The Protest!

[Janice Johnson]

Part 1

(I decided to write this story. Dave is going to soon have a protest for gay rights,but in later part of the story...... This will be a little long lead into the protest...... )

Jack Wilson came out of the closet in our school, Marshall Johnson Academy, a prestigious school in Jacksonville, Florida. It’s an all boys' school. Lots of students jeered and threw items at him. They called him queer and threw items at him.

At lunch, no one wanted to sit by him. When he sat down, the whole table cleared. He started eating lunch. He had a dejected look on his face. I felt sorry for him. I picked up my lunch plate and sat next to him. I started eating lunch with him. A lot of “Johnies” gasped in shock. But Jack looked at me gratefully. He was gratefully. He was grateful to have someone eat lunch with him.

“Thanks, Dave,” Jack said happily.

“No problem,” I said. We continued eating lunch. Paul Sanderson came by.

‘Dave, are you GAY?” He asked in surprise.

“No, I’m asexual. I don’t like men or women,” I scoffed.

“Oh,” Paul said.

I lied. I’m not asexual. I’m gay too, but I wasn’t ready to come out yet. I was proud of Jack for coming out though. It took a lot of courage to do that in this school. This school shuns gay people. There are approximately 580 Johnies who are gay, and are “in the closet.” This school is one big “closet,” if you know what I mean.

We finished eating, and we were walking back towards our classes, when more students threw items at jack. “Queer!” They hissed at him again. Jack held his head down low. It was really easy to see how much the taunting affecting him.

“Leave Jack alone,” I said, “sticking up for him. “He’s done nothing wrong.”

“This must be his dream come true. A school filled with boys,” Louis Alexander said with an evil smile.

To what I said, Peter Norris said, “He did nothing wrong but come to this school looking for a man orgy.” He sneered.

Jack said, ‘Leave me alone,” in a really harassed voice. I knew that voice. I had used that voice many times myself. I use that voice whenever George and Rob harass me. George and Rob always pick on me and beat me up. They are huge guys.

They laughed cruelly at him and dropped all his books and kicked them far away. Jack looked bothered. It was like looking into a mirror. Louis and Peter were like George and rob. And jack was like me.

“Let’s go get your books,” I told Jack softly. Jack nodded sadly.

We walked over to jack’s books. “If you pick up Jack’s books, we will start a rumor that you’re gay,” Louis told me, smiling an evil smile.

I picked up Jack’s books anyway. I softly handed them to him. I looked at him thoroughly. “You didn’t deserve any of that,” I told him. “It’s not your fault.”

“But, if I didn’t come out, none of this would have happened,” Jack said.

“It’s not your fault that there are narrow-minded people on this campus. You should be proud of who you are. You shouldn’t have to confirm to what society thinks is “normal.”

Jack said, ‘I know, I ought to be proud of myself, but it’s hard to in a world that makes fun of gay people and don’t accept them.

“Look,” I said firmly, people are afraid of what they don’t understand. If you show them that you are just like them, they won’t be afraid anymore.”

Jack smiled a little bit. He looked better.

I walked him to class. “Thanks,” he said, looking at me gratefully.

“You’re welcome,” I said, happily.

I walked to my own class. During classes, I thought of Jack. I myself should have had that courage. I was a cowardly wimp. You’re a hypocrite, a nasty voice screamed in my head. You bitch! It continued to haunt me. You just told Jack that he should be proud of himself, and you yourself are hiding in the closet. Why don’t you yourself come out? You’re afraid.

I was driving myself crazy. I tried to fight the feeling of guilt and shame I felt inside, but it was hard to. I tried my best to suppress those negative thoughts. I managed to do my assignments through the rest of the day.

I went to my dorm. I watched Sabrina the Teenage Witch. In the episode I was watching, Sabrina said to a full mortal, “You have no idea how it feels to carry around a deep, dark, secret around with you. I mentally answered, ‘Yes, I do.” Her secret was that she was a witch, mine was that I was gay. We were both afraid of showing our true identities.

I finished the episode, and did my homework and then showered, ate, and got ready for bed. I slept for 8 hours. When I awoke, I got ready for school. During school, I saw Jack once again being harassed.

Tommy and Paul were throwing dirt in his face and spitting on him. Jack looked helpless.

“Stop!” I yelled to his defense.

“Oh, look, it’s Dave. His boyfriend coming to rescue his lover,” Tommy said, unmercifully.

I guess Louis and Peter had spread the rumor pretty fast.

“I am not gay. I’m asexual. I don’t like boys or girls,” I lied again.

“If you’re not gay, leave him alone. Let us “play” with him. Only gays help other gay people out,” Tommy said. Paul nodded.

I had a tough decision to decide. If I helped Jack, I would be considered gay. But, if I didn’t, Tommy and Paul wouldn’t think I was gay, but Jack would be betrayed.

I knew what I had to do. I had to do the right thing again.

I said,"Leave Jack alone.” I pulled Jack away from them.

“Gay bitch!” Tommy hissed at me.

“FA....!” Paul said to me.

I had just stepped myself into something big. I was getting alienated too.

I walked Jack to his class again.”Thanks, Dave,” he said again.

I smiled at him.

[Janice Johnson]

(This is a short part, due to a time restraint...... )

Suddenly, he looked a little sheepish.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Do you feel like I’m a burden to you?” Jack asked. “Do you feel resentful always coming to my rescue?”

I smiled and looked at him deeply. “I see so much of myself in you.” I told him softly.

“Is that a good thing?” He asked me.

“Yes, “ I replied.

Jack smiled at me and sat in his desk.

I went to my own class and did assignments.

I’m Dave Winston, a brown haired, brown eyed lean 6ft boy. I am 15 years old. I’ve been gay since I was 10 years old. I’ve attended Marshall Johnson Academy For Boys since I was 14. I have a boyfriend, Max Cartwright, who is 17. He has blond hair and blue eyes and is a lean 6ft 2 inches guy. We’ve hidden our secret because of the gay shunning. We’ve been dating for over a year. I was once a cocaine addict earlier this year for a little over a month, until Dean Riley caught me snorting and sent me to drug rehab. I beat the addiction in 2 weeks, which was a record.

