Our New Normal

  * * *

  “Thank you for calling the Pittsburgh Gazette. This is John Rosenberg, Editor.”

  “Yes, hello,” a raspy voice greeted. “This is Alexander Stevens of the National Tribune. We’ve received a copy of your paper’s article regarding the CEO of HyperSpeed Technologies, and we would like to reproduce it in our newspaper.”

  John beamed, but he concealed his excitement from the caller. “I believe that could be arranged,” he replied casually. A national newspaper licensing our material! This is great! “Let me transfer you over to the licensing department.”

  Alexander thanked the editor and anxiously waited through the music as he was transferred. He hoped that he was the first to use the article; in this day and age of politically correct everything, a story about such blatant discrimination—especially from someone in charge of a diversity-laden company—was too good to pass on. He already had his people working on the internet article, and the preliminary draft was sitting in front of him.

  “Licensing department,” the voice greeted. “This is Troy Mathers speaking. How may I assist you today?”

  Chapter 42

  The news story had gone national, as expected, but everyone had miraculously left Tori’s name out of their articles. A few of the more astute reporters had found Tori’s info and called her cell for a comment about what had happened in court, but she declined; she didn’t want any more attention, especially not from the media. The calls stopped completely after a few weeks, and the media had only concentrated on the horrible remarks that her father had made against the gay community as a whole. She wondered what the outcome would be, though she doubted that it would go far enough to hurt him on a long-term scale; he’d most likely get a slap on the wrist and go about his business while his underlings handled the aftermath.

  Many LGBTQ organizations across the country were condemning Timothy for his offensive remarks against homosexuals. Some fervent human rights activists were practically calling for blood, demanding his immediate resignation at the absolute minimum. Tori almost felt sorry for her parents due to the harassment that they were surely enduring, but she was also relieved that so many others found her father’s comments and behavior deplorable. He was getting exactly what he deserved, as far as she was concerned.

  While many condemned him, he was also praised by zealous, Christian fundamentalists who insisted that his comments in court were grossly overdue as gay culture had been seeping its way into everyday life and was slowly taking over the world. Tori was sure that the few articles applauding his behavior were the only ones that he’d consider legitimate, and he would dismiss all other articles as heresy.

  At least, as a result of the hearing’s details, the other students had finally started to leave her alone. Even the Frosted Flakes had stopped taunting her from the safety of their lunch table. Though their silence made Tori feel a little uneasy, she was determined to enjoy the break while it lasted.

  “What about this gown?” Chloe asked as she stared longingly at a prom catalog.

  Tori scooted closer to Chloe and rested her head on her shoulder. Her brow crinkled thoughtfully. “I think it has too many ruffles,” she replied. “You need something more streamlined.”

  Chloe sighed, flipping the page. “Why can’t I wear my dress from the winter dance?” she asked. “That one fits me perfectly.”

  Tori smiled. “While you looked incredibly hot in it, you can’t wear it again,” she instructed. “You have to get a new dress. It’s your senior prom!”

  “I’m not going to be able to top that, though,” Chloe argued. “I don’t know which color to get, let alone which style, and there’s only a few weeks left!” She turned the book around and pushed it across the lunch table to Tina. “Please find something for me! I can’t bear to look at it anymore!”

  Tina chuckled, briefly leafing through the pages then passing it over to Lisa. “You can’t look at these silly magazines,” she declared. “You should go to the mall, try things on, and go from there.”

  “But I already tried that!” Chloe whined. “I’m almost out of time, and I can’t find anything that looks right on me!”

  Mark glanced over Lisa’s shoulder at the magazine for a moment before shrugging. “Maybe we should just take a road trip downtown and find you something.”

  Chloe scoffed. “I can’t afford that. Besides, what’s the point of driving a half-hour for a dress that I’ll only wear once?”

  “We’ll figure out something,” Tori assured her.

  Chloe clutched Tori’s hand, smiling weakly. “Did you register us as a couple yet?”

  Tori shook her head. “No, but I figured we could do that after school.”

  Chloe nodded happily, but her smile faded quickly as she noticed Sabrina advancing to their table.

  “You dykes don’t honestly think that you’ll be able to walk in the procession, do you?” Sabrina taunted.

  Tori rolled her eyes, frustrated that their break from the Frosted Flakes had ended. “What makes you think you can stop us?”

  Sabrina sneered. “Oh, it won’t be me that stops you,” she said. “It’ll be the school that does.”

  “Bullshit!” Chloe exclaimed.

  Sabrina scoffed. “No, it’s not. Haven’t you read the registration form? It states that only a male and female couple can register for the procession. That means no dykes allowed!”

  Tori’s face flushed. “We’ll just see about that!” she said as she stood up. She grabbed Chloe’s hand, staring at Sabrina defiantly. “Come on, babe, let’s register right now!” Chloe stood up, glaring at Sabrina as they trudged out of the room.

  “We’re going to the principal’s!” Tori shouted to the security guard. He nodded, going back to gazing into the cafeteria.

  “Can I help you?” the receptionist asked once Tori and Chloe entered the office.

