miserable. I know that for a fact. I could
give you names, and I will if you want me to. But it seems to me,
and we have talked this over with Sheldon Beasley, Jimmy Blaze and
Bull Evenshot, and they agree, that some of the things that have
been done to Rachel are criminal.
"Stealing, for example, is a
crime. Taking someone's clothes out of their locker and throwing
them in a toilet, if it is not a crime, it should be. And the same
goes for harassment.
"Frankly, Mr. Peterson, I am
shocked that you would ask Rachel what it is she would like you to
do. We came here for help. We thought you would tell us what you –
"
"Now wait a minute, young lady,"
Mr. Peterson said. "Hold on just one minute." He got up and closed
his office door, then sat back down.
"Okay. Listen. Rachel, you are new
to this school and new to this town. You have a southern accent, a
Tennessee accent, and I'm not saying there is anything wrong with
that, not at all, but it makes you different from everybody else
here.
"So you are new and different.
What is not different is what you say you are going through. It's a
rite of passage, is what it is. And it happens in every school in
the nation, probably in the whole world, every time there's a new
kid on the block.
"It may not be comfortable for you
at the time, but it will pass, and you will survive. Trust me. What
you have to do is work things out with these kids. I can't do that
for you. In fact, these things are pretty much completely out of my
control. It's up to you. I wish I could help you, but I can't. If I
could, I would.
"I'm sorry you're having a bad
time. But it will get better soon. It's just a rite of passage,
that's all."
Rachel and Tabby looked at each
other. Rachel got up to leave.
"Thanks for your time, Mr.
Peterson," she said.
"You're welcome," he said. "Now
have a great day."
The girls started to walk out of
the office. Then Tabby turned around and said:
"Mr. Peterson, not to beat a dead
horse, but I should give you fair warning. You might be the boss in
this school, but my father is the mayor of this town. And he has
friends, good friends, on the school board. Keep that in mind,
sir."
"Are you threatening me, young
lady?"
"My name is Tabby. It is not
'young lady.' Threatening you? No. I'm just telling you that if you
won't deal with the bullies in your school, we are going to take
your advice and handle this situation ourselves.
"Now you have a great day,
sir."
The girls walked out of Mr.
Peterson's office and closed the door behind them.
●●●
"Oh my god," Rachel said after she
and Tabby were out in the hallway. "I guess maybe I am different
from the kids around here. I could never have talked that way to a
… to an authority figure like Mr. Peterson."
"Are you angry with me?" Tabby
asked.
"No, I don't think so. I really
don't know what I am. Except in shock."
"Well, I'm kind of used to talking
to adults that way," Tabby said, "because there are so many of them
who are just plain stupid. I couldn't believe my ears when he asked
you what you wanted him to do about it. I mean, is he the
principal, or is he not the principal?"
"Yeah. I'm just afraid of what
he'll do now," Rachel said. "And I don't even know what that might
be. But I can see him calling your dad and telling him you
threatened him. Do you think he might even kick us out of
school?"
"On what grounds? Because we
called him out for not doing his job? And don't worry about my dad.
He's used to me shooting my mouth off. Nothing will come of
that."
"Are you sure?"
"Listen, Jimmy called me last
night. He came up with this idea. I think it's a terrific idea, a
brilliant idea, but I didn't mention it to you because Jimmy asked
me to hold off until he had a chance to talk with Bull and Rodney
and Sheldon. Maybe he called them last night or is talking to them
today. Anyway, he will tell us the deal when we give you and Rodney
a ride up to the cemetery after football practice
today."
"Can't you even give me a
give you names, and I will if you want me to. But it seems to me,
and we have talked this over with Sheldon Beasley, Jimmy Blaze and
Bull Evenshot, and they agree, that some of the things that have
been done to Rachel are criminal.
"Stealing, for example, is a
crime. Taking someone's clothes out of their locker and throwing
them in a toilet, if it is not a crime, it should be. And the same
goes for harassment.
"Frankly, Mr. Peterson, I am
shocked that you would ask Rachel what it is she would like you to
do. We came here for help. We thought you would tell us what you –
"
"Now wait a minute, young lady,"
Mr. Peterson said. "Hold on just one minute." He got up and closed
his office door, then sat back down.
"Okay. Listen. Rachel, you are new
to this school and new to this town. You have a southern accent, a
Tennessee accent, and I'm not saying there is anything wrong with
that, not at all, but it makes you different from everybody else
here.
"So you are new and different.
What is not different is what you say you are going through. It's a
rite of passage, is what it is. And it happens in every school in
the nation, probably in the whole world, every time there's a new
kid on the block.
"It may not be comfortable for you
at the time, but it will pass, and you will survive. Trust me. What
you have to do is work things out with these kids. I can't do that
for you. In fact, these things are pretty much completely out of my
control. It's up to you. I wish I could help you, but I can't. If I
could, I would.
"I'm sorry you're having a bad
time. But it will get better soon. It's just a rite of passage,
that's all."
Rachel and Tabby looked at each
other. Rachel got up to leave.
"Thanks for your time, Mr.
Peterson," she said.
"You're welcome," he said. "Now
have a great day."
The girls started to walk out of
the office. Then Tabby turned around and said:
"Mr. Peterson, not to beat a dead
horse, but I should give you fair warning. You might be the boss in
this school, but my father is the mayor of this town. And he has
friends, good friends, on the school board. Keep that in mind,
sir."
"Are you threatening me, young
lady?"
"My name is Tabby. It is not
'young lady.' Threatening you? No. I'm just telling you that if you
won't deal with the bullies in your school, we are going to take
your advice and handle this situation ourselves.
"Now you have a great day,
sir."
The girls walked out of Mr.
Peterson's office and closed the door behind them.
●●●
"Oh my god," Rachel said after she
and Tabby were out in the hallway. "I guess maybe I am different
from the kids around here. I could never have talked that way to a
… to an authority figure like Mr. Peterson."
"Are you angry with me?" Tabby
asked.
"No, I don't think so. I really
don't know what I am. Except in shock."
"Well, I'm kind of used to talking
to adults that way," Tabby said, "because there are so many of them
who are just plain stupid. I couldn't believe my ears when he asked
you what you wanted him to do about it. I mean, is he the
principal, or is he not the principal?"
"Yeah. I'm just afraid of what
he'll do now," Rachel said. "And I don't even know what that might
be. But I can see him calling your dad and telling him you
threatened him. Do you think he might even kick us out of
school?"
"On what grounds? Because we
called him out for not doing his job? And don't worry about my dad.
He's used to me shooting my mouth off. Nothing will come of
that."
"Are you sure?"
"Listen, Jimmy called me last
night. He came up with this idea. I think it's a terrific idea, a
brilliant idea, but I didn't mention it to you because Jimmy asked
me to hold off until he had a chance to talk with Bull and Rodney
and Sheldon. Maybe he called them last night or is talking to them
today. Anyway, he will tell us the deal when we give you and Rodney
a ride up to the cemetery after football practice
today."
"Can't you even give me a
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