chapter 20: harlow's contentment

~harlow~

       I've been trying everything to get proof that Viktor is behind that list. Sera has been trying too, but Kaylee and I warned her not to snoop around his things of anything. We can't risk him getting suspicious, which is also why it has been difficult to find any proof. It's not like we can always follow him around school without raising suspicion.

       At least we know who most likely did it, unless there's another reason why Viktor should be scared of Kiro.

       Even though Kiro is out of the hospital now and seems to be doing a lot better, I haven't told him about Viktor. I don't want to tell him until we know for sure that Viktor is behind it. Even then, I might hold off on telling him for as long as I can.

       Kaylee walks into the gymnasium where we're about to have our cheerleading practice. She walks over to where I'm stretching and begins to stretch with me. "I've been thinking about something. I don't think Viktor is the only one behind the list. I think it was his idea or he's in charge of it, but I think he's been asking his friends for opinions."

       "What makes you think that?" I ask.

       "Remember when the updated list was posted?" Kaylee asks. "Kiro said that Fern's name moved up on the list, likely to appeal to him because we wanted him to seem threatening to whoever is behind it. But if Viktor said he's not scared of Kiro, then why would he move Fern up on the list?"

       "That's a good point," I say. "And that means we don't have to just look into Viktor. We can look into his friends too."

       "Exactly," Kaylee says. "I got Sera's number and asked who Viktor's friends are, so I'm just waiting for her reply. Maybe one of them will slip up."

       "Hopefully one of them will." The talk about the list has died down a bit, but it will surely start again if Viktor and his friends decide to update the list again like last time. They probably won't stop until they get found out, so I hope Kaylee and I can figure things out soon.

       During our cheerleading practice, some guys walk in and sit on the bleachers knowing well enough a lot of sport teams' practice at our school is closed, meaning not just anyone can walk in and sit down. And by the looks of these guys, they're likely here to check us out. Gross.

       Ever since the list was released, some guys have gotten a lot more brave with their blatant sexism and objectifying of girls. It's digusting.

       Kaylee stops the practice and looks at the guys. "This is a closed practice," she says.

       "So?" one of the guys asks.

       "So it means no one is allowed to sit in without our permission," Kaylee says. "And none of us are giving you permission, so get out."

       "Awe, come on, can't you make an exception for us?" he asks. "We want to show our appreciation towards all of you hot girls."

        Kaylee sighs. She probably knows she can't physically make the guys leave but luckily for her, I have trained for moments like these. I'll gladly use my crocodile tears to get what I want.

       "Don't worry, I got this," I say in a whisper before talking in a normal tone. "Kaylee, how do you think this sounds?" I immediately get my eyes to start watering, and I sound as sad as I could. "Mrs. Bender, we were all just trying to work on our routine when these guys walk in and start checking us out. It just made us very uncomfortable." I cry even harder. "They even called us hot when we're just trying to do what we love."

       My waterworks is a success because the guys get up to leave, but not before one of them says, "You don't have to be such a bitch about it."

      "Mrs. Bender, one of them even called me a bitch," I say, continuing my waterworks. "I didn't even say anything to them. You're against sexist name-calling, right?"

      The bitch name-caller rolls his eyes and leaves with his friends. I immediately dry my eyes as if I wasn't crying at all. Kaylee and a few other of the cheerleaders applaud at my performance. "Wow, that was amazing," Kaylee says.

      "Thank you, thank you," I say. "I'm still going to tell Mrs. Bender about them, by the way. Those guys acting entitled to us is totally not okay and I'm not going to let them get away with it just because I got them to leave."

       "Hopefully, they don't come back," one of the cheerleaders, Millicent, says. "It was really uncomfortable for them to just be here and watch us when we're not friends with any of them."

       "Since anyone can sit in if we give them permission, I can ask if my older sister is fine sitting here," another girl, Anjali, says. "She always stays after school to do homework when I have practice so she can drive me home after, and she's the type of person that won't take any bullshit from guys."

       Kaylee nods. "You can go text her to see if she wants to. It would be great to have someone who can handle unwanted visitors so we won't have to constantly stop our practice."

       Anjali's older sister does agree to sit in on practice from now on since all she does afterschool is her homework anyway, so it's no big deal for her to be here. Thankfully, no other guys decide to sit in on practice, but it's nice to know we have some backup anyway.

       When practice is over, I head to the principal's office to see if she's there so I can talk to her about the guys. She is, so I tell her what happened and how uncomfortable it made us.

       "Thank you for telling me," Mrs. Bender says. "Do you know their names?"

       I sigh. "I don't."

       "That's okay," Mrs. Bender says. "The teachers and I are planning a sort of workshop for the boys anyway, so they will be part of the discussion. It's going to be about the sexist behaviour some students have been exhibiting and how the girls have been feeling extremely uncomfortable because of it."

       "Oh, that sounds great," I say.

       "I hope so," Mrs. Bender says. "I wish there is more I can do about the list, but I simply can't because it's a random social media account. The least I can do is let the boy students know their behaviour is not okay. And I know not all boys have been acting sexist, but I hope that making this mandatory for all boys will encourage those who are not to be good examples to those who are."

____________________

you go mrs. bender.

kiro, forest, aleks, and freddie (kaylee's bf) will GLADLY take part of it and call out all the sexist students lol