullies and the others like the Cammo kids and the Wholesomes cat calling and things rose up pretty fast from their voices.

“Terrorist...sit down!...shut up!...Dune coon...Take that off, you’re not allowed to wear that flag!”

Yasmine just stared some of them down and she tilted her head back just enough that she was holding her head high.

And all the other girls wearing the gadsden hijab stood up with her in solidarity.

Several really didn’t like that and two big burly guys got up and Kenyon’s father got up as well as Tommy and Kenyon and others and moves to cut them off.

The gavel hammer banged several times.

“Order, order dammit we’re having a town hall meeting not a brawl here, racist slurs will not be tolerated.”

The angry councilor huffed at Yasmine. “Take that off do you have any idea what you’re wearing and how offensive that is?”

She looked at him. “Yes sir, likely as much or more than you do. I’m an American just like you and I am an American in protest so I think I’ll keep it on.”

Someone in the Wholesome’s adult crowd shouted out. “Youse got mooslem written on it that ain’t american!”

Yasmine turned and said. “I’m an Arab-American and that’s still an American and it says exactly the same thing as the flag had always said. It’s my right to wear my language sir and I’ll kindly ask you to literally stop treading on my rights, on our rights.”

There were more boos and one man was grabbed by security that was there screaming at her and the others. “Nine-eleven! Nine-eleven! You’re a dirty arab bitch!”

There were more boos and yelling and more gaveling hitting the table.

The chairman yelled. “That’s it any more of these outbursts and violence and we will cancel all of this!”

Jess stood and said. “With all due respect sir if this isn’t resolved the students will continue to post the bullying, racism and bigotry and all the other things that are going on in the school.”

“Then you will likely face charges young man and disciplinary action from the school.”

The Principal and the Vice principal looked very surprised like they were not consulted about that declaration.

Jessie nodded. “We’re good with that sir.” and with a head nod towards Nick’s father and we have legal counsel.”

He sat and Nick’s father stood again holding up a sheaf of papers. “And I have suits here waiting to be filed from what has been literally happening at this school. I will file each one of these naming the school and the board and now that I have your names each of the seats as well as people responsible for the safety and education of our children.”

The head chair looked angry and a couple of the councilors looked varying things from angry to incensed to scared and even a few that were thoughtful.

“So what do you propose?”

Jessie stood and so did all of the kids that came in. “That we talk, we talk and tell our experiences and cases and that you actually listen to what’s really going on in our school and likely other schools too.”

There was a lot of muttering and murmuring and a lot of the ones there to speak against the kids looked so much less than pleased with this and one of those parents stood up.

“What’s to stop this bunch from lying and spreading sour grapes it just seem like they’re all asking for special treatment because they’re not popular or good looking enough and want to get back at the popular kids.”

Another one stood. “And what’s wrong with our kids fighting for our America, our rights and our faith this is a Christian country founded on Christian ideals.”

Nick’s father. “No it wasn’t and there’s more than enough evidence to point at to American being colonized, of having gained so much of it’s starts from things that are literal crimes these days in international courts from slavery to genocide. Many peoples made America and our laws, our constitution was made and evolved to protect all of us no matter the creed or faith or lack of faith even.”

The one that mentioned religion bristled and looked angry. “Typical leftist bullshit, our kids deserve to live in a country that’s the country that we all believe in and that wasn’t built on lies.”

Nick’s father asked. “What lies? These children are here to have their say that’s protected under the constitution.”
Someone shouted. “If you don’t like America then leave!”

Nick’s father simply said. “No, and we don’t have to that’s the beautiful thing about this country. We’re suppose to stand for better, for us to be the melting pot. That every voice gets their say, that every people gets defended.”

The angry fellow that mentioned religion said. “What about christian voices?”

Nick’s Dad asked. “What about them? I take it you’re a Christian voice who here has told you to shut up or to stop talking or that you should leave your own country.”

Honey stood up. “I get told to go back to Mexico all the time here, I was born here my father died here saving people in the fire department , my mom and I get harassed because we’re Mexicans and have that heritage. It’s happening all the time and it’s getting worse and we’re done...we’re done taking it and being treated like we’re not part of this country or the community.”

Another heckler shouted. “Yeah bullshit I want to see your papers!”

She looked towards the direction of the voice. “I want to see yours, I want to see where exactly you have the legal right to ask or the moral and ethical right to ask people that!”

She clenched her hands into fists. “That, that attitude is coming at us all the time, all the kids that aren’t the right color or shade or that have a different faith. And you don’t see us doing that or going around ripping off people's religious symbols or defacing things with hate marks like swastikas.”

