“Well at least you enjoyed his soup.”
She passed the bowl over to me and replies, “No, I didn’t if you’re wondering.”
“So what food would you describe me as?”
“So far you’re a donut.”
I laughed, “Ouch, that could mean anything. Can you be more specific?”
“Maybe,” she laughed. “I can’t really say; I don’t really know you.”
“So you want to know me?”
“You still haven’t answered me.”
“You wanted to be popular; I’m not looking for popularity.”
“Isn’t that always the reason? Popularity will be a factor in the elections.”
“Seriously I’m not; I don’t care what people think of me as much.”
“Didn’t you just say that you were doing this to prove something to Brenda, it only means you do care what others think of you?”
“Didn’t you say you couldn’t date me?”
“Who said this was a date?”
“Maybe I just want to prove it to myself that I can do it, that maybe I’m not the top student in my class, but I want to know if I have it in me.”
“Maybe that’s you’re honest answer.”
“It could be, you’re bagel’s getting cold by the way.”
“So is you’re soup, can I ask you something?”
“Anything, name it, ask away.”
“Why did you ask Harry to take a picture of us?” Valerie knew I wanted this to be a photo opportunity, Brenda’s best-friend and her opponent chatting away on a date would look great in the paper. As for Harry, well he wasn’t my buddy anymore.
“A photo opportunity with the President might help.”
“All you had to do was ask me…you know I've handed a lot of lies, betrayed many times by my best friend. Do you know why I stay friends with her?”
“Stay close with your enemies?”
“She has qualities that I admire, and it’s in those qualities that I can improve upon my weaknesses. I want a be a great artist and if I could just make one person feel inspired by what I do, by my acting of a character that they could remember for a life time, it would be worth it.”
“She makes you a better actress?”
“She makes me understand people, including herself.”
“Do you plan on supporting her during the elections?”
“No, I want to endorse you, but not like this.”
“This can’t be about Darren is it? She’s hurt you before? Or it has to be something else, something deep.”
“The truth is; she’s in love with me. Why did I just say that?” She asked herself, grabbing a hold of her purse as though she was ready to run off without paying for her food.
“Valerie, I would never say anything to hurt someone that way or you I mean that’s her life. I have other ways to bring her down without resorting to a certain prejudice. In fact I would say amongst some guys, she’d probably be quite popular if they knew. She’s great on dates I must say.”
“She wants to bring you down, destroy you because…”
“I like you.”
“Exactly…and I like you too. Look my dad usually thinks I’m in the library studying after school. I gotta go.”
“Valerie wait, can we do this tomorrow?”
She got up with a gaze over the table and whispers, “There is a fly in your soup.” Valerie left and I looked back at her crossing the street on her own. I wanted badly to rush out of the cafe like they do in the movies and say something, just anything to make her feel better. Looking back at the soup there really was a fly and it got me thinking, she knew I wasn’t going to drink it, so what did it all mean? It is kind of hypocritical of me since I was responsible for statistically decreasing the wastage of food across the country as Prime Minister, but this was all philosophical in a sense. Was she trying to tell me something about Darren that I should know? What could the fly mean, or was it all in my head?
I couldn’t stop thinking about Valerie the rest of the day, didn’t even get a chance to finish homework or talk to my dad when he got home. He was too busy working on a speech he was going to give at a conference in the States. He actually wanted to meet my mom and her new husband, but I told him how I would disown him if he did. I still wanted to keep the grudge I had over mom, but how long could I do so? I was growing up, maybe too fast for my age.
The auditorium was at near capacity that Friday, November the 6th, a day where we were to introduce ourselves and our platforms before the debates were going to take place. As much as campaigns were always big in the school, this had to have been the biggest in its forty-five year history. The people really wanted to hear what we had to say, especially the rumours of my being a father to Charice’s child.
Brenda stood up first on stage, introduced as the Vice President of the Student Academic Council and member of the Badminton team. I could play and act in front of a crowd of students, but I really did get nervous that day because I had nothing to show for my introduction. Didn’t even prepare a speech; all I kept thinking about was Valerie and trying to figure out what she was trying to tell me all that time.
Brenda’s platform was focused mostly on the environment and policies I couldn’t even remember except the ones that I targeted. As soon as she finished her ten minute speech, she introduced Charice who got a lot of cheers. Charice wasn’t good on the mic, most of the time she was shaking, but people didn’t see her making those mistakes, they were listening. She played the pregnancy card, talked about the importance of safe sex and how we need to be responsible, and because she has to worry about school and her child, she’s willing to work for the school. They all cheered them off the stage.
Darren didn’t even know he was supposed to speak and as I walked on stage he was in the back looking at me like what the heck was going on. Didn’t matter I was on the podium and looked at the crowd. I had no introduction, nothing at all from the Principal except for my name as the other candidate. I heard a few slurs but all was silent. They wanted to hear me out.
