Lucinda: Chapter Five
Dim
Lucinda returned to school, completed her make up assignments, and settled in to the daily class routine. Occasionally, she'd say "hi" to Rebecca, who would cordially respond with a "hi" of her own. But that was generally it, in terms of social interaction with other students thanks to Libby's lies. Rumors about Lucinda were spreading like wildfire throughout the entire school.
The power of suggestion being the remarkable thing that it is, even though a thing isn't true, people will believe it is true even when there is no evidence to support it. The idea that Lucinda smelled was so strong among the other students, that many actually thought they did smell something around her, regardless of if there was a foul odor present or not. Some kids took great pains to avoid Lucinda, if they could help it, in a vain attempt to get away from her, supposedly, offensive stench. People sitting next to her in class, would scoot in their chairs to get as far away from Lucinda as they could. Others would tease Lucinda, holding their noses, laughing and jeering. Lucinda ignored this as best she could, but it wasn't easy. Sometimes, she would have outbursts in response to the cruelty of the other students. A small group of children, after deciding that their noses could no longer take the imagined abuse that only a mythological stink could . They complained to the teachers and staff, in the hopes that something could be done about Lucinda.
Lucinda was sitting in class. She was minding her own business, paying attention to her teacher, when class was interrupted by the school secretary. The secretary had come to collect Lucinda, in order to escort her to, the School Counselor, Michelle Bowen's Office. Lucinda gathered her things quickly, feeling uneasy. She believed she was in serious trouble for something she couldn't remember doing. The Secretary pointed to a chair in the outer office, instructing Lucinda to wait a few moments until the counselor was ready to see her. Lucinda nodded, taking her seat. She fidgeted while waiting, nervous, trying to figure out what she did wrong. At last, after what seemed like agonizing eons, Lucinda was called in to speak with the counselor.
Miss Bowen was looking over reports. "Please, sit down, Miss Rayne." She waited, patiently, for Lucinda to follow through on the order given, before continuing. "Do you know why I want to see you today?"
Lucinda shook her head, violently, scared out of her wits. "No, ma'am. If it's about my behavior in the lunchroom, I've been sitting where Mr. Carter can see me, like you said. I haven't done any-."
"This isn't about that!" Michelle interrupted Lucinda before she could babble on further. Miss Bowen took a deep cleansing breath, trying to come up with a way to proceed. "Miss Rayne, are you having trouble at home?"
Lucinda was stunned by the question. "Everything is fine at home, Ma'am." For once, Lucinda was telling the truth about life at home. The lights were on, there was plenty of food in the fridge, she was getting along with her mother. Life at home was stable, as far as she knew. Cautiously, Lucinda asked. "Why?"
Miss Bowen glanced at her paperwork, again. "It seems some other students have been complaining that you smell."
Lucinda was baffled. "I smell?"
Michelle nodded. "Yes. Miss Rayne, this might be an embarrassing question for you, but how often a day do you bathe?"
Lucinda blushed, feeling awkward. "Twice a day, ma'am. Once before school and, again, before going to bed, at night." Lucinda grabbed the end of her ponytail, sniffing it, trying to smell anything. It smelled clean, like flowers, from her lilac shampoo. "Do you smell anything, ma'am?"
Miss Bowen didn't speak for a long time, trying to get a read on Lucinda. What the she saw, was a normal, shy, young lady. Nervous, but who wasn't a little concerned when they were suddenly surprised with a confrontation with authority? Lucinda's behavior was natural and normal. The most important thing Michelle noticed, about Lucinda, was she didn't smell anything out of the ordinary about the girl. "No, I don't." Something's not right here and it's not Miss Rayne's doing. Michelle Bowen thought to herself. "Miss Rayne, has anybody been really bothering you, while you are at school."
Lucinda looked down, feeling ashamed of herself. "Well, the other kids kind of tease me kind of hard, sometimes. I try to ignore it, but sometimes, I can't help myself, I shout at them."
Miss Bowen nodded. "Yes, children can be cruel. I understand. But other than general teasing, has there been any one student, that stands out in your mind, that's been picking on you?"
Lucinda thought long and hard, not really able to put a name on any one particular face. "I don't know. The other day, I was at my locker, and this boy walked behind me and spit in my hair. I didn't get his name and he disappeared into the crowd before I could get a really good look at him. I've sort of been getting it from all sides, so not one person really stands out."
Miss Bowen leaned her elbows upon her desk, bringing her fingertips to a steeple, listening to Lucinda's story. "I see. I'm sorry that happened to you, Miss Rayne. We don't tolerate bullies at this school. Please, in the future, if anything more bad were to happen to you, I would appreciate it if you would come talk to me or tell one of your teachers about it. Our goal is to protect students, in order to provide them with a healthy, safe, environment in which to learn. So please speak up if someone is picking on you."
