Scandalous Desires

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Micah sat still as all eyes looked back at her. She didn't know what she had done to earn those looks - or maybe she did. Some were staring at her, some with a questioning look, some laughed, while others jeered at her.

All anyone knew is that her name was called over the loudspeaker… to the principal's office. She remembered Ms.Weismann's enlarged eyes through the coke bottle glasses that had also zeroed in on her. She was going over the next History assignment in the book she had cradled in her hand, but had stopped mid sentence when the announcement was made. Now she stood waiting and staring, like the others.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Miss Rae? You may be excused…." she said finally.

There was concern in her eyes but no sympathy, no reassurance, as some of the students "ooh'ed" at her, as if she were about to be in major trouble. Because that's why students get called to the principal's office, right? Was she in trouble? She hadn't done anything wrong.

Micah packed up her belongings, not knowing if this was a full period spent away from class or just a moment.

Sympathizers and "enemies," if she could call them that, both continued staring at her. Ms.Weismann wouldn't continue teaching until Micah was gone. It left them and the rest of the class with nothing else to do but look.

Among them, the infamous mean girl crew; Black girl, April; Taiwanese girl, May; and white girl, June. All wrapped in expensive brands, and all blond with one ponytail on the top if their heads, grinning like cheshire cats. They each Popped a lollypop in their mouths one after the other, timed like synchronized swimmers. Each of their tongues reflecting the three primary colors. Micah rolled her eyes, as they wiggled their fingers goodbye at her. It was as if they looked forward to her absence… maybe even planned it.

Overall, the class was divided, segregated by class and status with rich kids looking on as she made her way to the classroom door with their piercing or indifferent gazes, versus those on scholarship, who were either glad it wasn't them or sorry for her.

Micah was a rarity among them though, and they all knew it. She was there as a returned favor to a board member of the prestigious highschool to her dad. Both had served in the army. Her dad and the board member were close, maybe he saved his life? Micah didn't know.

But she knew that the behavior and treatment of those whose parents had six figure salaries versus those who didn't was palpable. Staff smiled harder, excused lateness, made exceptions for those whose parents paid tuition out of pocket and made hefty donations to the school especially when they wanted them to look the other way when their child was misbehaving - even if they were bullying other students, especially if they were bullying others.

More often than not, those on the receiving end of physical fights were scholarship students. She could ignore everything else going on in the school - even undeserved A's, but the bullying bothered Micah to no end.

So when her AP English class was asked to write an article with the theme, "What matters to Me" Micah wrote about stopping bullying... at school. Her school. She was careful not to outwardly blame anyone. But it was implied.

What she didn't know was that her article would be put in the school paper. And while her English teacher and supervisor for the school paper, Mr. Cruz praised her for her insight. Some of the students didn't appreciate it… at all. Who knew her words held so much weight? She didn't anticipate the nasty notes pushed in her locker by anonymous idiots calling her everything from an ingrate to bi*ch, or drinks being "accidentally" spilled on her in the lunchroom.

Slowly making her way down the empty hallway towards the administrative offices, Micah had to laugh at the irony; she went from trying to defend students from bullies to becoming a victim herself.

But being neither the rich type that the school staff bent over backwards for or the type that was marginalised, Micah had no clue what she was in for. She tried to stay under the radar, and was successfull for two years, now in her junior year this is what she got.

"You didn't have to do it you know…" Micah heard a voice say behind her. She turned around. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't even notice anyone there.

"What did you say?"

He was a thin tall, white boy with glasses. He was the epitome of nerdy. His dark hair was dishevelled. His plaid shirt hung partially in and partially out of his baggy blue jeans. He had on a pair of cool vintage red canvas sneakers, though. He also had the faint markings of what used to be a black eye.

"I heard the announcement. Are you in trouble for writing that article?" He pushed the glasses that were sliding down his nose further up. "The one about bullying?"

She didn't know his name but she recognized him. He was one of the scholarship kids who got suspended for retaliating against a rich kid whose parents paid the school a ton of hush money.

Micah shrugged her shoulders in response. She really didn't know what was about to happen. But she definitely couldn't stay there talking, so she turned and continued towards the principal's office. She could hear his sneakers peddling behind her. With his long legs he quickly caught up and was walking in stride.

"How's the eye?" she asked.

He gave a similar shrug to the one she gave him. "Eh, It still works." They both chuckled a bit.

"Were you in Mr. Cuthbert's music class last year?"

He shook his head as he said the word, "Sax."

What did he just say?

"Hunh?"

"The sax…ophone," he grinned.

"Oh…right," Micah blushed. Her mind was definitely not in the right place. "The flute," she pointed to herself. "But I'm not keeping up with that. I'm done."

"Why?"

"I'm just no good at, like, coordinating the breaths and finger placements," she lamented.

