turned back to her
locker. In the second before the iron-clad rejection sank in Valerie knew she’d
crossed a line.
“You what? That’s fuckin’ racist!” the youth
slammed the palm of his hand into the locker next to hers. The loud bang rang
through the area and several others stopped what they were doing.
Nicola turned and joined her friend. “Why’s
it racist? Because your feelings are hurt?” the brunette said.
“I wasn’t talking to you bitch!” Omar
grumbled.
“Yeah well just to save you the time I won’t
date you or your mate either,” Nicola added.
“Come on Omar,” Jesse Young said, knowing
when they weren’t getting anywhere. “We can do it another way,” Young added quietly
as the two left the area.
“That told him,” Valerie said somewhat
haughtily. “If only more girls took a stand they wouldn’t be bullied by the
Omar folks.”
“You want to be careful Val, I’ve heard he
is bad news. His dad is supposed to be well connected.”
“I can deal with trash like that Nikky . My grandparents fled Russia to get away from bullies
and they always taught me to stand up to them. The ones that don’t stand up end
up getting shot or gulaged !” the girl said
emotionally before calming again. The area had gone quiet though. “We ought to
report this Nikky .”
“I don’t know, if we do things could turn
out bad for us,” her friend warned.
“What do you mean? He insulted us both, that
was harassment, bullying even.”
Nicola sighed and took a deep breath. “The
College Code has a big section on equal opportunities and racial
discrimination.”
“What’s that got to do with us? He’s the one
who pestered me.”
“I know but my parents have warned me about
the Omar types. Anything to do with race and you’re not foreign like they are, they
get the benefit of the doubt.”
“Why did you defend me if you knew this?”
Valerie said in a moment of frustration.
“I don’t like seeing my friends bullied,
especially by that swine,” Nicola said with a glint of warmth in her hazel eyes.
After lunch-break
the afternoon subjects for both girls were in separate subjects. Valerie’s was
in philosophy with Miss Grimes as Tutor. Barely ten minutes had elapsed before
the door opened. The head tutor, Mr Gladstone, entered and spoke with the class
tutor, then left the room as quickly as he’d entered it. Mark Gladstone was
someone who gave her the creeps. He was overweight, short and seemed to be
always scrutinizing with the beady, narrow-set eyes of his. Miss Grimes called
out Valerie’s name.
“Mr Gladstone would like to speak with you
in his office,” her tutor said politely.
Valerie got up and wondered if her friend
had complained about Omar’s behaviour. On leaving the class Gladstone was
outside and walked with her barely saying a word. On turning right at the
corridor to approach the Head Tutor’s office her heart and stomach felt
wrenched. Stood against the wall outside was Omar and his friend Jesse. The
looked impassive for the most part but a smug look on Omar’s features created
an air of apprehension about Valerie.
She had never been in trouble at school,
outside of the usual minor mischief. Without acknowledging the two students Gladstone
opened the door and let Valerie enter his office.
A uniformed Land Ministry Policeman stood
waiting inside. A pair of chairs opposite the tutor’s desk was vacant. Valerie
was in a state of bewilderment, what was a policeman doing in the office?
“Please take a seat Miss Beauford .”
She did so.
“Mr Jordan has put in a formal complaint
against you.”
“A complaint?” the teenager said in
disbelief. It was like a distant bombshell had gone off within her head.
“He tells me you racially insulted him?”
“He asked me on a date and I told him no.
Then he became abusive and insulted me and Nikky .”
The policeman pulled out his notebook and
checked the details.
“So you didn’t cause distress to him
locker. In the second before the iron-clad rejection sank in Valerie knew she’d
crossed a line.
“You what? That’s fuckin’ racist!” the youth
slammed the palm of his hand into the locker next to hers. The loud bang rang
through the area and several others stopped what they were doing.
Nicola turned and joined her friend. “Why’s
it racist? Because your feelings are hurt?” the brunette said.
“I wasn’t talking to you bitch!” Omar
grumbled.
“Yeah well just to save you the time I won’t
date you or your mate either,” Nicola added.
“Come on Omar,” Jesse Young said, knowing
when they weren’t getting anywhere. “We can do it another way,” Young added quietly
as the two left the area.
“That told him,” Valerie said somewhat
haughtily. “If only more girls took a stand they wouldn’t be bullied by the
Omar folks.”
“You want to be careful Val, I’ve heard he
is bad news. His dad is supposed to be well connected.”
“I can deal with trash like that Nikky . My grandparents fled Russia to get away from bullies
and they always taught me to stand up to them. The ones that don’t stand up end
up getting shot or gulaged !” the girl said
emotionally before calming again. The area had gone quiet though. “We ought to
report this Nikky .”
“I don’t know, if we do things could turn
out bad for us,” her friend warned.
“What do you mean? He insulted us both, that
was harassment, bullying even.”
Nicola sighed and took a deep breath. “The
College Code has a big section on equal opportunities and racial
discrimination.”
“What’s that got to do with us? He’s the one
who pestered me.”
“I know but my parents have warned me about
the Omar types. Anything to do with race and you’re not foreign like they are, they
get the benefit of the doubt.”
“Why did you defend me if you knew this?”
Valerie said in a moment of frustration.
“I don’t like seeing my friends bullied,
especially by that swine,” Nicola said with a glint of warmth in her hazel eyes.
After lunch-break
the afternoon subjects for both girls were in separate subjects. Valerie’s was
in philosophy with Miss Grimes as Tutor. Barely ten minutes had elapsed before
the door opened. The head tutor, Mr Gladstone, entered and spoke with the class
tutor, then left the room as quickly as he’d entered it. Mark Gladstone was
someone who gave her the creeps. He was overweight, short and seemed to be
always scrutinizing with the beady, narrow-set eyes of his. Miss Grimes called
out Valerie’s name.
“Mr Gladstone would like to speak with you
in his office,” her tutor said politely.
Valerie got up and wondered if her friend
had complained about Omar’s behaviour. On leaving the class Gladstone was
outside and walked with her barely saying a word. On turning right at the
corridor to approach the Head Tutor’s office her heart and stomach felt
wrenched. Stood against the wall outside was Omar and his friend Jesse. The
looked impassive for the most part but a smug look on Omar’s features created
an air of apprehension about Valerie.
She had never been in trouble at school,
outside of the usual minor mischief. Without acknowledging the two students Gladstone
opened the door and let Valerie enter his office.
A uniformed Land Ministry Policeman stood
waiting inside. A pair of chairs opposite the tutor’s desk was vacant. Valerie
was in a state of bewilderment, what was a policeman doing in the office?
“Please take a seat Miss Beauford .”
She did so.
“Mr Jordan has put in a formal complaint
against you.”
“A complaint?” the teenager said in
disbelief. It was like a distant bombshell had gone off within her head.
“He tells me you racially insulted him?”
“He asked me on a date and I told him no.
Then he became abusive and insulted me and Nikky .”
The policeman pulled out his notebook and
checked the details.
“So you didn’t cause distress to him
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