mother
was a drunk, a slut and a whore. And it got to me so bad that I
could hardly talk. Literally. I stuttered for years.
"And Bull committed the sin of
being born an Indian. Having brown skin is bad enough, but don't
you know that all Indians are drunks and lazy wards of the
government, just waiting for their monthly handout so they can
drink, get in fights and kill each other? Let's pick on them. Let's
kick them while they're down.
"So why do they pick on the poor?
Because they think the poor are lesser beings. Because it makes
them feel superior. Because they need somebody to blame for
everything, and the poor are easy targets.
"So yeah, Rache, we're with you.
We are so with you."
●●●
At 8:30 Monday morning, Rachel and
Tabby walked into the principal's office.
"Good morning, Mrs. Wright,"
Rachel said to the principal's secretary, who was seated at her
desk.
Mrs. Wright looked up at
them.
"Good morning, girls. Hi, Tabby,"
she said. Tabby nodded.
"Is Mr. Peterson in?" Rachel
asked. "We'd like to talk with him for a minute."
"He's at a faculty meeting," Mrs.
Wright said. "But he should be here soon. Have a seat."
"Have you met Rachel Stark, Mrs.
Wright?" Tabby asked.
"Oh, no, I haven't," the woman
said. "Glad to meet you. Are you related to Rodney Stark by any
chance?"
"He's my brother."
"Oh, my. Well, he is some football
player."
"Yes, he is. I'm very proud of
him."
"As you should be. And Sheldon is
some football player too, Tabby."
"Yes, he is. I'm very proud of
him."
They all laughed.
"Well, have a seat, girls. Mr.
Peterson will be here shortly."
Mrs. Wright went back to her work.
Rachel and Tabby sat down on the vinyl couch near the door to the
hallway.
"I hate waiting," Rachel
whispered. "I get cold feet very easily."
"Is that why your leg is bouncing
up and down?" Tabby asked.
The girls giggled.
"Believe it or not," Tabby said,
"this is my first time in the principal's office."
"You're kidding."
"Not kidding."
"You must be a really good
girl."
"No, I just never get
caught."
The girls giggled.
"Me too," Rachel said.
"You too what?"
"This is my first time in the
principal's office." Rachel paused. "How come when you say that, it
almost feels like you're saying, 'This is my first time in
detention'?"
"Yeah, or, 'This is my first time
in a police lineup'."
The girls giggled.
The next thing they heard was Mr.
Peterson's booming voice.
"Good morning! Are you girls
waiting to see anyone in particular?"
"Yes sir, you," Rachel
said.
He laughed.
"Well, come on in."
The girls followed Mr. Peterson
into his office.
"Have a seat," he said. He stood
behind his huge walnut desk.
"Now, Tabby I know. But I haven't
had the pleasure of meeting this young lady."
"I'm Rachel Stark."
He reached across his desk and
shook hands with Rachel.
"Rodney's sister?"
"Yes, sir."
"Wow. Where did that guy learn to
play football like that?"
"I don't know," Rachel said.
"Guess it just comes naturally."
"Exactly. The moves he makes on
that field, you can't coach that. You gotta be born with
it."
"Guess so."
"I also understand, Rachel, that
you have a beautiful singing voice."
"Yes, she does, Mr. Peterson,"
Tabby said. "Unbelievably beautiful."
"That's what Mr. Nelson tells me.
That's wonderful." He leaned back in his chair, put his fingertips
together and said:
"Well, what can I do for you girls
today?"
Rachel took a deep breath, then
told him the whole story. He nodded from time to time as she
talked, but his face displayed no emotion.
When Rachel finished, he leaned
forward and put his hands on his desk.
"And just what is it you would
like me to do?" he asked.
Rachel was floored. It was a
question that came right out of the blue, and she had no idea how
to respond. But Tabby came to her rescue.
"Mr. Peterson," Tabby said, "I'm
with Rachel today because I have personally witnessed some of the
things she is talking about. There are girls in this school who are
trying to make her life
was a drunk, a slut and a whore. And it got to me so bad that I
could hardly talk. Literally. I stuttered for years.
