Chapter 23: Showtime

A Chapter by Tina Bee

During the next four weeks the truth about my pregnancy came out to my all of my brothers. Sonny took it the hardest. His reaction was worse than Kevin's. Surprisingly Mike was calm about the whole thing.

"You play, you got to pay," is all Mike said to me.

It was in that same week Mr. Litfield, Mom, Langston, Langston's attorney, and I had a meeting to finalize the agreement which would drop all pending charges against Langston. Once the media got word of the latest developments it was the only story they could talk about. Langston was the unsung hero and I, once his victim, had become the villain in more ways than one.

Many news story pieces were done about other famous false accusations of rape and the women who had made the claims. I had been vilified.

I was immediately informed that my social worker, Nicole, would be stopping by to have a serious talk with me about my options. Kevin's suggestion still rang through my ears and I decided it would be best to give this baby up. Of course I didn't say that in Mr. Litfield's office, but later at home I informed mom who seemed relieved.

"It's really for the best," she said and nothing more was discussed.

Kevin, Mike, Coach, and Langston had a very lengthy three day conference about Langston's return. In the end a truce was called and ultimately Coach agreed to switch Jimmy in whenever either Kevin or Mike went onto the field.

However, much to my surprise, Jimmy and Destiney were still going strong. Everyday at school she'd have some stuffed animal on her desk with a box of candy. During lunch they sat together with the football team and everyone seemed to enjoy her. After school Destiney would watch Jimmy practice and then the two of them would ride home together.

In early October The Crew came together to celebrate Eliza's fifteenth birthday at her aunt and uncle's house. The dinner was quiet and the big picture of Eliza that I'd had blown up for her memorial was hanging up on the wall behind the table. Cameron, Robbie, and Crystal were not speaking and a bit of hostility arose when Crystal stood up to read a poem she'd written to Eliza.

Mrs. Clovers, Eliza's aunt, cried when Crystal was done and even I had to admit to being a little teary eyed. However Cameron muttered something about Crystal's poem not being original and Robbie spoke up to defend his girl. Everyone left feeling bitter and the next day at school Amber, Violetta, and I did not discuss any of the events which occurred the night before.

Word about my present condition spread throughout the school and it intensified by Langston's big fat mouth. The rumor mill pulsated and quivered with new life when Langston, the all time stud he was, announced he was going to be a daddy.

Unfortunately this couldn't have come at a worse time. My belly began coming in around week sixteen and everyday it grew larger and larger. I was also waddling when I walked and I could no longer carry a backpack. I refused to wear baggy clothes to hide my expanding stomach. For one I didn't want to look frumpy and for two I had nothing to hide or at least that's what I told myself.

Since my discovery of Celia and David's new found love I'd successfully avoided her even during art class. She no longer flirted around and she seemed pretty serious about her assignments. I thought about saying something to her to the effect of chicks over dicks, but Arthur had come to me distraught last week with news that David had gone to his office and asked if it was alright for him to date Celia.

"I didn't know what to say. I thought he was your boyfriend," Arthur said and I knew he was searching for some type of understanding.

I had none to give him since I didn't understand what was really going on either.

"No, he was never my boyfriend," I answered hoping this would calm him.

"I'm not comfortable with the idea of them dating, but if I say no Celia will just rebel," Arthur said scratching his head.

"David," I began, "is a nice guy."

"Times sure have changed. In my day boys weren't easily shared liked this," Arthur said to me.

He quickly changed the subject.

Weeks ago Homecoming kings and queens from each grade had been nominated. Destiney, Daisy, and Kimmi made the list for the freshmen queen and when I found out I cried. Jealousy swam through my blood and for the first time I wished I'd never gotten pregnant. My heart jumped when Violetta was nominated for queen of the sophomores. She was very humble about it and she pretended not to know why anyone had nominated her.

There was a dance the Saturday night following the Homecoming football game and everyone was going. Amber and Violetta went on and on about what they were going to wear, but I never said anything and they didn't ask.

Secretly I knew they'd heard about my pregnancy, but had kindly chosen not to speak about it until the events that followed the Homecoming rally unraveled. Rallies were intended to spark up enthusiasm and ticket sales for both the football game and dance.

We didn't have rallies in junior high so this was an exciting experience. Everyone in the school gathered in the big gym to watch student preformed hijinks and slide shows that were set up by our Student Government. In the bleachers I sat at the way top with the Freshmen's. At the bottom were the four Freshmen nominees. I could see Daisy and Kimmi who were now sitting between Destiney. Since their video debut they had been avoiding each other and of course Rick sucked up all the glory from said event.

Today parents of the nominated students lined the gym in hopeful anticipation of their kids being named king and queen of their class.

Langston had not been nominated as Senior King, but he sat with his class at the bottom with the rest of the senior football players. The mood in this room was electric and when Principal Gellar grabbed the mic all the lights in the gym went off. This hushed the crowd as he began his speech.

"Thank you all for coming today. We're very happy to be announcing the nominees and then the winners of this years Homecoming election here at Lloyd L. Graham High School. Let's begin," Principal Gellar said and immediately all sixteen nominees went to the floor.

In quick succession their names were called off and everyone cheered. Red lidless eyes filled the audience and their glows originated from video recorders which were actively saving this event for future generations to view glowed throughout the gym.

When it came time for them to read the names of the Freshmen winners the slide show screen flipped on. The screen hit the gym wall that was on the Freshmen and Junior classes, whom were situated parallel from each other, shared.

The names Daisy and Kimmi became visible on the screen. Almost right away people started cheering thinking that this meant the both of them were winners. This, much to my chagrin, proved to be the furthest thing from the truth.

As their names dissolved from the screen I was floored at what became visible. Somehow someone somewhere who had a grudge against both Daisy and Kimmi decided to humiliate them in the most extreme way possible. What we watched for a total of twenty seconds before the cords from the slide show were unplugged and the lights were immediately flipped back on would go down in history as the greatest and most saddest prank of our lifetime.

Right there in the gym in front of their parents and the community was the video Langston had shot of Daisy and Kimmi twisting together, naked on Phoebe Gearson's bed while Rick Santos sat there watching the two girls as he pleasured himself.

Screams of horror rang through the room and I became aware of Daisy's mom who had now suddenly passed out right where she once stood seconds earlier grinning like a proud mother hen.

Kimmi's mother went to assist her and a crowd of concerned adults gathered around. The whole student body was going wild at this point and total pandemonium had broken out.

On the seniors side Kyle Spins, Daisy's brother, ran over to help his mom. Laughter began to fill the room and both Daisy and Kimmi exited the gym together. Cat calls and other taunts ensued. One of the Vice Principals approached the mic and alerted us that the rally was over and we were to return to our second period classes until lunch started in thirty minutes.

I had a bad feeling that this video leak could and would be linked back to me. Entering the hall with the other nine hundred students seemed to guarantee my undetected escape from the gym.

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