"I'll try, ma'am." Lucinda responded, although, she knew she wouldn't do it. If the bullying was bad now, it would only become worse, if she told about it. If she told, then she would be a tattle tale and a snitch. Snitches get stitches. Lucinda would have to either ignore the teasing until those picking on her got bored from her non-reaction to it or stick up for herself. Defending herself was difficult. Lucinda saw herself as small and weak. How could a little, insignificant, person, stand up to a big, strong, group of people.
Miss Bowen smiled at Lucinda. "I think that will be all for today, Miss Rayne. Remember, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
"Yes, Ma'am." Lucinda stood up, leaving the office on the way to her next class, which was gym. She was relieved to be out of the office. At least she wasn't in trouble. Her next class was gym.
Lucinda entered the girls' locker room pretending as is nothing had happened. Gym was her least favorite class. She had no athletic skill whatsoever. She was a nerd, not a jock. Despite her lacking ability, Lucinda still tried hard. Her efforts were enough to earn her a decent grade. That was all Lucinda cared about when it came to Gym Class. Scoring a high enough mark to pass the course.
Lucinda stepped in front of her gym locker preparing to change. The room was full of girls and it was loud with the sound of their squeals as well as their chatter. Lucinda didn't care to gab. She simply stared into her locker, focused only on doing what she needed to do, then get out. Had Lucinda been paying attention, she would have seen it coming.
Something had flown through the air, bonking Lucinda on the back of the head, leaving a greasy smear in her hair. Lucinda looked down at what had hit her, finding out that it was a lotion bottle. Turning to see who threw it, Lucinda discovered that more lotion bottles were being tossed back and forth. The other girls were having a, playful, lotion bottle fight. Hurling the objects at each other, laughing, and having a good time. The bottle that hit Lucinda, didn't hit her on purpose, she just got caught in the crossfire. This was play, not viciousness. Lucinda shrugged it off, then finished changing for gym. Keeping her head down and her arms up, to deflect anymore flying bottles, Lucinda passed by the girls' P.E. teacher. Lucinda was going to her spot in the line up, while the teacher was going to yell at the girls for throwing the bottles.
It was indoor softball, with Nerf balls and whiffle bats. Lucinda was sitting on the bleachers waiting for her turn. She was swinging her feet, finding the thud of her sneakers hitting the Formica, pleasing in some manner. Lucinda was unaware that another girl was close by. The other girl went by the name of Max Spencer and not the sort you wanted to anger.
While Libby Chandler was capable of destroying a fellow student's life using her social status and lies, Max Spencer could ruin a student by putting them in the hospital. Everyone was afraid of Max Spencer, including the boys. Even Libby avoided her so as not to face her wrath.
Max was becoming irritated at the constant thud-thud-thud, that Lucinda's shoes were making against the bleachers. She sent many warning looks in Lucinda's direction, indicating that the girl should stop with the feet swinging. Lucinda was oblivious to the dirty looks so Max moved closer to Lucinda, preparing to strike.
Lucinda, unaware that Max had moved, accidentally kicked her. Before Lucinda had a chance to apologize, Max jumped up from her seat, place a hand around Lucinda's neck, and began choking Lucinda. Lucinda felt her chest seize with terror. Instead of going to get help, the other students in the class just stood and watched, while Lucinda was possibly breathing her last breaths.
It all happened so fast, Lucinda couldn't think. The teachers were distracted by the game. Lucinda couldn't breathe. Nobody was getting help. Lucinda had to do something to defend herself. She did. Lucinda raised her hand to her attacker's arm, sunk her nails in, and scratched for all she was worth. Max Spencer let go of Lucinda's throat, holding her wounded arm. The moment she was released, Lucinda gasped for breath, then bolted for the other side of the gym, in an effort to escape another assault.
Surprised by the sight of Lucinda streaking at the speed of light through the middle of the game, the teachers halted game play in order to investigate. Upon hearing both sides of the argument, the teachers decided to send both Lucinda and Max to the principal's office to face discipline. Lucinda was terrified at getting in trouble. She had no other choice but to defend herself. Would the teachers have preferred Lucinda to die by being choked out by that student? Lucinda found herself very confused and very frightened.
The school had a zero tolerance policy when it came to fighting. If two students were caught fighting, both students were sent to the office. No exceptions were made even in cases of self defense. Aggressors and defenders were all treated the same as well as given the same punishment. Lucinda sat, trembling, in tears in the school's main office, awaiting her fate.