Back to the present. I finsished my assignments, and I went to lunch.

I begun to eat pizza, corn, and begun drinking chocolate milk.

Rodney Kelly came up to me and smiled at me. I smiled back. Rodney’s one of my closest friends. Rodney and I began to eat our lunch together.

Jack came up to us and asked if he could eat lunch with us.

I was beginning to get a little annoyed with Jack. I mentally rolled my eyes. He was acting like a tag along.

“Sure,” I said aloud. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I saw Rodney REALLY roll his eyes when Jack wasn’t looking. Rodney was annoyed too.

Jack sat and begun to eat lunch with us. He began chatting about being new to the school and how “liberating” it felt to “come out.”

Rodney made a grimace face when Jack was looking at me. Then Jack looked at him and Rodney quickly smiled a pained smile. Rodney wasn’t a very good actor.

“Look, if I was interrupting something, I’ll just leave,” jack said, sounding hurt.

‘No, you’re not interrupting anything,” I said, trying to make him feel better. “Rodney just has a stomachache,” I lied.

“Yes, it’s true,” I have a stomachache, “ Rodney confirmed unconvincingly. “I’m going to get some antacid,” Rodney said, wincing. What a terrible actor.

After Rodney left, Jack turned to me. “Are you and Rodney a couple and I interrupted your quality time?” Jack asked me, looking imploringly.

I coughed in surprise. “We’re not a couple. We’re just friends,” I answered. “Remember, I’m asexual. I don’t like boys or girls,” I lied again.

“But, I remember you telling me that I reminded you of yourself,” Jack pointed out. Wouldn’t that mean that you’re gay too?”

Jack had a good point. And a good memory. “I didn’t mean that you reminded me of EVERYTHING about myself,” I said.

“So, you’re not gay?’ Jack asked.

“No, I’m not gay,” I said, lying through my teeth.”

“Oh,” Jack said. Then his face changed a little. “Rodney didn’t want to be around me,” Jack said perceptively. “He gave me a really bad vibe when I came to the table.”

Jack was smart. I didn’t say anything.

“So you agree. Rodney didn’t want me around,” Jack said sadly.

“I didn’t say anything,” I said aloud.

“Yes. Neutrality is a good weapon,” Jack said, looking at the ground.”

[lilhave]

Two facts emerge. One you enjoy writing, based on the many stories you have submitted and you consider yourself a good writer, based on the self praise you have heaped upon yourself.

If I enjoyed cooking and wanted to find out if I had any skills in this field, I would attempt to gather as many chefs as I could, those I admired and respected and feel could give me a honest appraisal. They could let me know if I used proper techniques and if I had a future in the field. I would not gather some individuals, though well intended, well meaning and present them with a dish and solict advice.

Would it not be better to join a literary club, or a group devoted to those attempting to break into the writing field and solict their learned opinion? You send your writings here and I'm not sure what you expect to hear. Their should be better vehicles for you to show your skills to. A professional opinion is always the best opinion. May not be what you want to hear but still the best.

Harvey

[Janice Johnson]

Rodney came back. “Oh, Jack, you’re STILL here,” he said with emphasis,. “My stomachache is back,” he said, clutching his stomach.

He dashed out the door.

“For a guy who has a guy who has a ‘stomachache,” he sure runs fast, “Jack said knowingly.

I had no excuse this time. “Rodney just has a hard time around new people,” I said.

“Oh,” Jack said, looking at the ground. He finished eating his food.

“I guess I’ll leave now,” he said dejectedly. “It’s obviuous that Rodney doesn’t want to be around gay people.” He held his head down low.

“That’s not it!” I thought. “Rodney’s gay himself! It’s you who butt into people’s time!” I finished thinking. But I clamped my mouth.

I again didn’t want to hurt Jack’s feelings. I finished my lunch too.

Again, we walked to our classes. Separately. I did some assignments and went to my dorm.

I did my homework, and Rodney knocked on my dorm.

“That Jack guy is annoying,” he said when I opened my dorm door.

“Come on in, “I said. He did.

“I know he’s a little annoying,” I agreed.

“Did you see how he just tagged along with us? What a third wheel.” Rodney scoffed.

“Rodney, he’s a new guy. He’s probably just nervous. Remember a then 14 year old boy who followed me around like a lost puppy?” I asked him teasingly.

Rodney blushed. “I remember him. He tagged along with you on field trips, begged to eat lunch with you, and even wanted to sleepover with you!” Rodney laughed, self depreciatively.

“And I let him and don’t regret it. And now, we’re close friends!” I said, giving him a big smile.

“Maybe we can all get along with Jack,” I soon suggested.

“Yeah, maybe we could,” Rodney said slowly.
“Rodney, how’s your “stomachache?” I asked him teasingly.

Rodney blushed. “He didn’t fall for that,” did he?”

“Rodney, people with stomachaches don’t go running out of doors,” I told him dryly.

Rodney said, ‘He’s not mad at me, is he?’

“No, he’s not mad at you. He’s sad,” I answered.

“Sad?” Rodney repeated, confused.

“He thinks you didn’t want to be around him because he’s gay.”

“I’m gay too,” Rodney said.

‘I know.” I said.

“After a while, I said, ‘Maybe we should go talk to him,” I suggested.

“Did you tell him that you’re gay too?” Rodney asked me.

“No. I told him I was asexual,” I answered him.

‘Why did you tell him that?” Rodney asked, looking bewildered.

“I told him that because I didn’t want to look like a hypocrite. I told him that he should be proud of himself the way he is. If I tell him that I’m gay, he’ll call me a hypocrite,” I answered Rodney.

“Why did you say that you were an asexual in the first place?” Rodney asked.

“I said that because I didn’t want to be shunned,” I answered.

“You should be proud of yourself the way you are,” Rodney told me mockingly.

