R.J Forever?

Chapter 9: The Anonymous Student's Complaint

Ricky's POV:

I've been silently shaking my leg and freaking out all morning because I sent E.J a text message this morning to the number he wrote down on my loose notebook paper yesterday behind the bleachers and my friends think I have some kind of problem or need to go to the bathroom.

I hate feeling like this.

I just hope that he didn't give me a fake phone number then go off to tell his hundreds of friends that he pranked me or something like someone on MTV punk'd would do.

I really like him; and he was really nice to me the other day so I see no reason why he shouldn't text me back other than the fact that I said, 'I shouldn't have sent this' at the end of the message.

Maybe I threw him off? Maybe he doesn't like me or doesn't want to talk to me anymore?

"Ricky Bowen, please come to my office," I feel someone tap on my shoulder and break my train of thoughts about the text that I sent and look up and see the school principal standing behind Gina and I's lunch table.

Unfortunately, Big Red decided to sit with his nerd friends today and Nini and Kourt, well they are at their own table because they have girl stuff to talk about. So I guess you can say that, Gina and I created the gay kids table.

"Um ok, did I do something wrong?" I quickly put put down the flashcards that Gina and I have been studying for our World History test for that we have at the end of the week.

"Come with me, Mr. Bowen," I quickly pack my lunch up into my brown bag and grab my backpack then follow the principal quietly down the hall.

Once we get to Principal Reister's office, I sit down awkwardly in one of the two chairs placed in his office and put my hands in my pockets to pick on my nails privately while he takes time to close the door and sit down in front of me.

I've honestly never been called to the principal's office before. I didn't even get sent to the main office when I had a mental breakdown last fall in the library when my dad couldn't pick me up because of the divorce case he had to go through. I just kinda pulled through that day with Big Red by my side to tell me that things were going to get better.

"Uh did I do something wrong, Mr. R,?" I try my best not to look at the principal's stern face while biting my lip.

"It has bought to my attention by an anonymous student that you have broken the school dress code," I listen to him speak and almost make my jaw drop but quickly close it.

"What do you mean? I don't understand. I see nothing wrong with my outfit. I'm wearing an East High hoodie and jeans," I stare at him like he's a crazy man.

This is a public school. there's no dress code.

I'm showing school spirit.

"Show me your hands Mr. Bowen," I stare at the Principal in chock then take my hands out of my hoodie pocket and place them on his desk to see.

"You're not allowed to wear nail polish to school Mr. Bowen," I watch him glance at my nails that I painted a bright red last night after I got home from the best day of my life.

"Oh yeah, where does it say that? I didn't even know there was a rule for wearing nail polish," I look at him sternly and quite upset at the way he's treating me.

What's wrong with my nails?
Red is a school color. I've been wearing nail polish since last fall, well that nail polish was clear.

I was just experimenting but now I got my hands on some red nail polish that I got from the pharmacy one day when my dad was overworking as usual.

"Right here, in section IV of the student handbook it says 'Students shall not wear any visible temporary tattoos or extreme nail colors to school unless otherwise stated by staff for a special event like a pep rally or spirit week,'" I listen to him read off a handbook that I didn't even know we had at East High.

"What?! That's insane. I didn't even know that we had a student handbook before and I'm wearing red nail polish. Red is one of our school colors, Principal Reister," I argue with him because I saw that Nini was wearing blush pink nail polish today and that's not an 'extreme nail color'.

"Well now you know that we have a student handbook. It wasn't my complaint, some student pointed it out to me this morning. Unfortunately, I am going to have to give you detention today; and you can learn your lesson by thinking about removing that nail polish while sitting in detention in Mrs. Stradler's classroom before returning to school tomorrow," I cringe at the Principal's words while picking at my nails on my fingers that I hid in my hoodie pockets.

"This is a terrible school. I hate it here," I instantly get up off of the chair I was just sitting on in front of him and pick up my backpack then slam his door as loud as I can.

Boys can wear nail polish to school. This is insane.

After that awkward and unfair moment, I quickly check the time on my phone and realize that lunch is probably over, so instead of meeting up with Gina again, I head down the hall to my next class and shove my hands in my hoodie pocket.

Normally, after lunch I met up the Big Red outside the science hallway since I have 5th period, English and Creative Writing class with him, but today I just feel like a nobody and don't even wanna meet up with my best friend.

So instead of waiting for him in the hall, I head to the the classroom and take a seat on one of the stools at the corner table by the back window and wait for students to file in.

"Hey Ricky, where were you? I was waiting for you in the hallway. Why are you sitting in the back of the classroom today?" I look up from putting my head down on the table to see my red-haired best friend standing next to me while other students file in.

"I don't know. Just decided to come to class early today. I just want to sit here today," I give him a half smile and shove my hands in my hoodie pocket even more.

"Oh okay. Did you do the writing prompt for today? I totally forgot to do it and I don't have anything to give to the teacher," I half listen to my best friend and half zone out and think about the unnecessary detention that I have after school.

"Hmm yeah. I wrote about prompt 3: a time when I felt most alone or insecure," I whisper to him quietly since there's other people at our table.

I'm not an open person who likes to share my writing but I will do the stupid prompts that the teacher gives us.

I actually like creative writing even though some kids feel that the teacher is just forcing us to share our emotions.

Throughout creative writing class, I zone out on what the teacher is saying about the next writing prompt and don't even bother to think about how gross it is that my best friend is picking his nose right in front of me.

I could call less about Big Red's boogers.

I just don't get why the principal had to give me detention for wearing nail polish to school. Nini wears nail polish all the time!

"Hey Ricky, wanna skate to my place today? We could do some homework in my basement and order take out," I hear the bell ring and stare at my best friend and try to focus on what he's talking about.

"Can't do that, I got detention after school. See ya tomorrow," I get up off of my seat and head to my next class so that I can zone out about this stupid detention there.

Gosh, this is going to be a long 2.5 hours till I have to sit in a detention period, that I don't even deserve to go to. Then I have to go home and find some of my mom's old nail polish remover to take this stuff off my nails so that I can go to school tomorrow without getting sent to the principal's office.

A/N: this is a real thing. guys in some public schools have gotten detention and suspended for wearing nail polish to school bcs the dress codes are too strict. I personally have seen this happen to guys at private schools too and it sucks