Our New Normal

  “Didn’t you debate against gay marriage in speech class?” Tori asked, still uncertain of his true intentions.

  He nodded sheepishly. “There were only a couple options left when Kelly and I picked, and he wanted to do that one. I just kind of went along with it. I admit I didn’t work as hard at it as I should have, and I was glad you guys researched it so thoroughly and whooped our asses. I learned a lot from it from both sides, actually, so that I can better argue my case when the time comes.”

  Tori and Chloe smiled. They were both glad that the debate had had a positive effect on someone besides them and that their struggle for equality would benefit others as well. “I’ll definitely let you know once we do,” Chloe said. “We’re supposed to find out Friday, so I’ll have to find you after school or something.”

  “You might want to tell the principal that you’d want to register, too,” Tori added. “He should know that Chloe and I aren’t the only ones interested in a rule change; it might help speed things up if it’s not just us.”

  Stephen gulped. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that sort of confrontation,” he said worriedly. “He scares me a little.”

  Chloe nodded, grinning. “I can see that,” she agreed. “If nothing else, maybe we can go with you, or maybe Mr. Thompson can.”

  “Mr. Thompson?” Stephen asked. “Why him?”

  Tori grinned. “Let’s just say he’s great at debating.”

  Chapter 44

  “Timothy, please have a seat,” Anthony instructed on Tuesday afternoon.

  He complied, sitting at the head of the table with his face devoid of emotion. He could tell by Anthony’s stern expression that he wouldn’t be receiving good news.

  “Mr. Reynolds, we’ve discussed the repercussions that have arisen since the release of your comments two and a half weeks ago,” Anthony said. “Since then, we’ve lost business, diversity awards, employees, and profits. These are all direct results of your callous, prejudiced remarks at the court hearing. We’ve tried to smother the flames as best we could, but the damage cannot be contained. Multiple organizations are pressuring us to take action, and the negative press gets worse every day that we do nothing.”

  Timothy sighed, his stomach fluttering though his face remained emotionless. “So, what steps do we take now?”

  “We?” Anthony repeated irritably. “We do nothing. You, on the other hand, need to decide what course you wish to take. It has been agreed upon by this board that you must step down as CEO. Not only that, but you can no longer have a managerial role in this company ever again.”

  Timothy sprang to his feet, slamming his fists on the conference table. “You can’t do this!” he bellowed. “This is my company! I started this organization by personally selling service packages to small, local businesses from my garage. I’m the one who grew it into an international powerhouse!”

  “Well, since you have previous sales experience, I’m sure the president of sales, Jeffrey Trainor, wouldn’t mind hiring you for a sales position in his department,” Anthony said with a hint of scorn. “Of course, you will have to take a significant pay cut, and it might be difficult to stir up business with a reputation such as yours. However, with enough commission from sales—”

  Timothy shuddered at the thought of Jeff being his superior. “No, I refuse to be reduced to a common shift employee!”

  “There’s also the option of walking away completely. The board has put together a respectable severance package that takes into account your years of service and the current cost of living. This will only be offered, however, in the event you sign a two-year non-compete agreement.”

  Timothy was slack-jawed. The board had considered all angles, and reality struck home. He was being kicked out of his own company; even if he stuck around as a salesman, he knew that he’d eventually get fired from not earning enough commissions. Timothy’s head began spinning, and he plopped down in the plush, leather conference chair to keep from falling. “This-this can’t be true!” he stammered. “This is my company! You can’t make me quit! The things I said in court were the truth. Whatever happened to freedom of speech, freedom of religion? Businesses cannot persecute me for defending my beliefs! Being gay is wrong, and everyone knows that!”

  Anthony shook his head and sighed. “Mr. Reynolds, you’re not the only person in this organization who has contributed years of time and service to ensure its success. Many of the board members have been here for over a decade, and we all have worked hard to help the company flourish. The main issue we have with this situation is that you have placed your personal beliefs over the good of HyperSpeed. While you’re certainly entitled to your own beliefs, you have personally sent the business into a downward spiral. Not everyone has the same views as you; that’s what diversity is all about. We need to preserve what cash flow we have left, and we cannot do that with you in command. As the board of directors, we have every right to make you step down from your position, and we have chosen to exercise that right. You need to decide what you want to do.”

  Timothy wanted to pinch himself; he was convinced that he had to be dreaming. “Would you please just consider—”

  “There’s nothing more to consider, Tim,” Anthony interrupted sternly. “Make a decision and keep what’s left of your pride. Your time leading HyperSpeed has come to an end. Please don’t make this a bigger scene than it’s already become.”

  Timothy stared into Anthony’s resolute face, his guts wrenching. He knew that there was nothing more that he could say or do to change their minds. “Well, you’re not giving me much of a choice,” he admitted quietly. “I’m not going to apologize for my faith, and I’m not going to lie to the media or God so our stock goes up a couple points. There’s nothing I can do but resign.”

  Anthony nodded. “We will send out a press release immediately. Effective close of business on Friday, you are no longer the CEO of HyperSpeed Technologies.”