“Why don’t YOU come out of the closet then?” I retorted back to Rodney.

Rodney blushed. “I don’t want to be shunned either,” he admitted.

`
After chatting a while, Rodney left. I ate and went to sleep.


After an uneventful day at school, I went to my dorm. I was just about to enter when Jack came up to me, crying. He looked horrible. I could see fear in his eyes.

“Dave, Dave, it’s horrible!” He sobbed uncontrollably. He was gasping for air and panting. He was shaking too.


“What happened, Jack? “ I asked. I was concerned for him. He said, “Look.” He led me to his dorm and I gasped. Someone had ramshacked his dorm. His bed was completely messed up and his books were thrown all over the room. His lamp was broken and his clothes lied everywhere. His dressers were pulled out, and there was garbage on top of his T.V and computer. It was also on the floor. It looked like he had been robbed. Or as if a tornado had blown through his room.


But that wasn’t the worst part of it. If all of this weren’t bad enough, on Jack’s wall, right behind his bed, someone had written, “Go home gay bitch! This school is just for straight boys!”

I saw fresh tears well up in Jack’s eyes.

[Janice Johnson]

(This is a long part because I had a lot of time today) ...

“Oh, Dave,” he moaned. “What did I do to deserve this?” He looked defeated.

“Nothing.” I said. I myself was offended by what had happened to Jack.

“Who did this?’ He asked me, with innocent, wide eyes, like a child.

“I don’t know,” I answered. Internally, I thought, “This has George and Rob written all over it. But, I can’t just go accuse them of doing this. They’ll tear my ass up for that. Besides, they are more the “beat up” not the “taunt” type.

He lied down on his bed. “No, you can’t sleep here,” I told him firmly. “It’s dangerous for you to stay here after what happened. You’re sleeping with me tonight.”

He looked reluctant. “Are you sure,” Dave?” I saw the doubt in his eyes.

“Yes, I’m sure,” I answered.

He packed some things and we went into my dorm. He settled in and I gave him food from my mini-fridge.

He and I both ate, and he talked about what had happened. He said that he felt like trash when he saw his dorm.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have come out of the closet. This wouldn’t have happened if I had stayed in the closet,” he moaned dejectedly.

“No, I already told you, you did nothing wrong.” I told him. He still looked unconvinced.

I tried to alleviate his concerns by saying that it wasn’t his fault that people were narrow-minded, but he still looked concerned.

“Jack, don’t worry about what people think of you. Just worry about what you think of yourself.” I told him firmly.

“Then why don’t YOU come out of the closet?” The cruel inner voice mocked me.

I tried to ignore it. It was hard too. I suggested that Jack had had enough. I decided to suggest a protest.

“We should protest!” I told him excitedly. “Look at all this crap you’re being put through just because you’re gay.”

“I don’t know,” Jack said reluctantly.

“Look, you want to be treated as equal to the “Straights” don’t you?’ “I asked.

“Yes, “Jack said surely.

“So do I,” I answered. “So let’s protest!” I added.

“Okay,” Jack said reluctantly.

We slept. The next day was a Wednesday, so we got ready for school. During lunch, I gathered Rodney, Max, Jack, and 7 more “gay” boys. Rodney decided to be nice to Jack, and vice versa. I decided that we should protest gay shunning and protest for gay rights.

10 people agreed. Max didn’t agree and said, “I’m out.” I gave him a BITCHY stare. How could Max not stand up for gay rights?

“Max, you’re gay, and you don’t want your rights?” I glared at him.

Max said, “I care more about my life than “gay rights.” He scoffed.

“I can’t believe you.” I gave him another F.U face.

Max said, “I am sorry, but I am not protesting.” He left. I couldn’t believe my boyfriend was leaving me out in the cold.

I turned to the other 9 people who eagerly agreed to protest our rights.

We marched to Dean Riley’s office and announced that we wanted a protest.

“Dean Riley, we want to protest gay shunning and stand up for gay rights,” I said.

The other 9 nodded.

Dean Riley looked at us and said, ‘You know this school shuns gay.”

“That’s the point,” Jack said. I just thought of something. Jack could have been really hurt if he had been in his dorm during the attack! I could make it a matter of national security!

“I’d like to make something that happened a matter of school security,” I said quietly.

“What?” Dean Riley asked, very alert. No dean ever wanted to hear the words, “school security.”

“Jack’s dorm was messed up yesterday just because of his sexuality. If he had been in his dorm, he could have easily been the one to be messed up,” I said.

“But, he’s fine,” Dean Riley said, looking at Jack dismissively. “No matter of school security.

“What a bitch!” I thought.

“What would be a matter of security? If I had been knocked into a coma?” Jack said, shrieking emotionally.

“Yes,” Dean Riley said coolly.

Jack’s mouth had a hard look on it. “Next time, “I WILL be in a coma,” he said hotly.

“Then, that will be a matter of security,” dean Riley said dismissively.

Rodney said, “Dean Riley, you’re a cold, heartless man.”

Dean Riley said, “Please get out of my office.”

“No!” We all cried in unison. All 10 of us stood in a line, holding hands, blocking the doorway.

Dean Riley pressed a button, and Hank, a burly security guard showed up. He looked scary.

“Get out of the office,” Hank told us.

“We’re not leaving! This is a protest!” I screamed loudly.

Hank took out his nightstick!

“What are you going to do? Beat us?’’ Rodney asked with sneer. “That’s battery.”

Hank knew he couldn’t beat us. He called 911 and told them that trespassers had shown up.

“We are not moving,” I said firmly. In a few minutes, Jacksonville police showed up. Dean Riley said that we were trespassers.

“What a BITCH!” I screamed emotionally! “You BITCH!” I continued screaming, like a lunatic to him.

“They are 10 trespassers,” Dean Riley repeated.

“If we’re trespassers, why are we wearing Johnson uniforms?”” I asked the cops shrilly.

The cops agreed that I had a point.

“They stole them" Dean Riley said.

