The Redemption of Jamie Sarah Potter
-2-
Returning the Prefect Badge

The proudest moment of my life was when the new Headmistress pinned the round, silver Prefect badge to the front of my school shirt and the start of the year school assembly. A few days later I was named co-captain of the varsity cheerleading squad. I had gone from being a lonely outcast to one of the most popular girls in school. And I knew if I kept my head straight and played the mind games, I would next year no doubt I’ll be named Head Girl and Homecoming Queen and maybe even Prom Queen. I would then leave Benton Academy behind me. But I’ll leave a name behind me, like all the Potter women before me, I would have made something of my four years in this redneck private school 

But that was the problem. What name would I leave for myself? Lily, my older sister, had already graduated and had taken a year off. Lily had been everything I wanted, she had been popular, had been voted Homecoming Queen, and even Prom Queen. She had been the captain of the varsity cheerleaders and had been at the center of everything social that had gone on at Benton Academy. But she often told me that she hated it, because she had to step on so many peoples toes and had to use so many people. This game of 'Human Chess' as she called it had taken a toll on her.

In fact she once saw me as just a piece on the chess board and not her brother. It was not till my transformation as Jamie did she started seeing me as human and not another piece to move around. Now I love my sister, I love her with all my heart. But that shocked me, and even more it shocked me to find out I was starting to think like her.

Now, Benton Academy has a small transgender population, for the longest time it was zero, then I came along and the population grew from zero to one and then Cerridwen joined the school and the population went from zero to two, and when I finish it will once more become one. Then who knows? The transgender population of Benton is around four maybe? Two in the public schools and two in the private schools. Is that a lot for a small town? I'm not sure.

But what kind of legacy would we leave behind? I don't want to become known as that one girl who became mad with power and used it to abuse her fellow students, and after canning Daisy I felt I was on that road. I'd taken the first step of going to confession, now it was time to take it one step further and return my badge. Sure I could have used my position as prefect for good. But the system was flawed, the pressure to conform was great. I needed to make a stand.

“Hey.” A voice from down the hallway called out. “You ready babe?”

The voice belonged to my boyfriend. Who was also a fellow prefect. And who was also a star footballer and would one day no doubt go pro if he wanted too. But right now he wants to become a locksmith. He said he's seen too many people get hurt on the field and he wants to take up a trade. He and I started seeing each other after homecoming my Freshman year, we started dating a few weeks after homecoming. We've been as thick as thieves ever since.

“Ready.. you should about this?” I said.

“It's my choice to return my badge, but are you sure you want to return yours as well?” I asked.

“We're in this together.”

Then to my great delight another one of our fellow prefect's appeared. A girl with flaming red hair and bright jewel-like eyes named Taylor. Taylor smiled and nodded her head. Behind her a boy appeared and soon the Head Girl and Head Boy appeared. Now under the prefect system there were two a total of ten prefect's one guy and gal from each grade, that to two says two for the Freshman, two for the Sophomores, two for the Juniors, and finally two for the Seniors and from the Senior class a Head Boy and Head Girl was to chosen.

And much to my amazement in the hallway gathered around me were nine of my fellow prefects. All holding in their hands the silver badges that had been pinned to the front of their shirts at the start of the year.

“Like Ben said.” Taylor said. “We are all in this together. Daisy was my cousin too. And it was wrong that you were forced to cane him.”

“How is he holding up?” I asked as I peered toward Taylor.

“Not good.” Ben said. “It's like Alcatraz down there man. They are all but chained to their desk, they drink from a metal bucket. The floors are covered in dust. The windows are caked with dirt and cobwebs. I could barely breathe down there. It's totally inhuman. Like I know it's supposed to be a punishment and stuff. But Jesus I'll hate to have to spend a whole day down there, much less weeks at a time.” Ben paused and then said something that sent a collective shiver down our spines. 
“I heard when they gotta piss or even shit, they're taken to this small area in the corner of the basement, where the concrete is all broken up, and their given a shovel and they have to dig a hole and squat down and drop it off.” 

I nodded my head. And to be honest I was a little grossed out by that mental picture. Then Taylor decided to add her two bits and pieces to the conversation. 

“He's lost ten pounds of flesh the last time I've seen him. He looks like a bloody ghoul. His face has turned gray, his hair looks like straw, his fingernails look long and pointed. He entered there a proud, noble steed, now he's a broken workhorse. They broke him, Jamie.” Taylor said.

“I don't see how this is going to help him.” Rebecca Coleman said. Rebecca Coleman is the Captain of the Varsity Cheerleaders and also Head Girl. She was the one who appointed me Co-Captain. “But, I guess it will send a clear message, what that message is, I have no idea.” She said with a sigh. “Besides, if we turn in our badges, we'll have to quit the squad. And a lot of the girls agreed that if we quit, they will quit. So bye-bye Cheerleading at Benton Academy for the season.”

I smirked a little.

