Midnight Memories (ON HOLD )

Chapter 17: Inner Thoughts

"There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't." ― John Green

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Lyn (Alyna Ameer)

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I stare, not moving an inch. The door suddenly opens from behind me and Mr. Oliver walks in, oblivious to the tension in the air. I think he is humming to himself as he settles the books in his hands on the long table in the middle where the boys are sitting.

"Well, I'm so glad you could make it girls!" he exclaims. I tear my eyes away from Haden's forcing myself to look up at Mr. Oliver. "Why don't you two take a seat?"

Aly moves first, taking a seat in front Haden. She looks up at me with a peculiar face that I think is meant to be a reassuring one, and I realize that she thinks that she is doing me a favor by sitting in front of Haden. Of course, she heard our conversation at Amara's house.

I quickly take a seat beside her, my eyes still intently on Mr. Oliver. I can feel Haden burning holes on the side of my head. What the hell does he want? He literally told me not to speak with him, so why is he staring at me? I can feel part of myself being pleased with the attention, but now I am just getting angry. How dare he tell me not to talk to him and then he goes and stares at me like this?

"So," begins our clueless teacher, "these are the boys that I was talking about. This is Haden and that is Michael," says Mr. Oliver, pointing them both out. So the blondie's name is Michael? "Boys, meet the girls from DOC. This is Alyna Naadir and the other one is Alyna Ameer. They have the same name," he chuckles. "I think you can call them by their last names?"

"No, I prefer Aly," says Aly quickly.

Before I can tell them to call me Lyn, Haden speaks up. "She likes being called Lyn," he says, jerking his head in my direction. I finally lift my head, my eyes meeting his. So, he is going to acknowledge that we know each other, huh?

"You two know each other?" asks Mr. Oliver.

"We are friends," replies Haden. Friends, are we now?

"Brilliant! I'm sure you two are thrilled with having this opportunity to work together! So," Mr. Oliver says, clapping his hands together, "first order of business is our very first debate. The first meeting is going to be in two weeks, during the winter break. It is always held on the first of January to kickstart the new year!"

Genius, whoever that was, thinking that students would just love spending the first day of a new year arguing with other people.

"Anyways, so we are going to be going there as two teams. There is the boys' team, which is Haden and Michael, and the girls' team, which is Aly and Lyn."

He is acting like Aly and I are going to confuse ourselves into thinking that we are on the boys' team.

"So, the first topic is going to be about something recent actually. The boys will be getting the topic of poverty in Yemen, and the girls will get the new abortion law in Alabama. Now, I get that the law does not affect us Canadians, but it is important to debate and choose the winning side."

Aly and I glance at each other. The new abortion laws? Piece of cake. I have to much to say on this topic, don't even get me started. As a big feminist myself, how dare those ugly white, idiotic, pigs of politician men choose what a girl does with her own body? Outrageous! Judging from Aly's face, I know what she is thinking too. Now, the only problem arising from this is which side we would have to fight on...

"Mr. Oliver?" I ask. "Will we be for the law or against the law? Because, if we are for the law, I might have the slightest of problems."