Steve said, “You LIAR!”

Dean Riley looked scared. “Get them away from me,” he said scared. “They are violators on school grounds.”

The cops put all of us into handcuffs and begun to escort us off of Johnson Estate.

As we were walking off of Johnson Estate, we passed Max. Max’s eyes held bewilderment.

“What’s going on?” Max asked.

A cop said, “These 10 boys were trespassing.”

Max stayed silent.

“Come on, Max! You know we’re not trespassers! You know we’re not trespassers!” I screamed emotionally. I couldn’t believe he was staying mute.

Finally, Max said, “These 10 are NOT trespassers. They’re students here.”

Enraged, the cop turned to Dean Riley. “Is this true?” He asked him.

“Yes, it’s true. I lied when I said that they were trespassers because they were protesting and wouldn’t leave my office.

“And what were they protesting?” The cop asked.

“They were protesting for gay rights,” Dean Riley answered, reluctantly.

And you wanted to get them arrested for trespassing because of that?” The cop asked, incredulous. “I’m gay myself,” the cop said. “I would fight for gay rights too.”

He and the other cops unlocked all of our handcuffs, and we smirked at Dean Riley.

Dean Riley looked ashamed of himself.

We went to our classes. After classes, I went to my hall. Jack said, “That was awesome! I loved standing up to Dean Riley!” His eyes had an excitement in them and he looked flushed with happiness.

“I did too,” I said.

Jack left, and I saw Max coming out of his dorm.

“Max, you were actually going to let us go to jail?” I asked him hotly.

“I told you, I didn’t think it was a good idea to protest,” he said calmly.

“You would have let us go to jail?” I screamed at him emotionally.

“I told them you weren’t trespassers,” he told me calmly again, but with a bit of an edge.

After I screamed at you!” I screamed. Man, my throat was getting sore. I swallowed some spit.

Max said, “I love you. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“The only one hurting me is YOU,” I said with emphasis.

I saw the hurt, taken aback expression on Max’s face. He quickly turned away from me. He was trying to hide his emotion from me.

“I just care about you,” Max said, his voice low.

“Max, I know you do, but this is something I really care about,” I told him softly.

Max took a reluctant breath. “Okay, I can see how much you like this protest,” he said softly.

“I do,” I replied.

Max said, “I don’t like it, but that’s your business, not mine,” he said softly.

“Thank you Max,” I said. I reached up and stroked his face and then hugged him. Max apologized and we went to our own dorms.

The next day. We were at lunch, when I gathered the 9 boys.

“Let’s make another protest,” I said with a gleam in my eye.

Steve, Todd, Jack, Mark, Randall, Rudy, Randy, Rodney, and Sam all agreed.


We made our plans.
At 3.00 P.M. we attack!” I shouted, sounding like a dictator. Then calmer, I said, “We should do it.”

[Janice Johnson]

We went to our own classes.


At 3.00 P.M., shortly after school, we went to an empty classroom and did a sit in. We locked the doors from the inside.


“Come on, you can’t stay in the school, after school,” Dean Riley said, knocking on the doors.

“No!” We shouted from the inside. “We will not be moved!” We cried in protest.


Chancellor Murray said, “You’re violating school property. Get out of the room.” He said quietly.


Dean Riley took some running steps back(we heard them), and then he threw his body into the door trying to get it to open. His groan of pain made it clear that it did not work.


We giggled happily amongst ourselves. We were winning.


We heard Chancellor Murray mumble something to Dean Riley. Dean Riley agreed.


I had a feeling I knew what it was. A key. We had locked the door, but they could open it up.


I told the other 9 my feeling, and they agreed.


We all pushed the big armoire against the door. Sure enough, a few minutes later, we heard a noise at the doorknob, and it begun to twist. Dean Riley and Chancellor Murray couldn’t open up the door, so they just yelled unprofessional expletives.


They left. We thought we were safe, but Mark pointed out that they could easily crawl in through the glass window. We all realized mark was right. This classroom had a window without bars on it. Riley and Murray could easily crawl through it.


I ran to the window and locked it. A few seconds later, we saw Riley and Murray’s faces at the window. Mark was smart. They yelled at us to open the window. We refused to, and they gave us angry scowls.


We turned our backs on them and after a few minutes they left . Or maybe not. We weren’t sure if they had left.

We stayed in that room and did our homework and chatted. At about 4.30, Randall complained that he needed to go to the bathroom.

“Hold it in,” I hissed. “You’ll ruin everything!”

I saw the tortured pain in his eyes. He begun to do that unmistakable “dance”. The pee dance.

“Please Dave, I’m a bout to explode,” he said. He really did look like he was in pain.

“okay,” I told him reluctantly. “Go to the bathroom, but don’t get caught,” I told him shortly. “The secret password to let you back in is two knocks.”

We pushed the dresser out of the way and Randall ran out of the door, looking for sweet relief. We pushed it back.

[Janice Johnson]

After that, Steve said, “Whoa, harsh Dave,” he looked at me with a bothered frown.


“I told every one of you to make sure you used the bathroom before we did this,” I hissed at Steve.


Steve said, ‘Someone needs a chill pill.” He scowled.


I glared at him. After about three more minutes. We heard a double knock. “That’s Randall,” I said.


“It’s me,” Randall said.


We pushed the dresser and let him in. We put the dresser back.


Randall looked a lot better. He looked relieved.


We chatted some more, and then it was 5:30. We were sure that Riley and Murray were long gone. We all left and I said, “That was great.”


They agreed.


I went back to my hall. Dean Riley and Max were talking about something amicably. Dean Riley had a paper in his hands, and Max eagerly signed it. Dean Riley left with the paper. I came up to Max to confront him. Max looked at me with guilt, shock, and shame.


“What did you sign?” I asked him. “I …uh…I…uh….”Max begun to stammer uncontrollably. He looked tortured. I knew that look. I knew that look. He gave that look only when he’d done something he knew that other people wouldn’t like.


