24 Chapter 24 (1/2)

The next day, Wyatt spent thinking to himself in worry. He was now scared that Emma was hiding her secret from him because she doesn't trust him. Although he suffered alone, Emma knew something was bothering him. Before the two went to sleep for school the next day, Emma asked ”Hey, Wyatt...?”.

”Yeah?” Wyatt responds.

”Is... something bothering you?” Emma asks. ”You've been acting... different today”.

As Wyatt tries to think of what to say to Emma, he thinks to himself ”Could I really ask her about it? What if I only make the situation worse?”. Suddenly he remembers when Emma was going through a lot of worry, like he is now, and it hit him. ”Before” he thinks to himself, ”when Emma was constantly worried about something, but wouldn't tell me, was she worried about telling me that she's a laibah? Is she... scared of what I would think of her?”. Finally, Wyatt looks up at Emma and says ”I'm just worried about a few... silly things. Don't worry, it's nothing”. As Emma looks up at Wyatt in confusion, Wyatt thinks to himself ”I've gotta think of a careful method to talk to her about it. So for now, I'll wait until she's more comfortable to talk about it. Bedsides, we've been together for so long, built up so much... we can't let our time together go to waste over something like this...”.

”Are you sure you're fine?” Emma asks.

”Y-Yeah” Wyatt says.

”Because you seem to be spacing out a lot” Emma says.

”I'm just worried over a few things about class” Wyatt says. ”But were on the last week of the semester, so we're almost at the point where we can form clubs. I just hope... everything will work out fine”.

”This is not fine!” Jackson shouts before homeroom class begins.

”Calm down!” Aeris says. ”I know they're doing some stupid shit, but-”.

”Stupid shit!?” Jackson asks. ”This counts as simply stupid shit!?”.

”What's going on now?” Emily asks as she enters the class and sits next to the noisy group of Rejects.

”Jackson found another one of those notes on his chair” Aeris says.

”It's more than a simple note” Jackson says. ”Before it was just stuff like ”Die” or whatever. This time, it's a full written explanation about how some of these students are getting their parents to come up to school to personally protest against the school's decision to also house laibah students! They're trying to have people gather to once again fully push us out of the city! They won't even let us have the chance to go through college like they do! Screw being expelled, because at this point, it's gonna happen anyways!”.

”What are you saying?” Aeris says. ”That you'd rather just be expelled?”.

”Hell yeah!” Jackson shouts. ”If I'm gonna get kicked out of school, I'm kicking their ass regardless!”.

”Hey, Hey!” Wyatt says, ”chill... last thing we need to do when we're this close to the next part of our plan, is to act irrationally”.

”Easy for you to say” Jackson says, ”you're human! You're still safe no matter what happens!”.

”And I'm not letting them just get rid of you either!” Wyatt says.

”And what can you do about it?” Jackson says. ”Stick to the plan? Yeah right! And I doubt you'd go as far as to bring yourself in the danger of getting expelled to actually help us!”.

”Jackson, what the hell is wrong with you!?” Aeris yells.

”Admit it!” Jackson says, ”even you, Emily, Jessica... everybody included... humans will only go so far for a laibah!”.

”Wait, what'd I do wrong?” Jessica asks.

”You know what?” Jackson says as he turns his head away from the rest and crosses his arms, ”forget about it. Pretend like nothing happened and don't worry about it. I'm sure that's what you'd do anyways”.

”J-Jackson...?” Emma says nervously, however, Jackson refused to respond to anyone.

During lunch, everybody showed up to eat at their usual spot. Everybody except for Jackson. ”Where'd that idiot go?” Aeris asks.

”Dunno” Jessica says, ”but this whole ordeal really has him upset”.

”Well...” Aeris says, ”this school is poor and low on funding. So it's not unreasonable to say that when the parents and students gather to protest something, that the school would feel obligated to listen. The staff here probably don't get paid a whole lot, so they're likely already paranoid about how to make their income...”.