“Teen girls like Charice; they are brave and strong-hearted. Accidents happen, I was an accident (got laughs even though it wasn’t true), but the truth is, she’s out here talking about the importance of it and yet I’m asking the school…I’m asking the school why don’t we have protection in every boys room?” There were many cheers from students and frowns from teachers. “We men are responsible just as much as they are, but this election isn’t about teen pregnancy, it’s about getting results done. Look I got a $100 bill in my wallet and if the school wants my help to help girls like this, I want to help and maybe we can help each other too.” It felt like an audience out of a TV sitcom, but these students really applauded. The best part was right at that moment I went up to the Principal and gave a hundred dollar bill.
“Whoever started that rumour about me, if people want proof, I’m willing to do a DNA test for it. That’s all I have to say about it. Now I can talk about the environment and garbage, whatever because I think actions can speak louder than words? I realized what the Student Academic Council really was, a way for a selective elite in the school to get there way. Top students with great grades, sure they deserve gratitude and success, but they would probably be worn out by all that studying.”
“I’m an above average straight-A student, I made a hat-trick during our ice hockey season two years ago and I made a hat in elementary school if that matters (a few laughs), I plan to do that in our upcoming debates, win them all. I don’t need to stand here telling you what I’m going to do, because in this campaign, I’m going to show you what I’m going to do.”
Honestly, I had no idea what I was talking about. I was trying to be different, give an edge for real change in the school. So I got off the stage with the wireless mic and headed towards the audience and met a ninth-grader in the front, “I want to know you, what’s your name?” The girl said her name was Anita. “Anita, you’re new to the school is that right, ninth-grade
?” She replied in the affirmative. “Anita, if there was one thing you wanted to change in this school, what would it be?” It was a usual response, childish but something you could still expect from a high-school student. She said she wanted no homework and sat down. “No homework, we do it because we have too. We do it because we all want careers, we all want to go somewhere in life.”
I went up the stairs towards another student in the tenth-grade, “what do you want to do when you get out of high school?” The student replied to be in engineering. “I want to be a doctor, but honestly, would anyone go to a doctor who didn’t do any homework at all, dropped out of school, and has no license to practice?” I ran back up to the podium and started to speak right from the heart, “I want to hear from you. I want to know what’s in your mind; I want to know what you want, not just the majority, but everyone. My plan is simple, a suggestion box for students and to take action. My platform is two words, Speak Up. It’s your school, take it back.”
I thanked the audience and Darren walked up on stage to introduce himself as the runner-up. He didn’t say much, but they gave him a bigger applause. I still got something out of it, a new slogan. Thereafter, we got off of stage and Valerie was to give a few words to end the introductions. I wanted to hear her endorsement and it happened.
“After hearing the candidates, I would like to endorse Ms. Williams for the next President of the student council.” There was a loud applause, enough to tear down my heart. I really did feel heart-broken, it wasn’t like I was in love with Valerie, or maybe I didn’t know what love truly was. It couldn’t be betrayal; common sense dictates that a President would endorse their running mate. But I had to know why?
In the back I walked up to Valerie who tried to ignore me and said, “Valerie, I don’t know what to say, but I need to know why?”
“Coffee shop after school,” Another date sounds great but not so much because she didn’t show up. The following Monday, I waited for her outside of the school and as she was walking towards the bus stop I drove my car by and asked her to hop in. She shook her head and walked away. I kept insisting, but decided to drive off after someone asked me if I had a problem. It was like I was a stalker with a car or something, but I didn’t want to give up.
The first big debate was on Friday, not much happened in the school and I needed to win. The campaign was taking a toll on my school work; no it was really Valerie who was. She was on my mind every moment, even if I started up the stone-aged dial-up internet to copy essays, it wasn’t much help. I was slipping in school, even Drama class she wouldn’t say a word or look at me and I failed a pop-quiz about theatre crew.
The debate started that morning; everyone was watching and waiting for us to introduce ourselves. The debate was structured about specific topics, much like the American-style debates, it wasn’t something I came prepared for. “My name is Arthur Brown, an honour-roll student and I’m a former member of the hockey team. My campaign is about Speak Up. Speak your mind!” Sounds like a bore, but the debate really got interesting midway as soon as she started her attack.
Brenda shouts, “You want someone with experience; Arthur Brown has never been part of student council. Do people forget he lost us the championship game for hockey? Arthur Brown is nothing but a pretty boy in a hundred dollar outfit who tried to bribe the principal last week with his shiny hundred dollar bill. Guess what? The principal gave that money to student council (she took out the bill, probably wasn’t even mine) and I have it in my hand.”