“What did you sign?” I asked him, harder.


Max took off running! He ran to the main Johnson building! I followed him.

I followed him to Building 6. He was still running, looking like a trapped mouse. I came up to him. He looked scared. Scared of me.


“What the F did you sign?” I asked him, even more hard now. Wow, I can ask the same question, just different tones.


“I signed a field trip form,” Max said lying.


I knew when Max was lying. Sweat poured down his skin, and he looked tense.


“You F….ing liar!” I screamed at him. “You did not sign a field trip form!”


Max tried to run again, but I pushed him to the ground.

“Tell me what the F that paper was!” I yelled at him, menacingly. “It was not a F….ing field trip form!”

Max pushed me off of him, and I landed on the ground hard.


Max begun to leave, but I regained my posture and tackled him to the ground.


“You’re not leaving until you tell me what you just signed,” I told him, looking like a maniac.


Max said, “It’s none of your business.” He tried to wrestle himself free of me, but I held him even tighter.


“You F…..ing sign something behind my back and you tell me it’s none of by business?” I said enraged.


“Yes, now let me F…..ing go,” Max told me hotly.


“No!” I screamed emotionally. “Not until you tell me what your name is on right now.”


“My birth certificate,” Max told me nastily. I held him even tighter. “I will cut off your circulation if you don’t tell me the truth,” I told him raspily.


Max opened up his mouth and gave me a nice healthy bite on my arm.


“Ow!” I yelled in protest and pain, and I let go of Max. Max ran off like a track star runner.


I couldn’t believe that Max BIT me. I was almost certain that our relationship was over. We had just had a very physical fight and Max was keeping secrets from me.


I sadly walked to my dorm and nursed my arm. After nursing my arm, I went to the dining hall for dinner. I ate mashed potatoes, rice, chicken, and salad. I drank grape soda and some water.


After eating and drinking, I was walking back to my dorm when I saw Max talking to George and Rob. Why was my boyfriend talking to my sworn enemies?


I saw Max pull out 2 $10.00 bills and hand one to each of them. George and Rob smiled at Max and nodded their heads. Max smiled at them and George and Rob left.


I saw and heard Max whistling happily to himself as he walked back to his dorm.


I had a sinking feeling that Max had just paid those two bitches a bribe. Max was acting shady.


I ran into Max. Max ran into his dorm and locked the door.


“Max, you’re a CREEP!” I yelled at him through the doorway.


Max turned on his radio to full blast to ignore me. I disgusted, walked back to my own dorm.


Max was acting like a creep all of a sudden. First, he opted out of my protest, then almost let me get arrested, then he signed his name on something he doesn’t want me to know, he BIT me(okay, maybe I did deserve that one a little because I told him that I would cut off his circulation), and now he’s paying money to George and Rob.

[Janice Johnson]

This one was an accident duplicate post.....But I erased it...

[Janice Johnson]

Here`s a little hint. The paper that Max signed is something that Dave would never want him to sign. Its a pretty bad paper. It could even destroy their relationship. Max knows Dave wouldnt like the paper, that is why he ran away from Dave and lied to him about the paper when Dave caught up to him.

[Janice Johnson]

I felt so lost and dejected. My boyfriend was turning against me, and was in cohorts with my enemies.

I sadly went to sleep. When I woke up, it was a Saturday. I at5e breakfast and bathed.

I watched some T.V, and then went out.

I decided to go by Phi Beta Alpha Fraternity house out of the blue. I walked up to it. I saw Max giving money to one of the PBA “rushies.”. He eagerly accepted the money.

“Max!” I screamed at him.

Max looked at me with a wide-eyed deer caught in headlights look.

He started to run again, but I caught up with him. We were hidden from sight, and I again confronted him.

“Max, why the F are you giving money to people? Why?” I asked him. Max backed away from me, but I stepped right in front of him.

I got in his face. “Max, you are acting like a shady creep,” I said to him.

Just then, Alex Sanders came by. A pledgie.

“Okay, Max,” I’ll do it. You got a deal,” he said with a smile on his face.

“Shut up, Alex!” Max hissed angrily.

Alex looked confused.

What would Alex do? Why was Max so angry? Alex left.

I turned to max with a quizzical, distrusting, expression. “You tell me what’s going on right now, or you can kiss this relationship good-bye,” I told him. I gave him an ultimatum.

Max looked torn. “I love you. I am doing this to protect you,” he said.

“What are you doing?" I asked him.

“I don’t want you to know,” Max confessed softly. That didn’t sound good. “If you’re keeping secrets from me, maybe we shouldn’t be together,” I suggested softly.

“Is that the way to speak to the guy you gave your virginity too?” Max asked with a slight smirk.

I blushed, remembering that Max and I had sex a few months ago.

“It’s not, but you gotta tell me what’s going on,” I said in a softer voice.

Max said, “Just like you told me you were a cocaine addict?” He asked with a sneer.

I blushed again. “I did eventually tell you,” I told him in my defense.

“After I coerced it out of you,” Max said. “You lied to me. You told me that you went to a vacation,” he continued.

I blushed even more. “I don’t want to talk about the cocaine addiction,” I said.

Max begun to leave. “No, you’re not leaving until you tell me what’s going on,” I said sternly again. “Tell me now,” I demanded.

“Now? Over your dead body,” Max said. “I told you, I don’t want you to know,” he continued.

I had to let it go. Max wasn’t budging. I went back to my dorm.

I saw jack at his dorm. “Hey, jack,” I said.

“Hey, he said, smiling. “I want to do another protest,” jack said.

“When?” I asked.

“Right now,” jack said.

“Now?” I repeated. I really did not want to protest now.

“Yes, please?” Jack begged me.

“Okay,” I agreed reluctantly. I gathered the other 8, and we walked around Alexander Hall shouting, “Equal rights for gays! Equal freedom for gays!”

We even marched to the PBA, where a meeting was taking place. We shouted, ‘Gays are human beings with emotions! Gays are people too!”

George said, “You can’t come to a private meeting protesting.

