East Side Academy

by K. E. Woodward

  "Mia," I say. "You went through something traumatic, something that no one should have to go through. Ever. The fact that you are getting up every day and trying to live your life just shows how unbelievably strong you are. You have to give yourself credit for how far you have come. You faced Henri the other day and didn't back down for even a second! You can't expect to get over everything in one go. It will take time to heal and unfortunately, some scars will never fully heal."

  “Hearing his voice was like a trigger,” Mia says. “All the memories came back. I felt like I was reliving the experience.”

  "Tell me, why did you come out of the house?” I say. “I know Arya didn't make you. I know you chose to come outside yourself."

  "I had to see him," Mia says. "I had to hear what he wanted to say. I knew I would regret it if I didn't. I would always wonder." Mia takes a deep breath. "In the moment, I could let my anger out on him. I just didn't expect it would be so hard afterward."

  “Is there anything else you would have wanted to say to him?” I ask.

  "No," Mia says.

  “Is there anything that you wish he had said to you?” I ask.

  She’s silent. Considering the question. “There’s nothing he can say. There are no words. And there’s nothing he can do. I can only hope that now he will never do that to another girl.”

  “You are a brave person, Mia,” I say. “If you could see yourself how I see you, you would understand.”

  “Thank you, James,” Mia says and turns to look at me. “For everything. I feel terrible about what I put Arya through. She was the only one who knew for so long. She has always been there for me. I avoided Henri as much as I could, but he and Arya were in the same grade. She saw him in class. She grew to hate him more than I did which I didn’t think was possible. She wrote on his locker to expose him so that people would stop seeing him as a god at that school. I owe her everything.”

  “Arya loves you,” I say. “She couldn’t stand what he had done to you, but she doesn’t regret a thing she did.”

  “Did she tell you that?” Mia asks.

  “No,” I say. “But I like to think that I know your sister well enough.”

  "She regrets the day she did it." Mia smiles, and I laugh out loud.

  How would things have turned out if the basketball team hadn't been practicing that morning? Or if Arya had done it the next day? She would probably still be at West Side, and I would never have met her. Sometimes bad things have to happen to get to the good things in life. That's why you have to continue with life. There's going to be hard times, times when you don't understand why you have to go through something so difficult. But if you ride it out, it has the potential to lead you exactly where you're supposed to be.

  “I’ve never seen her as happy as she is with you,” Mia says. “She had a perfect life at West Side. I was always so jealous of her, so when an older guy was interested, I thought ‘This is something I can have over her. Someone prefers me’. She never gave any guy the time of day, which only made them more attracted to her. I love Arya, but there were times that I hated her. I initially pushed her away after what happened. I didn’t want my perfect sister to see how badly I screwed everything up.”

  “You didn’t screw anything up,” I say. “You can’t possibly take responsibility for anything that happened.”

  "I'm getting carried away. What I am trying to say is," Mia says, "my sister was a shining star at the rich and prestigious West Side without even trying. She had everything. Guys wanted to be with her, girls were jealous of her. But despite all of that, she is happiest at East Side with you. It says a lot about your relationship."

  "She's everything to me," I say.

  I pull into a parking lot. “Where are we?” Mia asks.

  "I need your help with something," I say, and we get out of the car.

  “This is a jeweler?” Mia asks.

  “Yes,” I say. “I want you to give me your opinion on something.”

  Chapter 56 – Let’s Talk About Sex

  “Let's talk about sex baby / Let's talk about you and me / Let's talk about all the good things / And the bad things that may be / Let's talk about sex” – Let’s Talk About Sex, Technotronic

  Arya

  "So I heard that Henri left West Side Academy and moved to the West Coast," Diana says to me at our lockers.

  "News travels fast," I say.

  “Small town,” Diana says. “How’s your sister?”

  "Henri came to the house on Saturday to talk to her," I say.

  “No!” Diana says with surprise on her face. “That bastard. Did she kick him the nuts?”

  I laugh. “No,” I say. “I think she killed him with her words instead.”

  “I knew that guy was trouble when he came up to me at the party. If I ever see that boy again…” Diana says.

  “No need,” I say. “He’s far away now, thank goodness.”

  "That must have been hard for her," Diana says. "How's she holding up?"

  “She’s strong on the outside,” I say, “but I think she’s still hurting on the inside. James told me to just let her know that I’m here whenever she needs me.”

  “He’s right,” Diana says. “She’ll come to you when she’s ready.”

  “I just get so mad that something like this happened to my sister,” I say. “And then I think, it’s probably happened to many other girls as well, but no one says anything. Guys just get away with everything.”

  “Has it happened to you, Arya?” Diana asks me seriously. “I mean, I know about Eric, but…”

  "No," I say, a little surprised with the question. "I've had more than my fair share of harassment from guys and then what happened with Eric, but that's the worst of it."

  “My uncle tried to,” Diana says. “When I was 8 years old.”

  “Diana,” I say softly. “I’m so sorry.”

  “He’s gone now,” Diana says. “I have no idea where, but he’s out of our lives.” Diana takes a deep breath. “A lot of women have gone through a lot of trauma and there’s a lot of men who walk around unaffected. They don’t think they have done anything wrong. They rarely receive repercussions for their actions. Women are the ones left behind to suffer.”