"And Bull committed the sin of
being born an Indian. Having brown skin is bad enough, but don't
you know that all Indians are drunks and lazy wards of the
government, just waiting for their monthly handout so they can
drink, get in fights and kill each other? Let's pick on them. Let's
kick them while they're down.
"So why do they pick on the poor?
Because they think the poor are lesser beings. Because it makes
them feel superior. Because they need somebody to blame for
everything, and the poor are easy targets.
"So yeah, Rache, we're with you.
We are so with you."
●●●
At 8:30 Monday morning, Rachel and
Tabby walked into the principal's office.
"Good morning, Mrs. Wright,"
Rachel said to the principal's secretary, who was seated at her
desk.
Mrs. Wright looked up at
them.
"Good morning, girls. Hi, Tabby,"
she said. Tabby nodded.
"Is Mr. Peterson in?" Rachel
asked. "We'd like to talk with him for a minute."
"He's at a faculty meeting," Mrs.
Wright said. "But he should be here soon. Have a seat."
"Have you met Rachel Stark, Mrs.
Wright?" Tabby asked.
"Oh, no, I haven't," the woman
said. "Glad to meet you. Are you related to Rodney Stark by any
chance?"
"He's my brother."
"Oh, my. Well, he is some football
player."
"Yes, he is. I'm very proud of
him."
"As you should be. And Sheldon is
some football player too, Tabby."
"Yes, he is. I'm very proud of
him."
They all laughed.
"Well, have a seat, girls. Mr.
Peterson will be here shortly."
Mrs. Wright went back to her work.
Rachel and Tabby sat down on the vinyl couch near the door to the
hallway.
"I hate waiting," Rachel
whispered. "I get cold feet very easily."
"Is that why your leg is bouncing
up and down?" Tabby asked.
The girls giggled.
"Believe it or not," Tabby said,
"this is my first time in the principal's office."
"You're kidding."
"Not kidding."
"You must be a really good
girl."
"No, I just never get
caught."
The girls giggled.
"Me too," Rachel said.
"You too what?"
"This is my first time in the
principal's office." Rachel paused. "How come when you say that, it
almost feels like you're saying, 'This is my first time in
detention'?"
"Yeah, or, 'This is my first time
in a police lineup'."
The girls giggled.
The next thing they heard was Mr.
Peterson's booming voice.
"Good morning! Are you girls
waiting to see anyone in particular?"
"Yes sir, you," Rachel
said.
He laughed.
"Well, come on in."
The girls followed Mr. Peterson
into his office.
"Have a seat," he said. He stood
behind his huge walnut desk.
"Now, Tabby I know. But I haven't
had the pleasure of meeting this young lady."
"I'm Rachel Stark."
He reached across his desk and
shook hands with Rachel.
"Rodney's sister?"
"Yes, sir."
"Wow. Where did that guy learn to
play football like that?"
"I don't know," Rachel said.
"Guess it just comes naturally."
"Exactly. The moves he makes on
that field, you can't coach that. You gotta be born with
it."
"Guess so."
"I also understand, Rachel, that
you have a beautiful singing voice."
"Yes, she does, Mr. Peterson,"
Tabby said. "Unbelievably beautiful."
"That's what Mr. Nelson tells me.
That's wonderful." He leaned back in his chair, put his fingertips
together and said:
"Well, what can I do for you girls
today?"
Rachel took a deep breath, then
told him the whole story. He nodded from time to time as she
talked, but his face displayed no emotion.
When Rachel finished, he leaned
forward and put his hands on his desk.
"And just what is it you would
like me to do?" he asked.
Rachel was floored. It was a
question that came right out of the blue, and she had no idea how
to respond. But Tabby came to her rescue.
"Mr. Peterson," Tabby said, "I'm
with Rachel today because I have personally witnessed some of the
things she is talking about. There are girls in this school who are
trying to make her life
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