Rob said, “Please leave our premises,” in a controlled voice.

“No!” We all shouted. “You can’t shut our mouths!” Rodney said.

George said, “Okay, if you guys don’t leave now, all of the pledges will be automatically disqualified, and we will find all new pledges.”

“No!” The pledgies all shouted in unison. “I need to become a brother!” Someone else shouted, looking troubled. “Get out!” The pledgies all screamed at us.

George and Rob gave us smirks and told us that the crowd had spoken. We left, chanting, “Gays are united! One for all and all for one!”

After the mini protest, we all went to our own dorms.

Sunday passed with no event, except I slept and ate 95% of the day.

[Janice Johnson]

When Monday arrived, Steve reminded me that we had a talent show coming up tomorrow. He told me that we could do another protest in the form of a song. I chose, ‘Rhythm nation” by Janet Jackson. Steve agreed, and I told the other 8.



We spent that afternoon practicing for the talent show tomorrow. We watched Janet’s Rhythm Nation video a countless number of times, and we worked our butts off with the choreography of the ground breaking black and white video to a protest song. The group agreed that I should be “Janet,” and the rest would say, “We are part of the rhythm nation.”



The next day, I did assignments, and after school, we practiced again for the talent show’/protest.


At 7 pm, we walked to the auditorium, and we watched 7 good acts.


Finally, it was our turn. All 10 of us got up on the stage, and begun performing. We all wore the same tan Johnson uniform, to make up for the “military garb” of the actual video. We even wore them the same way.



“With music by our side, to break the color lines, let’s work together to improve our way of life. Join forces in protest to sexual injustice. (I changed the word “social” to “sexual” to fit into the protest), a generation full of courage come forth with me. People of the world today, are we looking for a better way of life? Sing it, we are part of the rhythm Nation. I sang the song with a lot of feeling, especially, “Things are getting worse, it’s time to make them better, it’s time to give a DAMN, let’s work together.” We tried our best to emulate the military body gestures of the video, such as when Janet touches her shoulders in it. The hardest part was when we tried to emulate the synch dancing where everyone dances the same way. We pulled it off however. We choreographed our butts off on that stage, in front of 780 Johnies and 30 members of the faculty and staff. I even did Janet’s ad libs, such as, “Say it for the children, say it for the mothers, say it for the fathers, say it for the babies, say it for us all.”



At the end of the video, we added a part from The Knowledge, another song from the Rhythm Nation album. We changed a few words though. I sang….”Prejudice?”(All of us said, “No!”) “Homophobia?” “No!” “Discrimination?” “No!” “Gay-bashing?” “No!” We said the “Nos” with a LOT of force. We really meant those “Nos!” At the end, we all sang, WE ARE PART OF THE RHYTHM NATION!” Then we did the random choreography at the end of Rhythm Nation video (the part after the final “Rhythm Nation” line). We had fun, but we were serious at the same time.



We all smiled when we were finished. To our surprise, there was loud applause.



We watched the other 3 acts, and they were all really good. When the winner results came, Josh Walker opened an envelope and announced that we had won! We were so excited! We all hugged each other.



We were named, “The Protestors” and received first place trophy and a cash prize of $100.00. We each got $10.00.



I looked at Max, and he gave me a warm smile and a wave. I melted inside.



After we went to our dorm, I went to sleep exhausted. I woke up the next day, on Wednesday. We did our assignments. At lunch, we were still being congratulated on our performance.



George said, “They are still a bunch of gay *******s. Even though they are good performers.”



Rob said, “The gays are taking over.” He looked bothered.



“Rob, we aren’t trying to take over anything. We want to walk side by side with you. Not in the back of you, not in front of you,” I defended us.



“So, Dave, you’re gay, too, huh?” Rob asked with a smirky smile.\



“No, I’m neutral, remember,” I lied again.



“Suuuuuuuuure,” Rob said, rolling his eyes.



I was surprised that neither Rob nor George had hit me in days. I was happy. Maybe being in the group somehow protected me.



We finished our lunch. It was a pretty boring rest of the day. I did my regular routine.



On Thursday, after I ate lunch, I walked to our swimming pool. I saw someone thrashing as if they were drowning. When I looked closer, I saw that it was George! “George can’t swim,” I thought nastily to myself. It looked as if he had accidentally fallen in. “Leave him there,” I thought nastily to myself. “He always beats me up and treats me unmercifully. If he drowns, I’ll be free of him.” I began to walk away. “Murderer! Bitch!” my good conscience screamed at me. “You can’t just leave him there to die!” It continued to scream at me. I didn’t want to, but I reluctantly got in and swam to George, and held him close to me and pulled him out of the pool.



I gave him CPR (Eew. The thought of having to put my mouth on this creep’s mouth made me shudder involuntarily ). George was still unconscious so I called ambulance, and the paramedics continued to do CPR on him. He was soon wheeled into the ambulance.



A paramedic said that it was a good thing that I saved his life. I felt a little proud. The ambulance rode off. I went back to my classes.



After school, Rob looked frantic. “Where’s George?” He asked me. He looked wild.



“I uh……” I started. “You did something to him, didn’t you?” Rob said accusingly.



“No, I didn’t, I swear,” I told him. “Why are your clothes wet/” he asked me suspiciously.



“Um, um,” I started again. “You EFFING DROWNED him, didn’t you? You know he can’t swim?” Rob accused me explosively.



He pushed me to the ground. “I know we always beat on you but that gives you no right to drown him!” Rob said emotionally. He punched my face hard. “Please, leave me alone,” I said weakly and scared.



“No!” he screamed again.



“I didn’t drown him!” I said, trying to block my face. Rob removed my arms and kept pummeling my face. I screamed in pain.




“Why are your clothes effing wet then if you didn’t drown him?” Rob screamed suspiciously.



“They’re wet because I jumped into the pool to get him. George was drowning, and I got in the pool and got him out and gave him CPR.”



Rob looked as if I had a point and got off of me.