  Tori nodded. “We want to register for prom,” she explained. “Can we please have a form?”

  The receptionist’s eyebrow rose. “You don’t have to register for prom if you’re going as friends; only couples have to register for the procession.”

  “We want to register as a couple,” Chloe interjected anxiously.

  “We want to walk in the procession, together, too,” Tori added.

  The receptionist was slightly taken aback. Never in the fifteen years of working for the school district had a same-sex couple tried to register. “Well, unfortunately, girls, I cannot let you do that.”

  “What?” Tori demanded angrily.

  The receptionist pulled out the registration form. “It says right here on the bottom: ‘Only one female and one male may register as a couple for the procession march.’ So, you see, I cannot let you register.”

  Chloe’s eyes filled with tears. “This can’t be!”

  “I’d like to speak to the principal right now, please,” Tori demanded.

  The receptionist shook her head, impatience on her face. “He’s not in his office,” she stated. “What class are you girls in?”

  “Lunch,” they replied in unison.

  “Okay.” She looked at the school schedule. “He won’t be back until you are well into your next period, so why don’t you try again after school? I’ll put a note on his desk so he knows to expect you.”

  Tori and Chloe glanced at each other, their stomachs churning with anger and grief. “We would like to talk to him as soon as possible,” Chloe began, “preferably as soon as he gets back, if he’ll allow us to miss a portion of class.”

  “That would be up to him,” the receptionist replied, her keyboard clacking as she glanced at her monitor. “He’s booked solid for the rest of the day.” She jotted a note on a sticky note. “I’ll put this on his desk right now. We’ll call you both to the office if he can see you before school ends. If he doesn’t pull you out of class, though, you can show up right after the last bell.”

  Tori and Chloe stood in the hallway outside of
the office, struggling to maintain composure. “Well, at least I didn’t buy a dress,” Chloe muttered, tears rolling down her face.

  Tori shook her head. “This isn’t over by a long shot,” she said through clenched teeth. She tugged on Chloe’s arm. “Let’s go talk to Randy about this.”

  Tori knocked quietly on Randy’s door, hoping that she wasn’t interrupting anything too important.

  Noticing Tori’s and Chloe’s distressed expressions, he paused his lecture and stepped out of the classroom. “Girls, are you okay?” he asked.

  Tori shook her head. “They won’t let us register as a couple for prom,” she lamented.

  “All we wanted to do was walk in the procession as a couple,” Chloe said. “The receptionist won’t let us and said that only a male and a female can register.”

  “We tried to talk to the principal, but she told us to come back after school,” Tori said.

  Randy sighed angrily. “I was worried that this might happen,” he muttered. He thought for a brief moment, knowing that they were short on time. “I tell you what: I will join the both of you after school in the principal’s office to discuss this with him. In the meantime, I want you both to calm down, and I don’t want either one of you to stop making plans to march in the procession. I’ll do everything in my power to ensure that this school recognizes you as the loving couple that you are.”

  Tori nodded wearily. “Thank you, Mr. Thompson.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Chloe agreed.

  They parted ways, and Tori and Chloe retreated to the library for the rest of lunch. The last thing that they needed to see was Sabrina’s smug expression when she discovered that, after everything, she had won.

  * * *

  Neither Tori nor Chloe paid much attention for the rest of the day. Chloe texted her mom to inform her of the situation, and Cynthia said that she’d meet them after school as well. Knowing that Randy and Cynthia would be there made them both a little less weary, but the knots in their stomachs never fully detangled.

  Tori and Chloe met Randy and Cynthia outside of the principal’s office, and they all walked into the office together. The receptionist guided them to the principal who was seated at his desk.

  Sitting across the desk, Tori cleared her throat. “We wanted to meet with you regarding prom,” she started. “My partner, Chloe, and I want to register as a couple so that we may walk in the procession.”

  Principal Austin shook his head. “You’re welcome to attend the prom, but it clearly states on the form that only a male and female can register as a couple.”

  “Why can’t the form be changed?” Chloe asked. “In this day and age, I think it would be appropriate to alter the terms slightly.”

  The principal scoffed. “I do that, and I got a whole lot of angry parents on my hands,” he said dismissively. “The guidelines have been clear for years, and they are not being altered.”

  “With all due respect,” Randy began, “to hell with the rules.”

  “Mr. Thompson!” the principal bellowed. “I will not tolerate such insolence, especially in front of students!”

  “Students or not, you are infringing on these girls’ rights. They are a loving, supportive couple, probably more so than many of the heterosexual couples in this school. They have as much of a right to march together in the procession as a straight couple.”

  “Since they are minors, they do not have the same civil right as adults—”

  “I do,” Tori interjected. “I’m emancipated. In the eyes of the law, I am legally an adult with all the rights and privileges thereof.”

  Randy leaned forward, staring intently at Mr. Austin. “Gerald, you know that I belong to the Outreach Center for Community Acceptance, correct?”

  “Yes, but—” Mr. Austin began.

