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Feb. 21st, 2015 12:06 amFebruary 1927
(28 years ago)
"Miss Reid."
The principal stares coldly at Bonnie, who stares back with a look of poker-faced defiance.
"Do you know the word 'immorality', Miss Reid?" the principal asks her.
"Immorality." Bonnie repeats. "I M M O R A L I T Y. Immorality."
"This is not a spelling bee, Miss Reid." the principal snaps. "Certain rumours have reached my office which require an answer."
Bonnie continues staring, unblinking, at the woman, who continues.
"With your mother's illness we have made certain allowances, but according to your teachers, you have been increasingly insubordinate. You have been answering back, flatly refusing to use correct grammar, you refuse to make friends with the other girls, you're becoming an increasingly bad influence..."
"How can I be a bad influence if I don't have any friends?" Bonnie asks.
"Don't interrupt. You have been teaching boys in your class to play poker. One of your teachers is certain that you have attended class three times this term with a hangover, once the day of an important math test."
"I got ninety eight percent on that test." Bonnie points out.
"And now I hear reports that you have been seen with several different young men who you are believed to have been... inappropriately involved."
"They're bikers. I'm engaged to one." Bonnie says.
"Not the one you were seen leaving the beach hut with."
"That was before I got engaged to Bill." Bonnie says, but goes red, realising this constitutes an admission. "I'm sixteen, so were they. It's legal. Bill doesn't mind, and it's nobody else's business. You're naïve if you think nobody my age forni..."
"ENOUGH!" the Principal stands up, slamming her hand on the table. "No good will come of you, and I won't have other students following you. You will leave this school and not return."
Bonnie feels her stomach drop.
"But I've done all the work to try and graduate early next year, to help my Pa with mechanic work." she protests.
"You should have thought about that before." the Principal says coldly. "Collect your things and do not speak with the other students before you leave."
At least that part was easy. Bonnie couldn't get away from the whispers fast enough. Pa was not going to be happy about this, especially after giving her and Bill his blessing to get married.
She roared the motorbike and skidded it over the lawn in front of the school on her way out.
Bill lived in a dilapidated house a couple of miles away with his younger sister Lucy. They'd been on their own since he was fifteen and she was thirteen, but even at fifteen Bill had been almost seven feet tall, and the strategic lie about his age had paid off. Alas on this occasion, Bill was at work.
"Not at school?" Lucy asks Bonnie, when she stomps in and heads straight for the beers.
"Expelled. You?" Bonnie asks.
"Headache. Expelled? What for?" She comes over an slips an arm around Bonnie.
"Someone saw me with Turtle and Bill and told the Principal." Bonnie sighs and shakes her head, telling the rest of the story. "Now they think I'm..." She starts crying and Lucy draws her close.
"Bonnie, listen." Lucy says. "Nobody who knows you thinks that. We love you just the way you are."
"My Pa is gonna kill me."
Her father doesn't yell, but his look of disappointment is much, much worse.
"We've worked so hard to keep you in school, Bonnie." he sighs. "I cain't control you, I cain't stop you doin' nothing. You're sixteen. All I can do is arm you to make good choices.
"If you choose to go out and drink, I cain't stop you. But if you turned up to work hung over you'd be fired, and school is no different."
"I'm sorry." Bonnie says quietly.
"Don't be sorry." Her mother says, taking her hand. "Be safe."
(28 years ago)
"Miss Reid."
The principal stares coldly at Bonnie, who stares back with a look of poker-faced defiance.
"Do you know the word 'immorality', Miss Reid?" the principal asks her.
"Immorality." Bonnie repeats. "I M M O R A L I T Y. Immorality."
"This is not a spelling bee, Miss Reid." the principal snaps. "Certain rumours have reached my office which require an answer."
Bonnie continues staring, unblinking, at the woman, who continues.
"With your mother's illness we have made certain allowances, but according to your teachers, you have been increasingly insubordinate. You have been answering back, flatly refusing to use correct grammar, you refuse to make friends with the other girls, you're becoming an increasingly bad influence..."
"How can I be a bad influence if I don't have any friends?" Bonnie asks.
"Don't interrupt. You have been teaching boys in your class to play poker. One of your teachers is certain that you have attended class three times this term with a hangover, once the day of an important math test."
"I got ninety eight percent on that test." Bonnie points out.
"And now I hear reports that you have been seen with several different young men who you are believed to have been... inappropriately involved."
"They're bikers. I'm engaged to one." Bonnie says.
"Not the one you were seen leaving the beach hut with."
"That was before I got engaged to Bill." Bonnie says, but goes red, realising this constitutes an admission. "I'm sixteen, so were they. It's legal. Bill doesn't mind, and it's nobody else's business. You're naïve if you think nobody my age forni..."
"ENOUGH!" the Principal stands up, slamming her hand on the table. "No good will come of you, and I won't have other students following you. You will leave this school and not return."
Bonnie feels her stomach drop.
"But I've done all the work to try and graduate early next year, to help my Pa with mechanic work." she protests.
"You should have thought about that before." the Principal says coldly. "Collect your things and do not speak with the other students before you leave."
At least that part was easy. Bonnie couldn't get away from the whispers fast enough. Pa was not going to be happy about this, especially after giving her and Bill his blessing to get married.
She roared the motorbike and skidded it over the lawn in front of the school on her way out.
Bill lived in a dilapidated house a couple of miles away with his younger sister Lucy. They'd been on their own since he was fifteen and she was thirteen, but even at fifteen Bill had been almost seven feet tall, and the strategic lie about his age had paid off. Alas on this occasion, Bill was at work.
"Not at school?" Lucy asks Bonnie, when she stomps in and heads straight for the beers.
"Expelled. You?" Bonnie asks.
"Headache. Expelled? What for?" She comes over an slips an arm around Bonnie.
"Someone saw me with Turtle and Bill and told the Principal." Bonnie sighs and shakes her head, telling the rest of the story. "Now they think I'm..." She starts crying and Lucy draws her close.
"Bonnie, listen." Lucy says. "Nobody who knows you thinks that. We love you just the way you are."
"My Pa is gonna kill me."
Her father doesn't yell, but his look of disappointment is much, much worse.
"We've worked so hard to keep you in school, Bonnie." he sighs. "I cain't control you, I cain't stop you doin' nothing. You're sixteen. All I can do is arm you to make good choices.
"If you choose to go out and drink, I cain't stop you. But if you turned up to work hung over you'd be fired, and school is no different."
"I'm sorry." Bonnie says quietly.
"Don't be sorry." Her mother says, taking her hand. "Be safe."