Mr. Chandler, the principal, called Max into his office to hear her side of the story, first. Upon hearing what happened from, he nodded, jotted down a note for the report. Then he sent Max out to the waiting room with instructions for the school secretary to call Max's parents to take her home for a three-day suspension. Now, it was Lucinda's turn to tell her side.
Mr. Chandler invites Lucinda into his office, closing the door behind them. He gestures to a chair opposite the desk. "Please have a seat, Miss Rayne." When Lucinda sits, he makes himself comfortable behind his desk. "Why don't you start by explaining what happened during Gym Class, Miss Rayne?"
Lucinda tried to make herself as small. She's afraid. She wants to become invisible. "Sir, I was sitting in Gym. Swinging my feet, while waiting for my turn in indoor softball. I didn't see the other girl move close and I accidentally kicked her. Before I could get a chance to apologize, she puts her hands around my throat. I couldn't breathe to call out. The teachers were busy with the class. Nobody else thought to get the teacher's attention. I had to do something, I thought I was going to die. So I scratched her. I'm sorry I kicked her, I'm even sorrier I scratched her, but I didn't know what else to do. Please don't call my mom."
Mr. Chandler writes down the note of Lucinda's statement into the file. "I understand, Miss Rayne. Unfortunately, I have to call your mother. Our school has a very strict policy regarding fighting. If two students are caught fighting, no matter the circumstances. Parents of both students are contacted and are sent home with a suspension. There's nothing I can do. We have to call your mother." He looks through his records regarding Lucinda. "Go into the lobby and wait for your mother to arrive."
A despondent Lucinda got out of her chair, returning to the lobby. When she sits down, again, she is a few chairs away from Max. She's in no mood to swing her feet. Her mind is spinning, imagining the terrible things her mother is going to say, when she arrives and starts yelling. In her misery, Lucinda began crying.
While Lucinda was waiting for her mother, Mrs. Spencer came to collect her daughter. She looked at Lucinda with disgust. "What's you're problem?"
Lucinda wiped her face. She realized the woman standing before her was Max's mother. She stood up facing Max and Mrs. Spencer. "I'm sorry for accidentally kicking you and for scratching you."
Max rolled her eyes, calling Lucinda a name under her breath. "Whatever, should have let me choke your punk a-!"
Mrs. Spencer smacks Max in the back of the head, cutting off the rest of her daughter's statement. "Girl, ain't you heard of self defense. Did you want to die?"
Lucinda shook her head. "No, ma'am."
Mrs. Spencer, nods. "Then you did what you had to do. Don't stress over it. I'd have done the same thing, in your place. If someone is trying to kill me, I'd fight back." With those final words, Mrs. Spencer grabbed her daughter by the arm and dragged her home to receive a more parental brand of punishment.
Lucinda went to sit down, again, when a harried Cheryl Rayne entered the school office to pick up Lucinda. Lucinda stood, red-faced, embarrassed that she had to be there. "Mom-" Lucinda began, but was cut off.
"We'll talk about it when we get home." Cheryl escorted Lucinda to their car.
While they were leaving, the bell rang, allowing students to go to lunch. Libby walked by. Glancing in the direction of the main entrance to the school, Libby was pleased to see Lucinda getting into a car with a woman that could only be her mother. Lucinda's face was red. She appeared to have been crying.. Libby grinned at the sight. She continued walking toward the cafeteria.
When they got home, Cheryl sat Lucinda down. Looking at her, sternly. "What happened?"
Lucinda fidgeted, feeling scared. She looked away from her mother. Lucinda felt like crying, again. "It happened like this…" Lucinda blurted out everything that had happened that day. Being summoned by Miss Bowen, the lotion bottle fight in the girls' locker room, being strangled in gym class, scratching the other girl. All of it.
Cheryl Rayne listened, anxiously, to Lucinda's explanation. When it was over, she hugged her daughter. "I'm glad you're okay. I've got to get back to work. Take care of yourself. I'll bring you home something to eat." With that, Cheryl released Lucinda. Then she went back to her job. Leaving a confused and frightened Lucinda home alone, to deal with her own conflicting emotions.
Lucinda was wound up, with no other way to wind down. She desperately needed to focus, to cope with her situation and her emotions. She didn't have the proper skills to do so. All Lucinda knew was she wanted to stop. Stop feeling, stop hurting, stop it all. Lucinda wanted to go numb. With three days off from school, Lucinda had plenty of time to shut herself off. Push away her emotions, rather than deal with them. Lucinda went over to her usual chair, turned on the TV, and disappeared into a fictional world.