SONDER

𝘰𝘯𝘦

mentions of an eating disorder & S.A. in this chapter.

SAIDA

"Is abortion murder?" Mrs. Frisch asked the class. "If you believe it is, stand on the right side of the room. If you believe it isn't, stand on the left."

I stood up from my desk and made my way to the left side of the classroom. Majority of people came to the left as well, as a few people went to the right side of the room.

"Okay, now if you're on the right side of the room, tell me why you believe it is."

"Because that's a kid. You're taking a life away, that's murder." Lukas shrugged his shoulders and I rolled my eyes slightly.

"It's not murder though, it's not a kid, and it's not a life you're taking away. It's just a clump of cells. It's not a life until it can survive on it's own outside of the human body." I retorted.

"Most people that get abortions are blacks so there's no surprise that you think that." He messed with a bracelet on his wrist and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What does that have to do with how I feel though? Race and statistics have nothing to do with what I believe—"

"I'm just saying there's no surprise that you think it's not murder, your family members probably have had a few of them." He leaned back against the whiteboard, gaining a few laughs from the people that were on the side of the class with him.

"How is that funny?" Mekhi asked. "That was just ignorant as hell and y'all know it. Race don't have nothing to do with abortions period, some people just don't be fit to have kids so why keep a kid you can't support?"

"Adoption." Autumn spoke up and I stared at her.

"Giving birth is complicated and is a life or death situation, why go through all of that if you won't even witness the baby grow up?"

"Why open your legs then?" She shot back.

"Everybody that gets pregnant isn't pregnant by choice. People get pregnant from being raped, Autumn."

"Babies are blessings, if you're blessed with one then keep it. No matter how you get it." Lukas said.

"So you're telling me that if someone was raped and became pregnant, they should keep it because that's a blessing?" I asked and he nodded making me scoff. "If being taken advantage of equals a blessing then I'll pass, because that makes no sense."

"Should've dressed like you respected yourself then and it wouldn't have been an issue. Dressing like a slut is what gets women assaulted. You're one of the people who should know all about dressing respectfully, Saida." Autumn made a face.

"You sound stupid, the way you dress doesn't mean anything. I could walk around naked—"

"I'd love to see that,"

"Have some type of respect, that shit is disgusting." Mekhi made a face and I cleared my throat lowly not even wanting to finish talking. "You can keep talking."

"I don't even want to. The bell is about to ring." I mumbled, reaching down to grab my purse.

A minute or two later the bell rang and I quickly grabbed all of my things and made my way out of the classroom and even though I could feel myself being followed, I wasn't turning around.