not like you → c . barton

[2]

Monday rolled around, and I found myself walking to school. I would be meeting one of my friends along the way, and from that meeting point, we'd cut across the train tracks and go through the apple tree grove to get to school. My bag wasn't as heavy as most days, but that's because I.... left my math binder at home.... I shrugged it off and kept walking to my friend's house, knowing that either of them might have a spare copy of the homework that I could do during homeroom. I saw a house across the way, and I grinned. My two friends, Jeb and Diamond, were sitting on their front porch. Jeb was chipping away at the wooden railing that went on the porch stairs, and Diamond was sitting beside him, with earbuds around her neck. As best as I could, I jogged over with my bag slung over my shoulder, and they turned to look at me.

"Hey 'Lex," Jeb smiled, ceasing his chipping. Diamond smiled at me, and they both stood, grabbing their bags. We all headed for school, talking and gently shoving each other, until we reached the train tracks. These tracks hadn't been used in years, but we were always pretty careful when it came to crossing them. One at a time, we crossed the tracks and continued towards the apple tree grove. Jeb had carved out our names into a trunk a few years ago, when he found a carving knife wedged into the tree. He still has that knife. He whittles with it when he's bored. We got to school, and I had to push past other annoying eighth graders to get to my locker, so I earned a few dirty looks. I got to my locker and got my morning binders out, setting my afternoon binders and lunch bag inside. Jeb, Diamond, and I weren't in the same homeroom, but we had most of our classes together. So, I had to sit in a loud and obnoxious homeroom just to get through another boring May day.

***

At about seventh period that day, everything went down the tube. I said it was May, right? Well, it was one of those hot days where all you wanna do is go sit in the library with the Dr. Who loving librarian. (I'm not kidding. This dude's email profile pic is the TARDIS). Anyways, me, Diamond, and a metric butt-ton of other girls were wearing shorts, and we have this rule. If your shorts don't go past your fingertips, you have to change them. Well, according to pretty much every teacher I had, including the females, our shorts weren't appropriate length. That is just one way to piss me off. I went through one whole day of being told that my clothing was 'provocative' and 'revealing'. But here's the messed up part: they only targeted me and Diamond. Every other girl who had their bra showing through a skimpy white t-shirt wasn't getting called out. WE were. So, Diamond and I were marched down to the Principal's office, where we sat down and listened to a forty minute lecture on how our clothing could be considered distracting and how the young men couldn't focus due to our revealing wear. That's when I fucking lost it.

"Oh, okay. How is that right? How is that okay at all? Telling me that my clothing is wrong, when the school's should be teaching boys that girls aren't objects to oogle at. Boys will be boys is a poor excuse, and you know it. I should have the freedom to wear a tank top in this goddamn school without having to worry about being told that I was being 'racey'. What's gonna happen? Kids are gonna collide in the halls because my shoulders are bare? That's bullshit and you know it! Everyone in this school knows it! And you are just as bad for supporting the fact that women are just objects!" I ranted for what seemed like ten minutes, and Diamond kept trying to stop me.