by J. A. York
"I don't think you'll get into trouble for saying that," Tabby said. "I think you could make a very strong case for that."
"Well, I agree with you, Tabby," Rachel said. "But then I'm not exactly an unbiased observer."
"You know what it is, don't you? Everybody?" Jimmy asked. "You know what we're dealing with, don't you?
"The human pecking order.
"Yeah, there are some jerks in this school. But they don't pick on Tabby, because her dad is a banker and has been the mayor of Chante for years. They don't pick on Sheldon, because his dad owns the Ford dealership in town. Heck, they don't pick on anybody who has money, or whose parents have money. They don't pick on me anymore, because I'm 6 foot 4 and a big football jock. They don't pick on Bull anymore, because he's 6 foot 2 and weighs 240 pounds and is a big football jock. And after what Rodney did on the football field today, I don't think anybody is going to pick on him anymore.
"So who do they pick on? They pick on poor people. How do I know this? Because I see it every day, yes. But also because I've been there. And Bull has been there.
"I had an alcoholic mother. She drank herself to death because she just couldn't face life without my father, who was blown up by a land mine in the Korean War. We never had any money, because my mother spent it all on booze. So people called me names. And they told me to my face that my mother was a drunk, a slut and a whore. And it got to me so bad that I could hardly talk. Literally. I stuttered for years.
"And Bull committed the sin of being born an Indian. Having brown skin is bad enough, but don't you know that all Indians are drunks and lazy wards of the government, just waiting for their monthly handout so they can drink, get in fights and kill each other? Let's pick on them. Let's kick them while they're down.
"So why do they pick on the poor? Because they think the poor are lesser beings. Because it makes them feel superior. Because they need somebody to blame for everything, and the poor are easy targets.
"So yeah, Rache, we're with you. We are so with you."
●●●
At 8:30 Monday morning, Rachel and Tabby walked into the principal's office.
"Good morning, Mrs. Wright," Rachel said to the principal's secretary, who was seated at her desk.
Mrs. Wright looked up at them.
"Good morning, girls. Hi, Tabby," she said. Tabby nodded.
"Is Mr. Peterson in?" Rachel asked. "We'd like to talk with him for a minute."
"He's at a faculty meeting," Mrs. Wright said. "But he should be here soon. Have a seat."
"Have you met Rachel Stark, Mrs. Wright?" Tabby asked.
"Oh, no, I haven't," the woman said. "Glad to meet you. Are you related to Rodney Stark by any chance?"
"He's my brother."
"Oh, my. Well, he is some football player."
"Yes, he is. I'm very proud of him."
"As you should be. And Sheldon is some football player too, Tabby."
"Yes, he is. I'm very proud of him."
They all laughed.
"Well, have a seat, girls. Mr. Peterson will be here shortly."
Mrs. Wright went back to her work. Rachel and Tabby sat down on the vinyl couch near the door to the hallway.
"I hate waiting," Rachel whispered. "I get cold feet very easily."
"Is that why your leg is bouncing up and down?" Tabby asked.
The girls giggled.
"Believe it or not," Tabby said, "this is my first time in the principal's office."
"You're kidding."
"Not kidding."
"You must be a really good girl."
"No, I just never get caught."
The girls giggled.
"Me too," Rachel said.
"You too what?"
"This is my first time in the principal's office." Rachel paused. "How come when you say that, it almost feels like you're saying, 'This is my first time in detention'?"
"Yeah, or, 'This is my first time in a police lineup'."
The girls giggled.
The next thing they heard was Mr. Peterson's booming voice.
"Good morning! Are you girls waiting to see anyone in particular?"
"Yes sir, you," Rachel said.
He laughed.
"Well, come on in."
The girls followed Mr. Peterson into his office.
"Have a seat," he said. He stood behind his huge walnut desk.
"Now, Tabby I know. But I haven't had the pleasure of meeting this young lady."
"I'm Rachel Stark."
He reached across his desk and shook hands with Rachel.
"Rodney's sister?"
"Yes, sir."
"Wow. Where did that guy learn to play football like that?"
"I don't know," Rachel said. "Guess it just comes naturally."
"Exactly. The moves he makes on that field, you can't coach that. You gotta be born with it."
"Guess so."
"I also understand, Rachel, that you have a beautiful singing voice."
"Yes, she does, Mr. Peterson," Tabby said. "Unbelievably beautiful."
"That's what Mr. Nelson tells me. That's wonderful." He leaned back in his chair, put his fingertips together and said:
"Well, what can I do for you girls today?"
Rachel took a deep breath, then told him the whole story. He nodded from time to time as she talked, but his face displayed no emotion.
When Rachel finished, he leaned forward and put his hands on his desk.
"And just what is it you would like me to do?" he asked.
Rachel was floored. It was a question that came right out of the blue, and she had no idea how to respond. But Tabby came to her rescue.
"Mr. Peterson," Tabby said, "I'm with Rachel today because I have personally witnessed some of the things she is talking about. There are girls in this school who are trying to make her life miserable. I know that for a fact. I could give you names, and I will if you want me to. But it seems to me, and we have talked this over with Sheldon Beasley, Jimmy Blaze and Bull Evenshot, and they agree, that some of the things that have been done to Rachel are criminal.
