10| Radicals and Racists

I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.

~ Martin Luther King Jr, from his famous "I have a dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28th, 1963

"I simply refuse to admit defeat when we look at the disgusting tiers of our school system," Arohi began, throwing her hands in the air. "I mean, look at that," she said, her lip curling in disgust as she surveyed the jocks. Ashton was nowhere to be seen, I noted. Ben Skolt had his legs propped up on the table and a few girls had their arms draped across his shoulders as he sucked a can of juice. Even Todd was sitting at their table, although he looked antsy and kept tapping his foot against the ground. Most of the other jocks were making out right there in the open, and girls with no self respect were crawling all over them. "It's pathetic."

I nodded in understanding, seeing where she was coming from. She pushed her huge nerd glasses further up her nose and looked at Ben with distaste. "I think you're starting to have feelings for Ben," I said, nudging her slightly. "Is that why you're suddenly so jealous?"

She rolled her eyes. "As if," she said, although she didn't sound too convinced herself. "Anyway," she said, turning to me. "My aunt and uncle want to meet you! They're practically my family, they're great people. I'd love for you to come over sometime."

I smiled happily. The last time I'd met parents who weren't my own - although the latter didn't happen very often either - was when Renée's parents got back together after she died. It was a totally informal thing but they both realized how much they'd needed each other after the split. Meeting a normal family was something I hadn't realized I'd been craving until Ro had offered.

"I'd love to," I said, honestly. "I have a lot of classes over the week though, so I'll have to check my schedule and tell you when I'm free."

She smirked at me and began teasing me again, a hobby she seemed to love more than anything in the world. "Miss UUC and her busy schedules," she said, dramatically placing a hand on her forehead. I punched her lightly on the shoulder and rolled my eyes.

I was growing to really like our dynamic. It was easy, she was incredibly smart and we both had similar tastes in a lot of things. The only thing that just marginally bothered me was how close she and Naomi were, but there was nothing I could do about that and I didn't get to dictate who she could and couldn't hang out with so I said nothing.

"Oh my gosh! Ro!" I heard an annoying gush. Speak of the devil.

"Nay!" Arohi said, giving her a warm smile. "What's up?"

"We have cheer practice in an hour. I need you to be there on time, okay?"

"You know the reason I was late last time," she responded, rolling her eyes. "Ben decided to be a dick. As usual. No surprise there."

Naomi smirked a little and shrugged, her blonde hair bouncing up and down her shoulders. "Yeah, whateves. Don't let anyone derail you, that's all," she said, smiling, before bounding away like I hadn't been standing there the whole time.

Whatever.

"Hey, Pascal," came a familiar voice that made me smile involuntarily. Arohi smirked and motioned for me to go ahead, and I gave her a grateful smile. "I haven't seen you in a while. Have you been... avoiding me?" he asked, placing a hand on his heart.

Uh, yeah?

"No," I said, giving him a thin smile. "It's Senior Year, Fletcher. I need to focus on my life. My college apps, my extra curricular activities, my resume, my-"

"Yeah, I get it, you're a busy woman," he said, pinching my cheek. I rolled my eyes and swatted his hand away. "But in all seriousness, we should hang out." I raised my eyebrows.

"We hang out a lot, Fletcher," I said, pointing it out. "What's your point?"

"There's a party. Next Friday. Do you want to be my plus one?" he asked.

"Is this Richard Davidson's party?" I asked, because I'd been invited myself. 

"Yeah," he said, not bothering to look surprised that I'd already heard about it. "I'm pretty pumped, I've not been to a single party since I came to this place," he said, laughing. "And who's better to go with than the Party Queen herself?"

"Party Queen?" I scoffed. "Far from it, really. Half of the parties I've ever been to have ended with me being drunk out of my mind and crying. I oscillate between a happy drunk and a really emotional one, because I have no balance. So beware to see the side of me you didn't know existed," I warned, and he took my fingers in his hand and kissed them gently, sending a jolt of pleasure down my spine.

"It's okay to have someone else protect you once in a while, Archer," he said, a small smile playing across his lips. 