  “And you are aware that, due to this membership, I have a wealth of resources with which to fight this, including lawyers and contacts in the American Civil Liberties Union. I’m sure you’re also aware that Miss Reynolds recently was engaged in a legal battle with her parents during which her father made discriminating remarks against the gay community. Being that this news went national, I would hate for another news article to hit the stands stating that this poor girl’s high school is also discriminating against her.”

  Mr. Austin threw his hands up in defeat. “Alright, alright, I get your point!” he exclaimed. “It still doesn’t change things, though, Randy. I don’t have the authority to just change rules as I see fit.”

  “Then with whom do we need to address this issue?” Mr. Thompson demanded.

  The principal sighed. “At the very least, I’ll have to speak to the superintendent. It may have to go to the school board, but I’m not sure how that’s going to go. We’ve never dealt with an issue like this.”

  Randy stood. “That’s fine,” he said calmly. “I’ll go to whatever meeting I have to go to until this is rectified.”

  “And so will we,” Tori declared defiantly.

  The principal shook his head. “I doubt you will be allowed—”

  “These are our lives that you’re messing with!” Tori exclaimed. “We’re not just going to stand by and let you make decisions about us without a say in it!”

  The principal massaged his temples and closed his eyes wearily. “Look, I will call the superintendent first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll keep you updated, and I’ll have a response back by Friday at the very latest.”

  “I would like to be there,” Randy stated.

  Gerald nodded. “So noted. I can see that this request being denied won’t be sufficient, so if this escalates beyond the superintendent, I will let you know.”

  The girls shook hands with the principal, keeping on good terms with him so that he’d work with them, and Randy thanked him for his attention to the matter.

  “Thank you so much for helping us out again, Mr. Thompson,” Chloe said. “I don’t think I could’ve put all those words together, especially to the principal.”

  “I just hope you don’t get in trouble,” Tori added.

  “I’m not worried about it.” Randy frowned, his eyes distant. “I just wish I could’ve said these things to my principal when I was your age. Things would have been so much easier.”

  Tori then realized that Randy wasn’t just fighting for them; he was fighting for himself, for every person who went to the Center, and for everyone else in the LGBTQ community. If the powers-that-be could be swayed in this school, then there might be hope for other schools and communities all around the country.

  As they parted ways, Randy gave them both a gentle, one-armed hug. “Like I said, don’t stop planning for the prom. Make sure you have your dresses—or tuxedos—purchased and your arrangements made. I’ll make sure you girls get the prom experience that every couple should be entitled to.”

  Chapter 43

  “We’re down five additional clients, and our stock has plummeted another two percent,” a televised board member said. “Twenty employees have resigned, and all of them have gone on record stating that Mr. Reynolds’ discriminatory behavior is the primary reason.”

  “There are three other clients who are threatening to walk unless we do something about Timothy,” an in-office board member stated. “And that doesn’t count all the LGBTQ organizations that are pressuring us to take action.”

  “We’ve lost all of our diversity awards for this year, and we’ve received notice from two organizations that our past awards are under review,” a different televised board member added. “It’s only been two weeks since the local article came out and a week and a half since it went national! Imagine how much worse it’s going to get!”

  Another board member nodded. “The simple fact of the matter, Anthony, is that most corporations don’t want to be associated with a company that promotes hate against an entire group of people. Our task forces haven’t been able to do much to patch up the situation, especially after we confirmed that his com
ments were true. A public apology can only do so much when the person who made the comments is unrepentant.”

  Anthony sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Well, what can we do?” he asked. “Tim started this company. It’s his baby. We can’t just sweep it from under him.”

  “Can’t we?” another board member asked. “We have the right as the board of directors to take disciplinary action for the good of the company.”

  “And if we don’t do something about him,” another board member began, “we soon won’t have a company to worry about. The more clients that terminate our services, the more will follow. Diversity acceptance is more important each year, and we’re losing ground.”

  An uncomfortable silence filled the air as they all considered the best action to take. “We’ll have to vote,” Anthony suggested. “Doing nothing is obviously not an option. We have to agree upon what actions we need to take.” The board members nodded. “I’ll personally let him know what we decide.”

  * * *

  Chloe and Tori were sitting at lunch the next day when a student approached their table. Chloe and Tori recognized him as Stephen, the boy from their debate class who had been on the con side of the gay marriage debate. “Hi,” he greeted, wringing his hands nervously.

  “Hello,” Tori greeted reluctantly, still a bit defensive from their conversation with Sabrina the day prior.

  He knelt between Tori and Chloe, peering around cautiously before he spoke. “I have a question for you,” he whispered. “Are they letting you guys go to prom together? Like, as a couple?”

  Chloe and Tori glanced at each other with the same annoyed expression. “We’re not sure yet,” Chloe replied impatiently. “If you want to make fun of us, though, you’re going to have to stand in line behind Sabrina.”

  Stephen’s eyes widened, and he shook his head adamantly. “No! No, it’s not like that at all!” he insisted, leaning forward. “I was wondering if you’d let me know what they say, actually. See, I’d love to bring my partner to the prom—he’s put up with me for over a year, so he deserves that much—but I don’t know if the school will let someone from another school go the prom if they’re not registered as a couple with a current student. I’d really like to walk with him in the procession, too, of course.”