"Stealing, for example, is a crime. Taking someone's clothes out of their locker and throwing them in a toilet, if it is not a crime, it should be. And the same goes for harassment.
"Frankly, Mr. Peterson, I am shocked that you would ask Rachel what it is she would like you to do. We came here for help. We thought you would tell us what you – "
"Now wait a minute, young lady," Mr. Peterson said. "Hold on just one minute." He got up and closed his office door, then sat back down.
"Okay. Listen. Rachel, you are new to this school and new to this town. You have a southern accent, a Tennessee accent, and I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, not at all, but it makes you different from everybody else here.
"So you are new and different. What is not different is what you say you are going through. It's a rite of passage, is what it is. And it happens in every school in the nation, probably in the whole world, every time there's a new kid on the block.
"It may not be comfortable for you at the time, but it will pass, and you will survive. Trust me. What you have to do is work things out with these kids. I can't do that for you. In fact, these things are pretty much completely out of my control. It's up to you. I wish I could help you, but I can't. If I could, I would.
"I'm sorry you're having a bad time. But it will get better soon. It's just a rite of passage, that's all."
Rachel and Tabby looked at each other. Rachel got up to leave.
"Thanks for your time, Mr. Peterson," she said.
"You're welcome," he said. "Now have a great day."
The girls started to walk out of the office. Then Tabby turned around and said:
"Mr. Peterson, not to beat a dead horse, but I should give you fair warning. You might be the boss in this school, but my father is the mayor of this town. And he has friends, good friends, on the school board. Keep that in mind, sir."
"Are you threa
tening me, young lady?"
"My name is Tabby. It is not 'young lady.' Threatening you? No. I'm just telling you that if you won't deal with the bullies in your school, we are going to take your advice and handle this situation ourselves.
"Now you have a great day, sir."
The girls walked out of Mr. Peterson's office and closed the door behind them.
●●●
"Oh my god," Rachel said after she and Tabby were out in the hallway. "I guess maybe I am different from the kids around here. I could never have talked that way to a … to an authority figure like Mr. Peterson."
"Are you angry with me?" Tabby asked.
"No, I don't think so. I really don't know what I am. Except in shock."
"Well, I'm kind of used to talking to adults that way," Tabby said, "because there are so many of them who are just plain stupid. I couldn't believe my ears when he asked you what you wanted him to do about it. I mean, is he the principal, or is he not the principal?"
"Yeah. I'm just afraid of what he'll do now," Rachel said. "And I don't even know what that might be. But I can see him calling your dad and telling him you threatened him. Do you think he might even kick us out of school?"
"On what grounds? Because we called him out for not doing his job? And don't worry about my dad. He's used to me shooting my mouth off. Nothing will come of that."
"Are you sure?"
"Listen, Jimmy called me last night. He came up with this idea. I think it's a terrific idea, a brilliant idea, but I didn't mention it to you because Jimmy asked me to hold off until he had a chance to talk with Bull and Rodney and Sheldon. Maybe he called them last night or is talking to them today. Anyway, he will tell us the deal when we give you and Rodney a ride up to the cemetery after football practice today."
"Can't you even give me a hint?" Rachel asked.
"Well, all I can say is that we got the power on this one, Rache. We kids do. Not Mr. Peterson, not even the school board. We do. We got the leverage. And if we have to use it, we will."
"What if I don't like the plan?" Rachel said. "It's my butt that's on the line. Do I have veto power?"
Tabby was silent for a moment.
"Actually, no," she said finally. "Because this problem is bigger than just you. Jimmy made me realize that. You're not the only kid who's getting pushed around in this school. You might be getting pushed harder than most, but you're not the only one. Not by a long shot.
"What Peterson said about you being new and different and that's why kids are picking on you is BS. Total BS. There are kids in this school getting picked on who have lived here their whole lives. Good kids. Good kids who are so beat down now that you hardly notice them anymore. Because they're hiding most of the time.
"So along comes you, this girl with an incredible, angelic voice. With a voice and a talent like you have, you can't go unnoticed, you can't hide. So you are the perfect poster child for what needs to be done. Jimmy says this is an actionable moment, because the business about kids treating other kids like shit has got to stop. And he's right."
The class bell rang, and the girls went their separate ways.
●●●
Later the same day, after Mr. Peterson called Phil Moore, Tabby's father, and told him of his conversation with Tabby and Rachel; after Phil Moore called Tabby at school; after Mr. Peterson also alerted Ed Reynolds, the president of the Chante School Board, as to what the two girls said; and after football practice, the six kids climbed into Sheldon's old Ford for the ride up to the cemetery.
"OK, you got the floor, Jimmy," Tabby said as Sheldon pulled out of the school parking lot.
"Well, first of all, you should know that Sheldon, Bull, Rodney and I unanimously agreed that we should put this plan into action. In fact, each one of them separately said yes without me even asking them whether they would go along with the idea.