“It's not going to help him.” I said, sighing. “But at this point, I don't think there is anything we can do to help him. I mean, to be real with you guys. We are pretty much powerless. We're students after all, we have no rights. I mean If this was a public school we  would have some kind of rights. But this is a private school, we are pretty much at the mercy of our teachers, a cruel sadistic head.”

“That is where you are  wrong.” Ben said, smirking a little.

At that moment all eyes turned toward Ben.

“The whole defensive line agreed to quit the team if I returned my badge. No defensive line, no football team. No football team then they can't play. No playing in games, coach goofball's dream of a championship ring is dashed on the rocks. Heck, I don't see the point in playing if the cheerleaders don't cheer.”

“And the cheerleaders won't cheer if one of our own has to suffer. Or if somebody she considers a little sister has to get bullied by a big meat head!” Rebecca Coleman as she folded her arms across her chest and nodded her head.

“Daisy might not know it.” Taylor said smiling. “But he has become a folk hero now. Cerridwen was a sweet, humble, though twisted girl. She is a spit-fire alright, the way she wears those pride badges on her backpack and on the front of her blouse. But that is what makes her so great. She is not ashamed to be who she wants to be. Nobody can keep her down! What happened to her at lunch was cruel and uncalled for, but Daisy sent a powerful message that day.”

“And what message was that?” Rebecca Coleman asked as she shifted her eyes toward Taylor.

“That nobody likes a bully, and if you pick on somebody because they're different. Somebody will be there to take up the fight on their behalf.” Taylor answered.

“I guess you're right. I wonder how Daisy feels about becoming a folk hero. The Benton Academy version of Robin Hood, only without the whole stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.” Rebecca shook her head. “None of us save for Jamie woulever be considered 'rich' and she is only 'rich' by Benton Standers. That to say she'll be dirt poor when compared to the St. Katharine’s kid.”

Nobody said anything after that. I think we were all getting tired of talking and we were getting ready to go ahead and make our move. So taking a deep breath I pushed upon the wooden door and walked into the office. The School secretary, a young woman with sandy brown hair looked up and blinked. No doubt the whole prefect squad gathering around her desk this early in the morning was something to raise an eyebrow at.

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen.” She said smiling. “How may I help you?” She said, trying to put on her best smile. But I could tell she was expecting one hell of a storm to blow in.

“Good morning Ms. Smith.. I was wondering if we might talk to the head about something?” I said, taking a deep breath. It was now or never. There was no turning back from this. No retreating from this battle. I guess it was a mute testament to my leadership skills that the whole prefect squad had decided to turn in their badges with me. But was it really my leadership or were they doing it out of friendship. Who knows, God did at that moment he seemed to be holding his breath too.

Ms. Smith blinked and blinked again as she looked up.

“Sure..” She said as she shuffled around some papers on her desk. “But I'm afraid you guys can only come in one at a time.” She said, rolling her chair back. She then stood up and stepped out from behind the desk. “Who would like to go first?”

I shook my head.

“No. I don't think you understand us Ms. Smith.” I said first pointing to myself then my group of friends who had surrounded me.

“We need to talk to the Head. As it concerns us as a group, we need to be there as a group.” I said in my best, polite tone of voice.

Ms. Smith blinked and blinked again as she kept shuffling her papers around her desk. She shifted her eyes to the right and then she shifted them to the left and finally she huffed a sign and bent down and picked up her phone. She whispered something into the speaker before nodding her head.

“She is on her way out here.” She said,

A few minutes later she entered the waiting area of the office. She took a deep breath as she peered toward us and in a high and mighty voice she thundered out. She wore a charcoal colored skirt suit with her blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun

“What are you guys doing here? You guys are supposed to out keeping order in the hallways? I'm a busy woman don't you know? I don't have time for children's games. I should demote you all for slacking.” She scolded. Clearly she was in one of her moods.

Now, actions often speak louder than words. And since the footballer who had attacked Cerridwen had returned to class the next day, after the nurse had patched him up. And all he'd gotten according to my sources was a light slap on the risk and a 'Good job Son' slap on the back. It was clear that action was needed. So without saying a word I reached and removed the prefect badge that was pinned to the front of my school blouse. I then placed it down upon the desk.

“I quit.” I said.

Ben followed. Then Taylor, then Rebecca and the others whose names escaped me. The head looked like she just smelled a rotten apple.

“...”

“What is the meaning of this?!” She cried out as she watched us file out of the office.

“We're done. You forced Jamie to give a caning, you punished our friend unjustly and the guy who attacked Cerridwen just returned to class and is acting like nothing happened. In short, we're done. Find yourself some new underlings.” Ben cried out over his shoulder as he held the office door open for us.

I then turned to the group and smiled.

“Vive la revolution!” I cried out.

Then from the corner of the hallway, Cerridwen appeared. All eyes shifted toward her. She smiled and in a loud, bellowing tone of voice she cried out “Viva la resistance!”

And so the hallway echoed with the cries. “Viva la resistance! Viva la resistance! Viva la resistance!” And the whole student body took up the cry.