“Where is George now?” Rob asked, emotionally.



“At the hospital,” I answered shakily.



Rob left.



I was still shaking. They do this to me on a regular basis. They use me as a punching bag. I’ve always been nice to them.

[Janice Johnson]

I did my regular routine again. I woke up the next day and got ready for school. At lunch, I saw Rodney. Rodney and I chatted with each other amicably. Rodney told me he was pumped up about our protests. I told him I liked them too.

Rodney and I ate lunch.

Rob went up to the front of the dining hall. He announced that there would be a “special” pledge meeting at the PBA fraternity house.

The pledgies were excited and chatted amongst themselves happily.

I had a feeling that this “special” meeting was not going to be good news for us, The Protestors.

After school, I put on sunglasses and a hat and walked over to the PBA.

I quietly snuck in. There were 20 pledgies eagerly waiting for the “special” meeting. Rob came in front of the pledgies crowd.

“Fellow Brothers in Training, Brother George is in the hospital. He almost drowned in a pool because he can’t swim. So for now, I will have to work solo. The second thing; we have to stop the protestors. Anyone who does not try to stop the protestors will be forever banned from all rushing activities.

No! I thought.

Some pledgies shifted uncomfortably. Those who shifted uncomfortably were gays themselves. I could see the torture in their eyes.

“What’s the matter?” Rob asked them with a sneer. “Are you gay too?”
“No!” They all replied with scared emotion.

“Good!” Rob said. “We have to keep those gays in the closet. They’ll take over everything! Did you hear the thunderous applause when they did the Rhythm Nation performance? They even won the award,” he added with contempt.

Another pledgie said,” What’s wrong with gays? They’re doing nothing wrong to us.”

Rob gave him a nasty sneer. “What’s wrong with gays?” he repeated bitingly. They like boys. So I have to wonder if they wanna F me. I had to effing change in front of one of those queers in the locker room. I even had to shower with him. I could see the lust in his eyes when we were showering. I got so uncomfortable and tense that I just wanted to go home and take another LONG shower when I got home. I did.” Rob shuddered.

“You’re probably just overreacting,” the pledgie said. “He was probably just spacing out.”

Rob laughed mirthlessly. “Yeah right. But anyway, if you let the protestors win, you will be banned from the PBA. And remember, colleges LOVE fraternities. And PBA is the best out of all of the fraternities,” he said smugly.

The pledgies agreed reluctantly. “Great, meeting adjourned,” Rob said, finally.

“Wait!” I said. Rob looked at me. “How do we destroy the protestors?”

“You throw stuff at them, turn on the fire hose on them, spit at them, curse them out, etc.” He looked at me hard. “Say, you look new. I haven’t seen you before. What’s your name?” He asked.

“Andy Ston ,” I said. My middle name is Alexander, and I said, “Andy” as a hidden nickname for the Ander part of Alexander. Nobody would get that Andy is from Ander of Alexander because people only know Alex as the nickname for Alexander. I got Ston from Winston.

“You seem to be a go-getter guy,” rob said, impressed.

I nodded. Rob put my (nicknamed) name down. “Meeting adjourned,” he said again.

I left. I told the other 9 what to expect. I slept. The next day was Saturday again.

I did my homework, ate, bathed, dressed, and watched T.V. Then I went to sleep again.

It was around 2 P.M when I awoke. I opened my dorm door and went outside again.

Max was walking around, and when he saw me, he gave me a fearful look again. He had a paper in his hands. He ran with the paper. I caught up with him and snatched the paper out of his hands.

The paper was a photocopy of names. The title of the paper said, “Anti-Gay Protest Petition.” And on the very top was Max Cartwright. Then there were 49 other names.

I was furious with him. “Max, I HATE you!” I screamed at him emotionally.

“I did it to protect you,” Max said softly.

‘You’re a effing bitch!” I cried. I slapped Max in his face. “Don’t effing talk to me,” I screamed emotionally. Max looked heart-broken. I ran to my dorm and cried on my bed.

Max signed an anti-gay protest petition. What was worse, his name was the first name on it.

I turned on VH1 classic, and they were showing Heart’s video of Heartless. When they sang, “Come on, he’s heartless!” I totally sang, “Max is heartless!” The lyrics, “He never realizes the way love dies when you crucify its soul,” “He thinks it’s so cool to be cold,’” made me think that Max HAD crucified our love with that petition, and he was being so cold. This video came on at such an ironic and coincidental time.

After heartless, I put the channel on MTV and I watched Kelis, “Caught Out There.” The main line was, “I hate you so much right now…grr.” She is throwing items around a room in anger. I sang that line from the song with a LOT of emotion. That was the way I felt about Max right now.

After singing, I felt better. I was still mad at Max though.

[Theda Bara]

Janice, you are a talented writer, have you ever summited any of your stories?

[Janice Johnson]

This is a short part, due to the time constraint)....



I went to sleep. When I woke up, it was Sunday. I ate breakfast, showered, and got ready for the day.

I went outside, and I saw Max. Max looked at me, and I gasped. Max’s eyes were lifeless. They had no soul in them. He looked like a zombie. I was worried.

“Max, are you okay?” I asked him.

Max answered, “I’m fine,” in a robotic, emotionless monotone.

He sounded brainwashed.

Max what’s wrong?” I asked him desperately. “Talk to me,” I begged him.

Max answered me, “You told me you hated me,” he replied in the same robotic voice. “You robbed my soul,” he continued, lifeless. I was creeped out by the emptiness I saw and heard.

I didn’t mean it,” I told him (I was very mad at him, but I didn’t hate him).

“Yes, you did,” Max said flatly. “I didn’t mean it,” I told him, desperately again.

“Tell me you love me,” Max said in a hollow voice.

“I love you,” I said, unconvincingly. I only meant it half-heartedly. I was still mad at him.

Max gave me an empty smile. “You don’t mean that with all of your heart,” he said flatly.

“I do love you,” I said, with a bit more conviction. He smiled wanly. “Thanks,” he said, a little less flatly.

