Black Honey

ten

I remember it was what seemed like eons ago, but it is still so vivid. The day everything changed. 

Jake and I had spent most of the night looking for Sam's old girlfriends, flings, etc. It was exhausting and only 18 actually cared enough to agree to protest. We had agreed to protest on a Friday, so that I wouldn't have to face Sam after it was all done. After arranging the details, Jake drove me home. We were at my house, and he pulled up in the driveway. As I was getting out, he pulls my arm. 

"What's up?" I asked, peeking back in the car. 
"I just wanted to say you're not like anyone else Sam has been with. You're driven. I can see why Sam is into you." He smiled.
"Jake, is it true? What Sam said?" I asked, cautiously.
"About me stealing all his girlfriends?"
I nodded.
"Sam dates a lot of women. He doesn't always treat them nicely. One of his girlfriends looked really heartbroken when he cheated on her, which I completely understand. What was worse was she was a family friend. I took her out to get ice cream. That was it. Sam is convinced there was something physical going on the entire time. So now he likes to say I stole his girlfriend."
"Why don't you ever correct him?"
"Have you met Sam? He's stubborn."
I nodded. "Well goodnight Jake, thanks for all your help."
He nodded and smiled at me.

The entire week I was nervously going through my daily routine, knowing full well how much drama the  protest would cause. When Friday finally rolled around, I was hesitant to go to school, but I knew I had started this and it was my turn to finish it. I get to school and walk to the spot where I had told everyone to meet-- behind the school. Most of the girls went here, but some of them didn't and I was surprised what kind of an outreach Sam had. Some of these girls were from Catholic schools, some were home schooled. We had decided on a lowkey kind of protest, showing up at Sam's locker, handing out fliers about Sam to everyone, about what he had done. 

Our lookout signals to us that Sam had pulled into the parking lot and through the back entrance of the school, we file in making our way toward his locker, handing out fliers as we go. Sam's eyes go wide the minute he spots all of us, standing at his locker. Whichever girl Sam was with turned and looked at him, asking what was going on. He hesitantly walked up to us.

"What's going on Y/N?" He asked me. 

"Recognize these girls, Kiszka?" 

He looked around and shook his head, confused. 

"These are SOME of the women you dated, cheated on, or slept with, who HATE your guts"

"Y/N i have no clue what you're--" 

"Don't worry, we've all talked, and we've handed out your secrets for the whole school to know."

He looked terrified, and I get a tap on my shoulder. I spin around---Mr. Duke, the principal. 

"Mrs. Y/L/N, I'm sure hoping you're not the one who organized this little protest here."

I said nothing. 

"This is bullying, and this school has a no tolerance policy, especially for bullying of this proportion. I'm afraid I'm going to have to suspend you." 

I look at him in disbelief. "But Mr. Duke, you don't understand he--"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Y/L/N, but you know the rules. 1 month suspension."