His arm brushed hers. She wasn't sure if he was uncoordinated or it was on purpose, but it gave her goosbumps.

"Gonna be a writer instead? Seems like you're good at it," he said with a smile. If he wasn't so dorky looking, he'd be really cute, she thought, rubbing the goosebumps away.

"I'm not sure if I'm so good if I'm about to be suspended…" she joked. They were making the last turn down the hall before arriving at the principal's office.

Although the thought of suspension actually scared her. She was mentally getting her thoughts together. Worst case scenerio she'd say Mr.Cruz encouraged her.

"You really have some balls to write something like that… why though?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"There's nothing in it for someone like you to defend someone like me… why?"

Someone like who?

"We're not that different," she said finally, as she stopped just a few feet in front of the office door. Of course she meant their status at the school and not their starkly opposite physical appearances. The irony was laughable.

"Plus, it's just not fair… to any of us…."she explained further. He looked at her with his head c****d to the side like her answer didn't make sense, as if he expected something else. "I just wrote the truth. That's all."

"Well… good luck in there," he said backing away. "I've been in there a few times…. It's a tough crowd. Just a tip: The less you say the better," he gave her an awkward salut and turned back. She laughed and shook her head. The goosbumps were still on her, when she turned the knob and opened the door.

Inside was the school secretary, Miss Autumn. She was a sweet, brown woman who reminded her of her aunt.

"Hello Miss Micah," she said. She smiled at her. "The principal is expecting you. You can go this way," she pointed towards the door on the side of the room. Micah didnt know what to make of the smile. Was it the calm before the storm or, was it not the doom and gloom she thought it might be?

"Um… Hi, Ms. Autumn," she smiled back. She almost wanted to ask if she knew what was going on, but was too scared to hear the answer. "Thank you," she said as she walked towards the door.

Micah took a deep breath. She thought about why she wrote it. She thought about how Mr. Cruz praised her for her honesty, she thought about the kid she just walked the hall with - whose name she still didn't know - and all the ones like him, who had an undeserved black eye and a suspension. She held it all in her mind when she opened that door.

When she opened it she took another breath in as she saw four men sitting in the office; her dad, another man who seemed familiar, the principal and another man she'd never seen before….

…It was that same nervous feeling, that same unsuspecting hold of the breath she had now held, as she approached the four men in front of her waiting to take their drink orders at Howards. She kept in her mind that memory, that first moment when she realized why writing was important to her, and why getting to the truth meant something. She wasn't going to back down from Russell or Dickson or anyone else. And she for sure wasnt going to let her nerves get the best of her. It didn't then and it wouldn't now.

"Gentleman, can I take your orders?"

"I'd thought you'd never ask," said one of Russell's guests. They were seated at a round table of which Russell sat the farthest away from where Micah was standing. They all seemed jovial and buzzed, they definitely had drinks before they had gotten there.

After taking all the drink orders, Micah asked, "Would that be all?"

"All for now," said Russell with a chuckle. The rest of the men laughed along.

Micah was about to turn and leave when one of the guests said, "the only thing missing is your headband, dear. Run along and get that too!" The men roared with laughter.

Of course they were talking about the headbands that waitresses who were willing to "serve" more than just drinks wore.

When Micah got to the counter she passed the order to Rob.

"So how you gonna pull this off?" He asked.

"Pull what off?" Her eyebrows knitted with confusion.

Rob leaned forward and whispered, "You're definitely here to see him," he pointed towards Russell. " And it aint for the hanky panky that he came in here for. So, the question remains…" he replied back with a grin.

"You're…," searching for the right words, "very perceptive," she said.

"Indeed," he replied with a wink.

"Well just keep watching, my friend," she winked back. As she took the four drinks Rob prepared and headed back to the table.

After she placed the drinks on the table the men smiled as they began sipping their drinks. Micah felt a tap on her shoulder.

"I have something to tell you…" she whispered through smiling teeth.

"You know that ventriloquist thing you do never works. I cant tell what you're - ow!" Micah felt a kick to the leg from Alex.

"How are the drinks, gentlemen?" Alex asked, as she held Micah's arm.

"The alcohol's good, but we're still thirsty!" The men uproared with laughter.

"We'll handle that soon enough," she said with a smile as she pulled Micah away from the table so fast, she almost tripped.

"What is the problem!" Micah said, looking at Alex like she lost her mind when they were out of earshot. "You know your heels feel sharp. Are there knives in those things?"

"Just listen. The plan is underway. We're at phase 3, Russell has Black carded you!" she said, with a stern look on her face. It was a look that told her Alex wasn't happy.

"Ok… so, again, what's the problem?"

"Problem is this!" Alex held up a second Black card. "You've been carded Twice!"