  "Men don't think they have done anything wrong because no one has taught them that what they are doing is wrong," I say. "No one teaches anyone about sex and consent. We are left to figure sex out on our own through the media, the internet, and our peers. We don't learn anything from our teaches or other adults that could help us. I love my parents, they are the best parents you could ever ask for, but even they don't talk to me about sex. It's like an unspoken subject in the house and as long as we aren't having sex, it's okay.

  “I don’t understand this mentality that if they don’t talk about it, if they don’t teach it, everything will be fine,” I say. “It’s such a lie. It’s like if they don’t teach us about sex then it won’t happen. People are going to have sex! We should be educated on it so we can protect ourselves from unwanted pregnancies and diseases. We should be educated on consent and maybe, just maybe, another Henri won’t be created. Maybe, if we teach girls and boys at a young age about sex and consent, things like this won’t happen. At least not as often.”

  "Maybe there will be fewer women that are traumatized for the rest of their lives," Diana says. "Maybe there will be fewer women with traumatic stories they keep silent. Just because we don't hear of it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It's not easy to share these kinds of stories. Some women are assaulted by people that are a part of their everyday lives, people that they can't easily escape from. There can be serious repercussions with that. And some women don't want to be looked at differently, which is completely understandable. We should work towards a preventive society, not a reactive one," Diana says and then stares at me. "You want Sexual Education taught in school."

  “Pardon my language,” I say, “but fuck yes.”

  “I agree,” Diana says. “Ignorance is not b
liss.”

  Chapter 57 – Do It for Love

  “I won't do it for money / I won't do it for pride / I won't do it to please somebody else / If it don't feel right / But I'll do it for you / And at least I'll try / I don't need any other reason / Than I feel it deep inside / I'll Do It For Love” – Do It for Love, Hall & Oates

  Arya

  “This is his uncle’s address?” I ask Malcolm, looking at the text he sent me.

  “Yes,” Malcolm says. “One question though. Why am I the one that had to get this for you?”

  “It was your idea that I talk to him,” I say. “The least you can do is help me out.”

  "Haven't you been there before?" Malcolm asks.

  "Once," I say, "and James drove us there. I don't remember where it is.

  “Good luck,” Malcolm says. “Let me know how it goes.”

  “Any advice?” I ask.

  "Don't look too pretty," Malcolm says.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I suspect James’ uncle feels a certain way about you already,” Malcolm says. “That you are a pretty rich girl who is a distraction for his nephew. I don’t think trying to be pretty will gain you any extra points with him.”

  “Is this a mistake?” I ask.

  “Possibly.” Malcolm shrugs. “But do you have a better idea?”

  "Not right now," I say.

  "You'll be fine," Malcolm says.

  “I don’t want James to hate me,” I say. “I don’t want to make things worse for him.”

  “I doubt that will happen,” Malcolm says. “And James could never hate you.”

  ***

  Knock. Knock. I wait on the doorstep of James’ uncle’s house that is on a farm. I am beyond nervous. This man already hates me without even knowing me. The door opens and a tall man with short brown hair fills the door frame. James looks just like him.

  “Hello,” Mr. Fox says. “And to what do I owe the pleasure?”

  "Mr. Fox," I say, trying to calm my nerves. "I came to talk to you. My name is Arya, I know your nephew, James."

  “Arya,” Mr. Fox says, searching his mind for where he’s heard the name before. “You must be the girl that has been distracting my nephew.”

  “Mr. Fox,” I say. “If I could just talk to you for a moment.”

  “Does my nephew know you are here?” Mr. Fox says.

  “No,” I say. “It was my idea to come here. I just need to talk to you. About James.” He stares at me. “It won’t take long, I promise.”

  He considers, considers just shutting the door in my face, but he concedes and stands aside to let me in. “The lounge is to the right. Take a seat anywhere.” I sit on a chair by the fireplace while he takes the couch across from me. “So, I’m interested to hear what you have to say.”

  "Mr. Fox," I say. "I care about James and I know you do too. I just worry about him. He's under so much pressure and has so much on his plate. He acts like he is fine, but I know he isn't. It's too much for him, but he'll never admit it."

  “He does have a full plate,” Mr. Fox says. “Adding a girlfriend to the mix probably hasn’t helped.”

  "I'm second priority to working for you and his family, in case you didn't already know," I say sternly.

  “Are you going to break up with him then?” he asks.

  "I know you would love it if I did," I say.

  “You’re going to do it anyway,” Mr. Fox says. “Why not get it over with? Find a nice rich boy that can give you everything you want.”

  "I'm not breaking up with James," I say flatly. "Why are you so desperate to get rid of me?"

  “Because I know your type,” Mr. Fox says. “I know my nephew won’t be able to keep a rich pretty girl like you pleased for long. You’ll put him aside when a better option comes along.”

  “You don’t know me,” I say. “I would never do that.”