”And that's what's driving Jackson to believe that this 'protest' of theirs would be effective” Emily says. ”He's worried they'll listen to the majority, because they'll fear what'll become of the school if they don't”.

”And if they do listen to them?” Jessica asks. ”Then what?”.

The group fell silent for a little while, before Aeris spoke up. ”I guess... that means we'll have to... part ways”.

”B-but the school wouldn't really do that!” Emma says in panic. ”Would they?”.

”I'm not sure...” Aeris says with a weakness in her voice.

After school that day, a large group of students with their parents show up outside of Ryan's office. When Ryan comes out of the office to speak with them, the parents start shouting. ”We can't be sure if our children are safe with those THINGS around!” They demand. ”Remove the laibah from our kid's school! They're ruining my child's future! What good could a laibah do anyways!? It's not like they'll get a good job or anything! They're all a menace, and a threat to our society!”.

”Ladies and gentlemen” Ryan says gently, ”please calm down. I understand the issue at hand”.

”Then remove them immediately!” A parent shouts.

”If you understand the laibah are a problem, then why are they still here!?” Another parent shouts.

”And what about that laibah teacher!” One of the students chant, ”I can't feel safe with THAT walking in our halls!”.

”I said I understand the situation” Ryan says in a gentle tone that came off as condescending, ”Not I agree with what you're saying. The laibah are not the problem”.

”Then what is!?” A student protests.

”We want an apology followed by immediately action!” A parent shouts. ”I work sixty hours or more a week, while worrying about my kid's safety!”.

”You want an apology?” Ryan asks with a smirk. ”Alright... I'm sorry”.

”And then what are you gonna do?” A parent asks.

”You're interrupting me and that's rude” Ryan says. ”You didn't let me finish. I'm sorry... I'm so very sorry that you're all incompetent, misdirected, ignorant, hateful people. I'm sorry this is what our society is based on. I'm sorry you all feel so unsafe when you're the ones causing a panic, but most of all, I'm sorry the laibah students, especially our laibah teacher has to bear through all your sorry crap as you continue to play the victim. As for my action... I'm keeping the students as they are, and the teacher too. You don't have to continue sending your children here if you truly don't feel that they are safe here”.

The parents and students fell silent, as Ryan continued to say ”That'll be all. You can leave now...”. Ryan then walks back into his office, and ignores the continued shouting of the parents from the other side of the door.

”You'll never receive another Centi from our household!” Some of them shout.

”Let's see you run this school without funding!” Some other parents shout.

The next day, some of the students were talking about the laibah situation. ”My parents said we'll be transferring schools after this semester” one of Marcus's friends say, ”and it's all those damn laibah's fault!”.

”Come on” Marcus says as he pulls some of his friends towards the back of the classroom. Marcus and his friends walk right up to The Rejects and say ”You disgusting creatures have finally crossed the line”.

”Excuse me?” Jackson scoffs as he stands up.

”You heard me” Marcus says. ”Because of you guys, some of our classmates have to change schools next semester, all because you guys won't leave”.

”Bite me” Jackson says. ”And good riddance, I say”.

”You wanna fight?” Marcus says as he rolls up his sleeves.

”I'm not in the mood for any of this shit” Jackson says, ”so if you want to throw down, I'll thrown down”.

”Stop!” Wyatt says as he stands up and puts his arm between the two of them. ”Whatever happened wasn't Jackson's fault! Why are you two so hellbent on making things worse?”.

”Move your hand...” Marcus says.

”You'll have to make me” Wyatt says.

”Move your hand, Wyatt” Jackson says, ”I'll make sure this punk never speaks again”.

”Jackson, stop!” Aeris yells.

Jackson began to raise his fist in the air, as if preparing for a punch. ”Admit it!” Marcus says, ”you're a laibah! We all know it! You're the reason we're in this mess!”.

”That was your own fault for starting something you can't finish!” Jackson says.

”Jackson! Wyatt! Marcus!” Refus shouts as he enters the room. ”Explanation, now!”.