at school

picture from pixabay.

Jessaline didn’t know to feel at the moment. Her best friend’s father had just been sent to jail for stealing, and she could hardly believe it. As soon as her best friend Tassaline heard the news she ran into the bathroom, where she still currently was.

But that wasn’t what Jessaline thought she should be thinking about. She thought she should try to focus on what was in front of her, which was her lunchbox full of food and the rest of her friends, who were talking about their latest school project, which was to manage a fundraiser and write a report on it.

“Guys, should we go after her?” Tomeka had to ask.

“No! I mean at least not yet.” Jesseline said. “Tassaline is my best friend, but I want to be able to eat my lunch, and thinking about that whole situation makes me sick to my stomach.” Jessaline couldn’t help thinking about how many times she had went to Tassaline’s house and said hi to her father. Ate dinner with their family. Even had been ridden to school in his car.

Jesseline shook these thoughts away. “So, Gem, you have a fundraiser?”

“I think I have a fundraiser,” corrected Gem. “my brother is having a concert that could be the ‘fund’ in my fundraiser. It’s just I don’t have a cause to give the money to.”

“It could be for me!” Lazy said admediatly after staring at her plate of food and poking at it with her fork for half an hour.

Everyone turned to stare at her.

“My- I mean, the volleyball team is getting defunded and cancelled. And I can’t let that happen. The volleyball team is the only thing good about school and if that gets defunded, my brain will melt.”

“Well, Mr. and mrs. Olgay are having trouble with their shop. City ordinances are trying to close the shop down. I think we should help them-”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine. Anyway, I think they're cutting the team out the volly team because they don’t have the money to keep it running, your brothers band might gain just enough money to keep the volleyball team alive.” Lazy interrupted Tomeka.

“Hey! I was speaking…” Tomeaka said, but didn’t continue since Gem was already starting to talk.

“I don’t know Lazy…” Gem started “won’t that only benefit you?... and your team?”

“Well, yeah, it will but what’s wrong with benefiting me?” said Lazy.

“It’s just that… don’t you think band money should go to a better cause? Like helping the poor get new clothing or plan a party for all the recycler workers in appreciation for doing their jobs?”

“What? C’mon Gem, it won’t just be for me, it will be for the whole volleyball team, and I think for sports as we know it at this school. My dad told me their defunding all sports at this school.”

“I don’t know, I mean, is that important enough? You know to give a lot of hard earned money to?”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Can we PLEASE get back to talking about mr. and mrs Olgay? They need help!”

And just like that, Jessaline has started a fight. Amongst her FRIENDS. Now she felt horrible. One of her friends were in the bathroom probably crying, and now she had just started a fight between her friends just by mentioning the fundraiser.

Not to mention she felt like the only one of her friends who didn’t have a fundraiser or cause for the school project.

That same day in math class, Jessaline stuck a lollipop in her mouth. She knew it wasn’t allowed in class, but she always ate one anyway.

I wonder what I’ll do for my project. Jessaline mused. I mean, I could help one of the others but, who? Also, is Gem right? Are the sports teams not important enough to fund for? And if so, why not? Should i pay attention to what Tomeka said about mr. and mrs. Olgay needing funding for their garden shop? That could be a problem…

“Mrs. Trop, spit that lollie out right now.” the teacher had walked up to Jessaline while she had been thinking.

Jessaline thought carefully before saying, “why?”

“Because it is not allowed in school.”

“But sucking lollipops help me think.” Jessaline lied. They just gave her something to do in boring old math class.

“Spit it.” her teacher said sharply.

And so she did. On her math teacher’s sweater, where it stuck do to the saliva on it.

“That’s it, we’re walking to the principle’s office.” said the math teacher.

Jessaline knew the routine. She got up and sped-walked out of the room. She also saw Tassaline in the hallway on the way to the office.

She had red puffy eyes and a red nose.

TO BE CONTINUED