My response, “No I’ve never been part of student council, because I never wanted to be part of a group of think-they-know-it-all. As President I’ll appoint new members that have never been part of the system, because the system owns them (I was making this up), the system wouldn’t allow a guy like me, an average student who goes through the struggles of trying to get into a good post-secondary institution while they get favours and recommendations from teachers right away. I’m here to break the system (what a load of crap in a way, but there was some truth in it, and I got a lot of cheers)…I’m here to break the chain of command, in fact with Speak Up, I’m going to want to appoint our own student guidance counselors made up of Grade 12 and 13 students, because sometimes students get students and not all teachers can.” Student guidance counselors, what was I thinking? Was that even permitted? Whatever it was it sounded good at the time.
It was time to make small things into big matters, “They talk about garbage, well I say their platform didn’t work at all because if I were to count the number of gum sticks under the seats you’re all sitting on, I wouldn’t be able to do it. Do you know that there are millions of bacteria on that single chewing gum that you might get your hand over?”
The second debate was on the following Monday, held in the gym and it seemed scripted. Specific students were already told what to ask (to a specific candidate) in an American-style round-table debate. I got some ridiculous questions, but the one that really worked was an argument I made about the school cafeteria; it reminded me of Valerie.
“Here is the thing; we’re so concerned about the trash that is left behind than we are about the food. Do you know how many French fries I’ve seen, just bought and left aside for the trash…or the sandwich that was made and once again left behind? We waste so much food, while millions go hungry in search of it. Let’s start looking at the real issues regarding the school cafeteria. Here is another problem, we talk about budget cuts in the school, well how can we increase revenue if students go across the street to eat at the café or even in their cars to drive further down to an unhealthy fast food chain? Quality and quantity, that is what I’m going to fight for, it’s time we have healthier options, it’s time we have food that could put that café out there to shame.”
Brenda countered, “What you’re asking is something that won’t work, it’s going to cost more money and the school isn’t looking to spend more. We already have salads as an option.”
I argued, “It’s true in business you have to spend more to make more, but the reality is if we’re looking to save money, why not offer extra credits or bonus marks to our culinary students who are willing to get that extra grade and work at the cafeteria, I mean we’re all wanting to get into a good post-secondary school and that is what I would ask the school administration.”
I finally got teachers interested in what I was saying and as the debate ended I gave my closing statement, “You can all make a stand here and vote in new leadership, or we can go with the same old, tried and tested council of elite students who have yet to have made an impact on me and you in the last four years of my studies in Secondary School.”
The smoking gun, whatever you want to call it. Brenda got something I didn’t expect and it happened the next day after the paper declared that I won the first two rounds of debates, though they were critical of my policies and reminded everyone that the President endorsed Brenda. The first TV-based ad appeared on our school tubes in years (right before the start of classes in the morning). Yes it’s true, we did have TV’s mounted on the ceilings and walls around the school, but it was three years since it was last used. It was a direct attack ad on me and if I can remember correctly it went something like this:
Arthur Brown (my poster ad) won’t disclose how the school would pay for his promises that could cost us our extra-curricular programs (an image of the basketball team was right at the front) and his running-mate Darren hasn’t got a clue of who our Vice Principal is (video clip of him being asked with him shaking his head in confusion). Vote for real leadership (image of Brenda with a big arrogant smile) with experience and a winning smile.
I stood there, blood at boiling point ready to waste my whole allowance on this campaign. Darren came up to me puzzled and said, “What the heck was that, I answered the question. I’m talking to the principal man.”
“No…no, leave it to me.”
“Tell me the word, whatever it is.”
“If you’re basketball team is loyal
as you say so, have them ready at my call.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“You’ll see.”
Before I did anything in haste, I had to see Valerie. At lunch she was at a SAC meeting and when she came out at the end of it, I stood face to face with her and asked, “Valerie, you can ignore me all you want but…”
“After school café”
“What like the last time? My car, no games, no pictures nothing.”
Valerie did show up at the parking lot and like a private investigator being stealth in the night, she got in the car with me. I got out of the driveway and she asked me, “Where are we going?”
“I’ll drop you off wherever you want, but I got to know…”
“Brenda is obsessed, with me. It’s all about me, she wants to prove that she is the one for me, but seriously she is going too far.”
“Does she have something on Darren, were you trying to say something about him?”
“He’s taking steroids that’s what she has on him. He’ll be off the team and it’ll ruin him.”
“That’s the fly to spoil the soup, spoil him and in the process I can’t use him.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Never mind,” I guess she wasn’t trying to say something with the fly, maybe it was fate.
“So she’s going to use him to bring me down. Desperate times calls for desperate measures.”
“You can’t go to her level you know.”
“You gotta do something about this Valerie, if you want out of this friendship you have with her, whatever it is, end it.”
“You promised you wouldn’t say.”
“I need something else.”
“Charice…I know…who the father is.”
“Who is it?”
“Vice Principal Malone,” My goodness this was the worst kind of scandal that could speak for itself. I’ve heard of teachers with minors, but a Vice Principal? I could have destroyed them both, I was that angry to do so till she begs of me, “you can’t bring Charice down for this.”
The Drama King #3: Confessions of a Prime Minister Page 3