Max still looked empty. He was still scaring me. “Max, snap out of it!” I told him, desperate. “You’re scaring me!” I cried, emotionally and scared.

Max said, “I’m going to leave now.” He sounded so hollow.

He left. I felt sad for him. He looked and sounded so lifeless. He really did look and sound as if someone had robbed his soul.

I thought about following him, but decided not to. He really didn’t seem like he was in a talking mood.

I went to Student Life Outside, and I saw Jack. “Hey, Jack,” I said.

“Hey, Dave,” he said. He looked at me thoroughly.

“Are you gay?” He asked me again. “We’re not gonna treat you any different if you are. Just tell me, are you?”

“No, I answered. “Jack, why do you ask?” I asked him nervously.

“Because you seem very interested in helping us gays be equal with the straights. Many non-gay people wouldn’t be that interested.” Jack answered me softly, with narrowed eyes.

“I just want equal opportunity for everyone. Gays shouldn’t have to hide in the closet. The only difference between gays and straights is that we like men,” I answered.

“You said, “We,” Jack pointed out perceptively. Uh-oh., I thought in my mind.

“I meant to say, “you,” as in you guys,” I corrected myself, lying.

[Janice Johnson]

Jack’s eyes narrowed. How did you get “we” and “you” mixed up?” He asked, sounding suspicious.


“I wasn’t thinking,” I replied.


“You know, you don’t have to hide in the closet,” Jack told me softly. “You can come out, he added, softly.


“I already came out of the closet,” I told him. “As an asexual,” I continued.


“No,” I meant as a gay,” Jack told me softly, looking intense.


I giggled nervously. “I’m not gay,” I lied, nervously.


“Are you lying?” Jack asked me.


“No,” I told him.


“You don’t have to hide it from me. You can come out with me. I’m not going to judge you. It can be between us,” Jack told me pleadingly.


This is the time to come out as a gay. To be yourself, and inner voice told me.

I took a deep breath. “Yes, Jack, I’m gay,” I told him softly.


Jack asked, “Was that so hard?” He smiled at me. “There’s nothing wrong with being gay,” he told me, still smiling. “Someone told me that not too long ago,” he said, winking at me.


“Please don’t tell anyone,” I begged him. I don’t want to be shunned,” I continued.


“I told you, none of us are going to treat you differently. You’re still Dave, our friend. It’s just that now you’re Dave, our gay friend. Not Dave, our asexual friend,” Jack told me with a smile.

Gay Dave. Somehow, that didn’t sound as bad as I thought it could. It felt good to get that off my chest.


Jack said, “I KNEW there was a reason you were so dedicated to this gay rights protest!” He said, and then winked.


I smiled at him.


We said our good-byes, and I went back to my dorm, I relaxed the rest of the day.

On Sunday, I bathed, dressed, and ate. Then I went to Max’s dorm. I knocked. There was no answer. I assumed that he was sleeping.


I shrugged it off and went back to my dorm. I watched some T.V and went to sleep for a few hours.


I was awakened when Dean Riley knocked on my dorm door. “Max Cartwright’s gone missing!” he said when I opened up the door. He looked panicked.


“No, no no!” I thought to myself. Where had Max gone? I worried in my mind. I vividly and painfully remembered the emptiness in his face and voice. I was hoping I hadn’t driven him away.


“We need to do a search for him” Dean Riley said. He soon told every dorm parent and dorm student in our hall, Alexander Hall about Max’s disappearance.


“Max is usually so responsible. How could he do that?” Sam, our dorm parent murmured.


I said, “Oh no,” with pain and grief. It was tearing me apart, what had happened to Max.


They looked at me curiously. “I just want Max to be safe,” I said.


Dean Riley said that we needed to look everywhere on Johnson property for Max.

“It’s 2.00 in the afternoon! I have better things to do than to go look for Max! ”Barry grumbled angrily. “Screw Max!” He said, angrily.


I gave him a pissed off look. “Fine! If you go missing, I’ll say, “I have better things to do then go look for you! Screw Barry!” “You’re a jerk!” I cried angrily.


He gave me a pissed off look too. “Why don’t you go back to your gay ass protest?” he retorted, pissed off at me.

“Suck my di….!” I told him angrily.

“You’d probably like that, wouldn’t you?” He retorted with a sneer.

“You’re a bitch!” I screamed at him.

“Fa…!” he screamed at me angrily.


Jack spoke up. “Look, it’s early in the afternoon. We’re all upset. Dave, Barry, you’re not making it any better. Why don’t we look for Max later in the day?” Jack had some guts, after all to speak up.


Dean Riley said, “No, let’s look for Max right now.”


We had to do it. Dean Riley was the boss, after all.


We looked in every hall, every dorm, Student Life outside, Student Life Inside, and we checked the dining hall, the kitchen, every bathroom, every classroom, the computer courtyard, the library, the swimming pool, the sports area, the exercise gym, the music hall, and the arts section. We checked the study hall too.


We were exhausted. We had checked almost every square inch of Johnson Academy. We had not, however, checked the Phi Beta Alpha Fraternity House.


We walked over there. We knocked on the door. Rob opened up the door. He looked flabbergasted to see all of us and asked what was going on.


Dean Riley said, “Max Cartwright has gone missing. We have to search the PBA for him.”


Rob said, “Leave him missing. If he’s missing, he wanted to be missing. I’m not letting you guys search the PBA for him.” He scowled.


“Bitch!” I screamed at him.


Rob glared at me.


Dean Riley said, “Fine. If you don’t let us search the PBSA, I will close the PBA.”


Rob’s eyes held fear in them. “What? No! George and I love the PBA. We don’t want it closed!”


The pledgies cried, “No! We want to join, Dean Riley!” They looked worried.


Dean Riley said, “It’s up to Rob.” He looked at Rob.


Rob reluctantly said, “Okay.”


We all searched the PBA house. Max wasn’t there. We all went back to our dorms and went to sleep.