"You? Protect me?" I asked, rhetorically, laughing a little. "You mean I should trust that you won't run away and screw some girl while I'm losing my mind, possibly throwing my clothes on some random beer table?"

"Why should I look at some girl when the one I'm going with is right here?" he asked, and I groaned and placed my head in my hands.

"That's way too cheesy, Fletcher. Even by your standards."

"Yeah, I realized midway through the sentence," he said, cringing a little. "But hey, even if I am with some girl, if I know you need help I'll drop everything and come, yeah? That's what friends are for."

I smiled at him gratefully. "That would be pretty cool, then. I'll definitely be your plus one, you weirdo."

He chuckled. "So, you've gotten all pally with the new girl?" he asked, motioning towards Ro. 

I grinned. "Looks like I've gotten pally with both the new kids in the school," I said, laughing. "You still need to tell me why you moved in randomly in Senior Year," I said, giving him a once over. "All these secrets."

"I'll trade for yours," he said, and although his smile was playful, there was a sudden seriousness in his eyes that made my breath hitch. There was no way he knew about Ren, right? 

I opened my mouth to respond, but I heard a distressed cry from behind me and I whipped around to see Ronald, an annoying redhead, pissing off Arohi.

"Hey, bitch," he motioned, coming far too close to her for comfort. 

She squirmed. "Ronald, please go away," she said, pushing him lightly, but he walked closer to her anyway and kissed her neck. There were so many people around, and no one was doing anything.

"Get away from her," I hissed, walking forward. By now, a little scene had been created and a few people had gathered around. 

"Are you really defending this cheap little immigrant?" he asked, flicking her cheek. I could see the beginnings of tears form in her eyes.

"Ronald, I'm serious," I hissed. "Leave her the fuck alone, or you'll regret it."

"Oh, what'll you do? Punch me?" he asked, before he turned to Arohi. "You come in here, into my country, and think you have the gall to be able to talk back to me? To not do what I tell you to do?"

Arohi's lip quivered. "Ronald, I'm sorry, I'm just not interested in dating you-"

"Yeah, tell everyone about that time you begged me to bang you."

"That never happened," she hissed, standing up straighter now. "It was the other way around, you asshole! I never wanted you at all. You're a horrible, cruel bully and I'd never, ever get together with you!"

He pouted, a heartless gleam in his eyes. "You come in here, with your stiff-upper-lip behavior, stealing our jobs and credits with your weird accent expecting us to all be okay with it, and-"   

"You're just salty she rejected you, get over it, you racist piece of shit," Todd said, his hand on my shoulder. "Leave her alone."

He glared at Todd menacingly. "Oh, look at that. Cecilia the slut managed to get Todd under her thumb, too. Possibly under other places too, who knows?"

"Shut the hell up, Ronald," I said, fists clenched.

"It's true, isn't it?" he asked, grinning at Todd maniacally. "She seduced you and now you're helping her filthy brown friend."

"Shut up if you know what's good for you," Todd said, looking like he was on the verge of having an aneurysm.  

"Ronald, I'm sorry, I really just don't like you like that. Please leave me alone," Arohi said, looking visibly upset. 

"Ro, you don't have to talk to him, you can-"

"Cecilia, it's okay. I'm capable of handling myself," she said, before pointedly looking at him. "Leave. Me. Alone. Do you hear me? I belong here just as much as you do, I was born in America before I moved to India which makes me a citizen. My guardians pay for the same taxes as you do. I don't get any more privileges than you do, and I don't deserve any less respect."

"Aw, right, I forgot you're the pathetic little girl whose mother died and father didn't care enough to help you out. The drunkard who left you because you weren't worth it. And you never will be."

That was the final blow. I lunged forward but Todd held me back, and Ro moved to slap him across the face but he beat her to it. He punched her and she staggered back, falling on the floor with a purplish bruise blossoming across her cheekbone.  

Before he could do anything else, someone pounced on him and gave him a deft punch in the gut. 