“We’re not the ones doing any of these things. We’re not the ones doing the bullying because some one’s attractive or might become popular because we’re not the right shade of America or the right sex or the approved gender or sexuality.”

The religion defending man stood again. “But you’re taking god out of the schools and out of places and not letting us pray and practice our faith.”

Honey said. “I’m a Christian, i always have been and no one’s stopped me from praying.”

Nick’s father stood saying. “And that’s another bit of fiction. No one’s stopped from prayer in schools or most public places especially things to do with being public spaces. What is happening in that people are objecting to the use of a sole faith in public spaces that belong to everyone. And it is far easier to have all faiths kept separate from these spaces than to manage inclusion of all these faiths. Look here, right here in this room and feel how much animosity is here between members of certain faiths. Can we honestly say that all inclusiveness won’t start fight?”

“No...it’s not happening and that’s because as American’s we are supposed to be taught about fairness and that we are equals...all equals under the law, under the constitution. That’s what these kids want. Fairness, equality in being safe and not harassed. They’re not asking for special treatments they’re not they’re asking for safety and respect, plain and simple safety and respect.”

The councilors talked for a few minutes then the chairman stood. “We’re going to recess this and give folks a half an hour to cool off and then we will hear from the children.”

There was a lot of dissenting voices and he held up his hands. “No, we are here for the kids, for this to be resolved from these kids and the school and we need to take a look into these stories and these claims and we all as educators and parents need to hear this...I think that what we hear and what happens in the student lives are different things.”

He hit his gavel and security had to escort folks out that wanted to stay and fight and argue and eventually they all made it outside where there were more supporters for each side making noise and had signs and there was another surge of angry feelings and chaos as they all merged into their groups and the media was there talking to people with camera going and microphones and questions being asked and some even having leading questions.

Jessie and the other kids gathered together in a group and they were all taking up spaces on the steps together and sensing something was up several reporters came over and one approached them and Johnny was asked.

“What’s going on here it look like a choir?”

“We’re protesting, we’re protesting all the bullshit that comes down on us and other kids and breaks us.”

“Breaks you?”

She looked at the woman. “Yeah people can only take so much before it’s too much...and these days we’re seeing it coming about in ways that scare us, that we know might happen to all of us these days...and look up the song okay...it’s pretty effing old but it’s still about the bullshit and how it wrecks people.”

“What song?”

Johnny walked away and she joined Brian who kissed her and the kids all assembled went quiet and then their phones came out with the white light screen apps like little torches and candles and all at once there was a song that started to play from all of the phones all at once.

The silicon chip inside her head
Gets switched to overload.

And nobody's gonna go to school today
She's going to make them stay at home.

And daddy doesn't understand it
He always said she was as good as gold.

And he can see no reason
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be sure.

Oh, oh, oh tell me why
I don't like Mondays
Tell me why
I don't like Mondays
Tell me why
I don't like Mondays
I want to shoot
The whole day down

The Telex machine is kept so clean
As it types to a waiting world.

And mother feels so shocked
Father's world is rocked
And their thoughts turn to their own little girl
Sweet sixteen ain't that peachy keen
Now, it ain't so neat to admit defeat.

They can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need oh, woah.

Tell me why
I don't like Mondays
Tell me why
I don't like Mondays
Tell me why
I don't like Mondays
I want to shoot
The whole day down
Down, down
Shoot it all down

All the playing's stopped in the playground now
She wants to play with her toys a while.

And school's out early and soon we'll be learning
And the lesson today is how to die.

And then the bullhorn crackles
And the captain tackles
With the problems and the how's and why's.

And he can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to die, die…

Oh, oh, oh and the silicon chip inside her head
Gets switched to overload.

And nobody's gonna go to school today
She's going to make them stay at home.

And daddy doesn't understand it
He always said she was as good as gold.

And he can see no reason
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be sure

Tell me why.

I don't like Mondays.

Tell me why.

I don't like Mondays.

Tell me why.

I don't like, I don't like, I don't like Mondays.

Tell me why.

I don't like, I don't like, (tell me why) I don't like Mondays.

Tell me why.

I don't like Mondays.

I want to shoot, the whole day down, uh, uh, uh….

As the song played and people heard it there was a slow stop to the talking and to the arguing and they all looked up towards the kids all together on the steps with their hands up over their heads and phones glowing white in their hands as the song played out over the parking lot.

Each one of the kids facing everyone else and the press and the haters and their bullies...as this song played about that girl that just lost it and now...now these folks seen some of the kids raising signs for Columbine...Sandy Hook...Deer Creek...Marinette...Chardon… and there were other posters too one per student there with kids that died...suicides from bullying...names, dates, their age...their school...and in bold black marker...DEAD...BULLIED.

There was silence...shocked silence that followed what the kids had done.