  “James doesn’t come from money,” Mr. Fox says. “He works for everything he’s got. He’s had to earn everything he has. Working for me is the only way he can afford school. He doesn’t have a rich father to pay for everything. Do you two really think you two can maintain this relationship?”

  “James means everything to me,” I say. “I don’t care about his status or how much money he has.”

  “Because you are kids still in high school,” Mr. Fox says. “You don’t know what it will be like when you are both out on your own. I am doing the best for my nephew. I have given him a job so he can earn money to get out of this town, go to school and get a decent job and make something of himself.”

  “You work him to the ground,” I say. “No teenager should be working as much as he does, but you are his uncle, so he doesn’t question it. He continues to carry this burden that is too heavy for him.”

  “I will not have my nephew throw away everything for a girl he barely knows.”

  “I am not asking him to throw anything away!” I say. “I’m just asking you to lighten the load on him. I’m asking you not to work him as hard. I’m asking you to treat him like the teenager he is.”

  "Terry," a voice says and we both turn to it. A woman walks into the living room with an apron over her dress. I assume it's James' aunt. "You know I have already told you that you work that boy too hard. You always have. And now, his girlfriend is here, pleading with you to stop working him so hard. To treat him like a teenager and let him have his life back."

  “He wants the work!” Mr. Fox says. “I am not working him too hard. I’m building his character!”

  “He’s already lost a father,” she says. “Now you are taking away his childhood.”

  “What am I supposed to do, Marie?!” he yells. “Give him more money for less work? He needs every cent he can get.”

  "Yes," Marie says.

  “What?”

  “Give him a raise and shorten his hours,” Marie says. “He deserves it, you know he does. He’s been working for you for two years and you haven’t changed his pay once.”

  “I don’t exactly have endless amounts of money,” Mr. Fox says.

  “James is worth his weight in gold,” Marie says. “He does the job of two people during the summer months. You won’t be able to replace him when he leaves. You’ll need two people when he goes to university. Pay him what he deserves, Terry. You owe it to him.”

  “Is this really what you feel, Marie?” Mr. Fox asks. “Do you really feel I work the boy too hard?”

  “We all do! How many times do I have to say it?” Marie exclaims. “Me, his mother, his girlfriend, probably his friends as well. Open your eyes, love.”

  Mr. Fox just looks at his wife for a long time. Malcolm was right, he’s not a bad person. He’s trying to do the best he can for his nephew, but maybe he didn’t realize in the process, he was hurting him. I was wrong thinking that he was purposely trying to abuse his power over James. He wants a better life for his nephew and James never complains about anything, so maybe he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong?

  “Thank you for coming here, Arya,” Mr. Fox says to me. “I think it’s time you should go home now.”

  “Mr. Fox…” I begin.

  “I think you have made your point,” Mr. Fox says. “And it seems my wife agrees. Please leave us.”

  "Don't be rude, Terry," Marie says. "Arya, please stay, can I get you something to drink?"

  “Thank you, Mrs. Fox,” I say. “But I really should be leaving. My parents will be wondering where I am.” I get up to get out of that house as fast as I can. What will happen now? What will happen to James?

  Chapter 58 – All You Did Was Save My Life

  “The story's been told a million times / but it’s different when it’s your life / I won the lottery tonight / The lottery tonight / I'm not dying / All you did was save my life / Pulled me out of that flat line / Put the heartbeat back inside / I'm not dying / All you did was get me through / I owe every breathe to you / Heart and soul unparalyzed / All you did was save my life" – All You Did Was Save My Life, Our Lad
y Peace

  James

  It's late when I walk into the house. I expect everyone to be asleep, but from the kitchen, I can hear the TV on. Probably Rachel. But then I hear voices talking. Voices that are not coming from the TV. Is Grace up as well? Can't be my mom, she's working the late shift tonight. Grace can’t stay up this late or else she’ll be exhausted for school tomorrow. I go into the living room, expecting to see my two sisters but that’s not the case.

  "Arya," I say when I walk in and she looks up to me from the couch and smiles. Rachel is sitting next to her.

  “James!” Rachel says. “You’re home! Arya came over to see you.”

  "I can see that," I say.

  “And then she invited me to watch the Bachelor so I couldn’t say no.” Arya smiles.

  “Don’t you think you should be in bed, Rachel?” I ask, not trying to be too obvious that I want to get rid of her.

  “It’s almost done, James,” Rachel says. “It’s the rose ceremony.”

  “It is almost done, James,” Arya repeats. “This may be where Cassie gets voted off!”

  “She’s still there?” I ask.

  "Why don't you watch it with us?" Arya asks.

  I roll my eyes at her. "I'll wait for you in the kitchen," I say and turn away from them.

  “He totally wants to know who gets the final rose,” I hear Arya whisper to Rachel, and she laughs.

  As I start emptying the dishwasher, I feel her presence in the room. She comes up close behind me and places her chin on my shoulder and wraps her arms around me and I stop what I’m doing. She kisses my neck, and it stirs up something inside me. I turn around in her arms so I can look at her and hold her myself. “Didn’t expect you here, but it’s a very nice surprise.”

  “I wanted to see you,” she says and I kiss her forehead. “And I also wanted to talk to you.”