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" came a low growl, and I was surprised to see Ben standing above Ronald, his eyes red and his fists clenched. "How dare you talk to her like that?" He punched him again, and again. "That's for being a racist piece of trash," he hissed. "That's for being a dick and verbally bullying her. And that," he said, kicking him on the side. "Is for even thinking of hurting Arohi. She's a thousand times the person you'll ever be."

Ronald was crouched on the floor, his eyes wide. "You don't even know her," he whispered, looking a little scared of the tall boy towering over him. 

"I don't know her?" he scoffed, glaring down at him. "I know she's the kind of girl who will stay up all night talking to you if she thinks you're upset. The kind of girl who will do everything in her power to make her father and mother know, no matter where they are, that she is trying her best to make them proud. The kind of girl who will relentlessly try to help you even if you shut her out, just because she doesn't want you to go through something you can't do alone. She's the kind of girl who'll never disrespect someone else because of their fucking race. Hell, she won't disrespect someone, period. So watch your fucking mouth."

"You're just saying this because you have a crush on her," Ronald hissed, a little blood trickling down his mouth. "She's worthless."

"Yeah, maybe I do. But the difference between you and I is that I'll never push her down if she turns me down. I'll never punch her. I'll respect her no matter what. And she's worth more than you can ever dream of being. If you lay another finger on her again, I'll make sure you can never walk again, and that's a promise."

My jaw was unhinged. I'd never seen anyone so passionately defend another person like that before. He looked so angry, like Ronald had personally attacked him and not Ro. I turned and saw Ro, tears streaming down her face freely. 

I knew, if anyone would protect her and treat her right, Ben would. 

He walked up to her and held out his hand, and she took it gratefully, before wrapping her arms around him and giving him a hug, sobs wracking through her skinny frame. 

"What are you all watching for? Get back to your lives," Todd hissed, and the crowd began to disperse, stealing glances at Ben and Arohi, clinging onto each other like survivors on a broken, sinking ship.

"Thank you," she whispered, wiping her eyes. "Thank you, thank you."

"You don't need to thank me for being a decent human being," he said, a small smile playing across his lips. "Although you're probably surprised that I can be one."

She pushed his chest lightly, a watery smile on her own face. "I never thought you were a bad person," she said, laughing a little.

"I'm sorry for bringing up the fact that I liked you," he said, hurriedly, looking embarrassed and scratching the back of his neck. "I didn't mean it like that. I would have defended you even if I didn't like you. But I do. I have for a while, really. I just think you're amazing and beautiful and so caring, and I've never actually felt this way towards anyone before. I just... I didn't want you to find out this way. But I think that anyone who doesn't see how precious you are is blind. And if they hurt you, I'll-"

He never got to finish what he'd do to people who'd hurt her, because Arohi pulled his face down and kissed him. She pulled back, and smiled widely. He looked taken aback.

"Well, there goes cheer practice," she joked. She then pulled him back in, their lips molding perfectly, like two puzzle pieces that were meant to join to complete a larger picture. 

I looked at Todd uncomfortably, and both of us knew we should probably not be a part of this intimate moment. 

Ben was holding Arohi so gently, like she was a delicate doll that might fall apart, and she was clinging onto him, her arms looped around his neck.

"Let's go," whispered Todd, gently pulling me away. I nodded, placing my head on his shoulder, feeling so many different emotions at once.

And in that moment, looking at Arohi smiling against Ben's kiss, I saw hope. 

I saw the broken Indian girl who'd lost her whole family in one swoop, but still managed to smile. The girl who worked so hard to cover up her pain. The girl who'd been through so much, and had still managed to find love.

And if that was possible for her, then it definitely was for me. And despite the fact that she had been through a plethora of insults, I could see that right now, in Ben's arms, she was perfectly, incandescently, happy. 

hey guys! first up, can I just say THANK YOU for all your support? it means so much to me!! you guys are incredible aHh ilysm.

also, you guys should listen to this song, i thought it was pretty accurate to describe this scene:

https://youtu.be/XJT7I0sLdD0

okay, question time: if you saw someone bullied like this, would you just stand around and be the bystander or would you help out? if you were in cecilia's position, what would you have done the same/differently?