"Second, it is our thinking, that is, the thinking of the four guys in this car, that you should be left out of this thing altogether, Rache. We don't want this to become known as a plan to rescue Rachel Stark. We want to focus on how to stop the bullies at Chante High, whether they be boys or girls, from picking on kids that they, for whatever reason, don't like. There is no need, Rache, for your name to ever even be mentioned.
"OK, here's the plan. We four guys, and just us four guys, nobody else, are going to go to the principal's office first thing tomorrow morning and ask to see Mr. Peterson and – and – Coach O'Connor.
"If Mrs. Wright says Peterson is not in, or he's too busy, or for whatever reason he's not able to meet with us, we will wait. We will skip classes and wait there all day if we have to. Sooner or later he has to come out of his hole. And when he does, well, we'll grab him. So to speak.
"And here's what we'll say. We'll ask him first of all to call Coach O'Connor into the office. Then, when the coach is there, we'll tell them we think there is a serious problem with bullies at Chante High. And we, all of us, have some examples of that we can talk about.
"Then we'll ask, in a very non-threatening manner, if he will take action to correct that situation. If he says there is nothing he can do, we'll say yes there is.
"We'll say Mr. Peterson, first of all, you have a bully pulpit. Perfect name for it, huh? What we suggest you do, Mr. Peterson, is call a special assembly to talk about the bullying problem. Give examples that have been brought to your attention, without using names, of course. And tell the kids that such behavior will no longer be tolerated.
"Then second, announce that a special committee will be formed to deal with the problem. This committee will consist exclusively of students – 8, 10, 12 – however many. And they will be anonymous – no one will know who these committee members are. And their job will be to report directly to Mr. Peterson whenever they witness incidents of bullying.
"The trick is that this committee will not only be anonymous, it also will be a phantom committee. In other words, it won't really exist. The idea is that if bullies just think there are spies in their midst, and they don't know who those spies are, they might be less inclined to do their stupid stuff.
"And third, Mr. Peterson, you can bring the parents into this. You can ask them to talk with their kids about the problem, tell them how wrong it is, etcetera etcetera.
"OK now, here's the kicker. Are you ready for this? If Peterson won't go along with the plan, or even if he just dances around the question and says he'll have to think about it, or talk to the school board, or whatever stalling tactic he might come up with, we tell him this:
"If you don't, at the very least, call a special assembly within the next two days – that's tomorrow and Thursday – and talk about the bullying problem and tell the kids that you plan to take action to eliminate that kind of behavior at Chante High, we – Sheldon Beasley, Bull Evenshot, Jimmy Blaze and Rodney Stark – will quit the football team immediately and not return until you do."
Rachel gasped.
"That's how serious we are about this," Jimmy said. "But let me tell you something. You could threaten to eliminate the music program at Chante High, and nothing would happen. You could threaten to cut out the drama department, and nothing would happen. You could drop math, history, science, art, you name it, and no one would say a word.
"But don't you dare fuck with the football program, or there will be riots in the streets. Don't you fucking dare."
"And if they call our bluff," Sheldon said, "they will find out just how serious we are. Every one of is absolutely committed to quitting the football team if we have to. And everybody knows that without the four of us Chante would not win another game this year. That's not braggadocio, that's a fact. But if we have to hold the football program hostage to get what we want, that's what we will do."
"Because what we want," Rodney said, "is for the school, for the adults, to do the right thing, and for the kids to do the right thing."
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Football is a game," Rodney said. "It's just a game. Rachel is my
sister. Somebody has to stand for up for her, and for kids like her. If I don't, if we don't, who will?"
Rachel gave him a hug. They cried on each other's shoulder.
●●●
The next morning the four football players met with Mr. Peterson and Coach O'Connor.
"You're kidding," the coach said when the players laid out their ultimatum. "That's crazy. Sheldon, Jimmy … are you … are you guys nuts? You can't be serious."
"Does it sound like we're kidding, coach?" Bull said. "Do you really think we would be having this meeting if we were kidding? C'mon, coach."
"Well, it's crazy," the coach said, growing angrier by the second. "It's crazy. Do you know what you're doing? Do you know how upset and angry people in this town would be if you guys quit the team? They'd probably string you guys up. This is unreal. I can't believe this is real."
"It doesn't have to happen, coach," Sheldon said.
"No, it doesn't. Not if you guys pull your heads out of your ass," the coach said.
"What's important to you, coach?" Jimmy asked.
"What do you mean? What the hell are you talking about?"
"No, really," Jimmy said. "What's important in your life? If someone were to ask you what's important to you in life, what would you say?"
"What's important to me is that you stick to your word. What's important is that you don't let people down. You don't betray their trust. You don't walk out on your teammates, who are counting on you. That's what's important to me. Now you tell me what's important to you."
"The exact same thing, coach," Jimmy said. "The exact same thing. I look at all the kids in this school who are bullied every day, made to feel awful about themselves, to feel alone and unloved, abused and tossed aside … I know how they feel, coach, because I used to walk in their shoes. And I made a commitment a long time ago that I would stand with these people against the bullies. And I'm going to stick to my word. I'm on their team. I will not betray them. I will not let them down, because I know they are counting on me. They're important to me. Football is not. As Rodney said yesterday, football is just a game."
The coach jumped up from his chair.