Read Online The Fight by Elizabeth Karre - Free Book Online

afterward.
    June came up to me on Monday at my locker. My heart pounded like always around her.
    â€œTyler said you went to that school board meeting?” she said. I nodded. “Did you hear that Luke’s parents are suing the district about the policy?”
    So that’s how everything changed.
    Luke’s parents heard about the school board meeting when parents and kids tried to explain how bad it was. They took that and Luke’s experiences and went to one of those big organizations that sue when people’s rights aren’t being protected.
    Because I had never heard of this (or paid attention, more likely), Matteo tried to explain to me how important these groups are. I guess they’re pretty important.
    By the GSA meeting later in the week, Zoe had lots more details. There were a few new kids so we started with introductions. Lopez seemed ready to make some other “ice breaker” comment or speech, but Zoe jumped in.
    â€œI have really important news,” she said, grinning. “Luke—he was the last kid in the district who killed himself—his parents are part of a lawsuit against the district. Along with Lydia Mendoza’s parents. The lawsuit says that the policy makes teachers discriminate against kids for their sexual orientation and allows violence to happen.”
    Zoe passed around the minutes from the meeting with the policy highlighted.
    â€œStaff shall remain unbiased
,” I read again. How weird that something so simple could cause so much pain. It didn’t even sound evil.
    â€œSo they’re going to have a trial?” one of the new kids asked. I was picturing that too.
    â€œNo,” Zoe said, “the district is already trying to settle. Shell out some money to make it stop. But they also won’t admit the policy is wrong or causing all these problems.” She shook her head. “
Problems
doesn’t seem like the right word when kids are being tortured and killing themselves.”
    â€œ
Torture
’s a good word,” said Nessa quietly. “Sometimes I feel like a prisoner in the torture chamber called school. Only no one touches me—they just use words.”
    â€œAnd how does that make you feel?” asked Lopez. Everyone ignored her. We gave Nessa a group hug.
    â€œSounds like you should be suing the district,” said Tyler.
    â€œMaybe,” said Nessa and bit her lip.

I
    tried to keep an eye out for Nessa after that. She was one of those little freshman girls whom you normally didn’t notice as they scurried past. A week later I saw Zoe chatting with her by her locker. Zoe waved me over.
    â€œGuess what?! She did it. She really did! Nessa has some balls—I mean ovaries!” Zoe jumped up and down.
    â€œWhaaat?” I said.
    â€œI joined the lawsuit,” Nessa said, grinning. “I thought, Zoe’s right, it helps to do something to fight back. So I looked up their number and I called Luke’s parents at work and they told me more about it and then they talked to my parents.” That was the most I’d ever heard her say.
    â€œAnd your parents?” I asked.
    â€œWell, they kind of knew some of what was going on. And after talking to Luke’s parents … I mean, it kind of scared them. They’re not bad. I just hadn’t told them because I wasn’t sure if they could handle it. They had a kind of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ attitude.”
    â€œBut we know what happened to DADT!” Zoe crowed, pulling out her phone and flashing at us the famous picture of the navy woman kissing her girlfriend. Nessa grinned again and flipped open her locker to show us the same picture torn out of a magazine and taped inside her door.
    At the next GSA meeting, Zoe had an update.
    â€œThe school board still says the policy is fine, but it’s on the agenda to be discussed at the next meeting. The lawyers said that the district must be changing the