  * * *

  “So, how many seats should the limo have?” Aaron asked as he lay next to Sabrina, their skin still glistening from their last round.

  “At least ten,” she replied as she listed the members of the Frosted Flakes and their dates. She looked over to her closet, her prom dress sparkling in the sunset’s rays.

  Sabrina could barely wait for prom. Nearly all of the evening’s details were already in place, and she was even a little excited about going with Aaron. Though she didn’t want to give Aaron false hope about starting a relationship, she at least would be arm-in-arm with the most attractive man in school—not to mention that he was sparing no expense with the arrangements. He had already purchased the flowers, the tickets, reservations for the afterparty, and—since he’d just turned 18—the hotel room to end the evening with a bang. He had even gotten his older brother to buy them booze for the trip to the prom and the afterparty.

  He had reached into his backpack and was scribbling the names into a notepad when Sabrina heard a gentle knock at her bedroom door. She barely had time to register the noise before her door opened and her mother walked into the room.

  “Sabrina!” her mother roared, her eyes wide as she surveyed the scene. She and Aaron made eye contact, and he yelped as he sank underneath the comforter.

  Sabrina gasped, covering her torso with the blanket. “Mom! You’re home early!”

  “What is going on in here?” her mother demanded. “Are you having sexual intercourse with this boy?”

  Sabrina frantically reached for her shirt next to the bed while keeping herself covered with the comforter. “Mom, if you would just listen—”

  “Your father and I raised you better than this,” her mother interjected, her face flushed crimson with anger and embarrassment. “It’s bad enough that you’ve been getting into trouble at school, but now I find out that you’re having premarital sex? What about the promise you made to God to stay chaste? You know that having sex before marriage is a sin!”

  Sabrina sighe
d. “Mom, listen—”

  “What if you got pregnant to this boy, Sabrina? What if you end up a teenage, unwed mother? You would ruin your life! What man would want you and your bastard child then?”

  Aaron was about to argue that he’d be more than willing to take care of both Sabrina and their child, but Sabrina put her hand over his mouth to stop him. “We are very careful, Mom,” Sabrina protested.

  Sabrina’s mother glared at her. “Get dressed,” she ordered, her eyes slits as she turned to Aaron. “And you, you can see yourself out.” She walked into the hallway and stood just outside of the door as Sabrina and Aaron scrambled to put their clothes back on.

  As soon as Aaron slunk out of the room, Sabrina’s mother went back in and stood next to the bed. “I got a call from your school today,” she said. “You’re in danger of failing. You’re going to have to go to summer school to stand any chance of getting your diploma this year, or they’re going to have to hold you back.”

  Sabrina looked at her quizzically as she buttoned her jeans. “That can’t be right,” she insisted. “I know I don’t have the best grades ever, but—”

  Her mother handed her a pamphlet. “We’ve already discussed it, your father and me. I don’t know where we failed you; maybe I should’ve stayed at home instead of working, maybe I shouldn’t have trusted you and given you so much free reign. The treatment center will be able to give you constant attention and bring you back to the Lord in a structured program.”

  “St. Jude’s Treatment Center for Wayward Teens,” Sabrina read aloud, her voice catching in her throat. She stood up, her face inches away from her mother’s. “You can’t make me go there!” she screamed, tearing up the pamphlet.

  “Like hell we can’t!” her mother yelled. “You’re still a minor until December, and that means you’re still our responsibility. We can do whatever we feel is best for your welfare—including sending you to St. Jude’s. I will not watch you go down the path to Satan like Victoria did.”

  “But what about school? What about prom?”

  Her mother scoffed. “Prom is definitely out. As far as school goes, they have teachers at St. Jude’s who can get you through the rest of the year.”

  Sabrina gasped. “Why are you being like this? I’m your daughter, and you’re treating me like a criminal!”

  “Not graduating high school will set you down a path of suffering in your adult life, so it is imperative that you do so whether you want to or not. As far as that boy, in the eyes of the Lord, Sabrina, what you did was a crime. You had sex before marriage; you have committed a mortal sin! It was bad enough when the worst thing I heard about you was you were bullying other students; the last thing I want anyone to say about my daughter is that she’s a slut!”

  Warm tears streamed down Sabrina’s cheeks, her head spinning. “Please don’t make me go to that place,” she pleaded. “I can stay out of trouble for the rest of the year, I swear!”

  “The only way you’re getting out of this is if I see a complete and instant change in you: your grades need to start improving immediately, you need to stay out of trouble, and you need to stay away from that boy and all other boys.”

  “I can do that, mom!” Sabrina insisted. “I promise! I just don’t want to be sent away. Please!”

  “You’re done with cheerleading, too; you need that time to study. And you can forget about the prom.”

  Sabrina opened her mouth to protest, but she closed it again instead. Having everything that she loved taken away from her felt like being run through with a sword, but it was much better than the alternative. “Fine,” she conceded.

  Her mother studied her carefully for a moment. “I’ll tell your father to cancel our consult, then,” she began, “but the very second you fall out of line, there won’t be any more discussion about it; you’ll be packing your bags. Do you understand me?”

