Part 5 - Four Boys, One Principal, And One Very Hot Room
During the time Jack abused me, four of my classmates also showed interest in dating me. I know, I know, "dating" isn't exactly the right word for a couple of 7-year-olds holding hands, but it's what we knew it as being called. These four boys, whom I will call Luke, Bryan, Jeffrey, and Kyle, all had a crush on me. They continually asked me out and even play-fought each other at recess to determine who should have me. I, being the tomboy I was, fought with them.
The boys did their best to impress me with their macho karate moves, and eventually their play-fights were noticed by the staff. The boys and I got in trouble four times for fighting, and while I only participated in the first incident, the school principal assumed I was involved in the other three as well. The boys were paddled, something that was still allowed in public schools back then, and one of the boys generously took my paddling for me. However, nothing could spare us from our sentence of one week of recesses spent copying the dictionary in what we called "the hot room." This was a small room lined with tables and hard plastic chairs. Two windows looked out from the room. One, a large picture window, offered a tempting view of the playground, while the other showed the principal's office. The room's nickname was well earned, since the principal kept the space heater there running full blast even during the hot summer months. I imagine had the state found out what he was doing, this principal would have been in a great heap of trouble. Unfortunately for us, that never happened.
At one point, each of the four boys came up to me privately to ask me who I liked the most. I knew that because of Jack's abuse, I couldn't commit to a relationship with any of the boys, but neither could I tell them about Jack. Thus, each boy who approached me was told in confidence that he was the one I cared for above the others. That way nobody's feelings got hurt. It worked like a charm, at least until the four boys began to boast to each other about my "private" confessions. Needless to say, I found myself in quite a pickle. I ended up telling the boys that I had only told one of them I liked him the most. In my mind, the fact that the boys had broken their agreement to keep my words confidential gave me license to lie further to them. Funny how the thought never occurred to me that I was the one who had lied first.
After my deceitful words, the boys became angry with each other, but it didn't last long. Soon they were back to normal, with each boy courting me and trying to prove his love. Meanwhile, I'd discovered a new love - a cat named Beauty.
The boys did their best to impress me with their macho karate moves, and eventually their play-fights were noticed by the staff. The boys and I got in trouble four times for fighting, and while I only participated in the first incident, the school principal assumed I was involved in the other three as well. The boys were paddled, something that was still allowed in public schools back then, and one of the boys generously took my paddling for me. However, nothing could spare us from our sentence of one week of recesses spent copying the dictionary in what we called "the hot room." This was a small room lined with tables and hard plastic chairs. Two windows looked out from the room. One, a large picture window, offered a tempting view of the playground, while the other showed the principal's office. The room's nickname was well earned, since the principal kept the space heater there running full blast even during the hot summer months. I imagine had the state found out what he was doing, this principal would have been in a great heap of trouble. Unfortunately for us, that never happened.
At one point, each of the four boys came up to me privately to ask me who I liked the most. I knew that because of Jack's abuse, I couldn't commit to a relationship with any of the boys, but neither could I tell them about Jack. Thus, each boy who approached me was told in confidence that he was the one I cared for above the others. That way nobody's feelings got hurt. It worked like a charm, at least until the four boys began to boast to each other about my "private" confessions. Needless to say, I found myself in quite a pickle. I ended up telling the boys that I had only told one of them I liked him the most. In my mind, the fact that the boys had broken their agreement to keep my words confidential gave me license to lie further to them. Funny how the thought never occurred to me that I was the one who had lied first.
After my deceitful words, the boys became angry with each other, but it didn't last long. Soon they were back to normal, with each boy courting me and trying to prove his love. Meanwhile, I'd discovered a new love - a cat named Beauty.
posted by Brooke | 8:49 PM
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