  Sabrina nodded, her chest heavy with anguish. “Yes, I understand. I’ll do what I’m told.”

  As her mother exited the bedroom and closed the door behind her, she could hear Sabrina fall onto the bed and begin to sob.

  Chapter 45

  As they sat in homeroom on Wednesday morning, Tori tried to convince Chloe to look at prom dresses. She had a feeling that the school would come through, and she’d already begun making arrangements for prom night. Tori wanted to make sure that she and Chloe had the night of their dreams, but only so much could be done if Chloe wasn’t dressed for the part.

  “I should wear a tux,” Chloe joked. “That way, when we walk in the procession, there won’t be a question about who will be on the ‘guy’s’ side.”

  Tori looked into the distance thoughtfully. “While you look amazing in dresses, a three-piece tux without a shirt under the vest would look quite hot on you.”

  Mark nodded enthusiastically. “Imagine all of the cleavage!” he exclaimed with a chuckle. Kristen nodded her approval as well, though she didn’t say anything.

  Chloe considered her options for a moment. “Do you think I should?” she asked. “I think Tori looks better in dresses anyway.”

  Tori shrugged. “I think you look better than I do; you fill them out better with your curves and boobs and stuff.”

  Chloe chuckled. “Well, it’s something to think about,” she said. “I’ll still exhaust every option I have, but if I can’t find a dress, I’ll opt for a tux. It could be fun.” She suddenly frowned. “That’s if we get to go.”

  “We’re going,” Tori insisted confidently. “Even if we can’t march in the procession, we’re still going. They can’t make us miss prom.”

  Tori glanced at Sabrina, worried that at any minute she’d storm over and start taunting them again. The sight she saw, though, worried her more: Sabrina was in a t-shirt and sweatpants without any makeup, and her hair was thrown in a haphazard bun on top of her head. Tori could immediately tell that something was wrong; Sabrina would never dream of coming to school looking like that. Her disheveled state almost made Tori want to go see if she was okay—after all, they’d been friends for most of their lives—but she knew that going over there would only stir up trouble. Instead, she turned away and tried to get the disturbing image out of her head. If something was wrong with Sabrina, chances were that it was of her own doing.

  * * *

  “Shit,” the superintendent muttered as she read the morning newspaper. In large print on the front page, the headline read: CEO of HyperSpeed Technologies to Step Down. Knowing that he wouldn’t resign willingly, she read further:

  HyperSpeed Technologies has issued a press release stating that Timothy Reynolds, founder and CEO, will be resigning effective Friday, April 17th. Timothy Reynolds, the CEO of HyperSpeed for 20 years, had transformed a small business based out of his garage into a thriving corporation in the Fortune 100. HyperSpeed’s board of directors states that the CEO’s resignation is due to recent “irreconcilable differences” and “failure to manage the business in a profitable manner.” Mr. Reynolds recently experienced criticism for discriminatory remarks that he had made against homosexuals during a local hearing. Since then, outcries from diversity organizations across the country, including the ALCU, have been calling for action to be taken against the CEO…

  The superintendent’s stomach churned. Another student couple—two males—had also approached the principal and stated that they wanted to walk in the procession. Between multiple couples coming forward and Victoria’s father being forced to step down from his position, she knew that declining Victoria’s and Chloe’s request to register as a couple in the procession would result in negative press for the school district. Though she wasn’t looking forward to the complaints she’d start getting from parents who were against homosexuality, she knew that there was no choice but to deal with it. She’d rather listen to a few zealots complain than deal with a barrage of questions from the national media about discrimination against the student population.

  The superintendent plann
ed on taking the issue to the school board, but there was no point in it now. Though she didn’t personally agree that the rule should be changed, she had to allow it. Her mind made up, she called Principal Austin. “Hello, Gerald,” she greeted. “I’ve come to a decision about the prom…”

  * * *

  By lunch, every student knew about Tori’s father’s resignation, and the news spread almost as quickly as the news of Tori being kicked out of her parents’ house. Thankfully, not as many students bugged Tori about it; on the contrary, a few students approached her and offered their support. While she was grateful for the positive comments, she wanted nothing more than to be left alone. His getting fired wasn’t going to change her situation; he obviously still felt the same way and would not learn from his mistakes. Regardless of her father’s job status, she was still disowned, and she still would never see her parents again.

  The security guard approached Tori and Chloe. “The principal has requested that you both head to his office,” he whispered. They both nodded, anxiously leaving the guard behind and making their way to the office.

  Randy was already seated at Mr. Austin’s desk when Tori and Chloe arrived. Tori couldn’t tell by Randy’s expression what was going on, but she guessed that it was regarding the prom.

  “Hello,” Principal Austin greeted. “Please, have a seat next to Mr. Thompson.” He wrung his hands nervously as they sat down. “Ladies, I just got off the phone with the superintendent, and we have come to a decision. We are going to allow you to register as a couple.”

  Tori and Chloe both squealed with joy, hugging each other. “That’s great!” Tori exclaimed.