Oppossing points of view
"Good morning class," Collins said with a bright smile flashed in Angel's direction, "A lot of you wrote many wonderful essays for your homework assignments. One in particular impressed me. And I would like her to read her essay aloud. Angel, if you will come up"
Angel stepped up and smiled.
"Thank you T- Collins," she quickly corrected herself. (She almost called him Tom). He smiled at her reassuringly.
"Thank you Collins," she started over again, "I call the essay, The Dunking Tank, Why It Takes Away From Freedom Of Speech" Angel read her essay quietly at first. Then she got more confident. At the end of her speech there was a rousing applause.
"So," Collins said, "let's pair up. Girl's on this side. Boys on that side."
"They did as so requested"
"So Mark," Collins said, "let's start with you. What is your opinion of the issue in question"
"Well frankly Collins I disagree with what Angel says. Women should not be allowed to talk back to men"
"JUST A MINUTE," Maureen yelled standing up, "ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT MEN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DEGRADE WOMEN"
"No dear I didn't say that," Mark mumbled to his girlfriend.
"Then what exactly did you say"
"Well let's face it," Mark said, "men and women are different"
"Well thank you captain Brainicac," April said.
Roger cracked up
"Gordon," Collins said, "your opinion
"Men do have to have some control over women"
"Why," April and Roger asked simultaneously
"Why? Why?"
"That's the question"
"Because it's the way it's always been done"
"So what," April pointed to the paddle hanging on the wall, "this has always been done but nobody would say that's a good thing"
"That's different. There's no control there"
"So it appears," Collins said, "that we have opposing point of views"
"It appears," Maureen said, "that my boyfriend is an idiot"
Everyone laughed
"Okay one rule. No insults"
The bell rang.
"See you tomorrow. Angel, can you stay a little bit"
"Is she in trouble," Steve asked
"Is that any of your business," Collins answered with a grin.
That shut Steve up.
Try to see it my way
Meanwhile Mark ran to catch up with his girlfriend.
"Reene"
Maureen ignored him and continued walking
"Come on Renne wait up"
She continued to ignore him.
"Please?"
Finally he caught up to her and put his hands on her shoulder to slow her down"
"WHAT DO YOU WANT"
"Look Renne you know I didn't mean what I said"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah"
"Then why is the fisher's net did you say it"
"Come on. Everyone was looking at me. I had to sound like a man"
They were outside the building now.
"You know what makes you a man," Maureen said, "besides this," she added with a kick to his groin-
"Ow Renne, that hurt"
"Yeah? Well it hurt me when you said that. My little sister drowned in a dunking pool. Her boyfriend thought it would be fun to push her in. You know that and you had no consideration for how I felt"
"Reene I forgot. You can't hold that against me"
"Whatever. I can't see you anymore"
"But Renne I love you"
"Yeah I see"
"Renne please. One more chance"
"Mark," she said sitting down and turning him to face her, "You do things to impress people. But the things you do are stupid. Take the other day for instance"
"Renne I had to do something. You and Roger were about to kill each other"
"YOU SIDED WITH HIM"
"Well I..."
"How do you think that made me feel"
"Reene, I didn't do it to hurt you"
"You hurt my feelings. Especially since he was the one instigating it"
"Instwhating it"
"Starting. Egging me on"
"Reene, I'm afraid of Roger. He's my best friend and my stepbrother, but he has quite a temper"
"Yeah. You need to learn to stand up for what's right. Not just for what other people thinks"
"But I didn't hurt you"
"You hurt my feelings. That hurts the deepest. I'm sorry Mark I can't afford to be hurt anymore. We're through"
Man to Man
Mark sat there staring at the sky tears falling from his eyes when Collins came along.
"Hey man"
"Hey"
"Why are you crying"
"Cause I'm sad"
"Yeah I could tell that," Collins chuckled, "wanna give me a little more information"
"Renne broke up with me"
"I can see why that would get you down"
"I mean, I don't get it. She makes a big deal about things that aren't a big deal. The other day I was asked to watch Mrs. Jazay's class when she had to leave... it was just for a few minutes. She had to go to the bathroom. Roger started with Renne and they had a big fight. I had to do something so I took Roger's side"
Collins faked gasped.
"And she got upset about that? I wonder why that is," he said sarcastically
"Collins I had to do something"
"Why did you have to take Roger's side when Roger was wrong"
"It wasn't like I hurt her. She said I hurt her feelings"
"Does that surprise you?"
"She actually refused to talk to me for the rest of the day"
"Hm"
"Collins... seriously"
"I'm serious. Mark, I'm telling you something now but not as a teacher. I'm telling you this as a friend. THAT WAS A DUMB THING YOU DID MAN. HURTING SOMEONE'S FEELINGS IS WORSE THEN HURTING THEM BECAUSE THAT PAIN TAKES LONGER TO HEAL."
"She kicked Roger"
"What did he do first"
"He," Mark lowered his voice and mumbled
"What was that?"
"He bit her"
"Oh and you didn't think that Roger was at all responsible for what happened"
"He was totally responsible"
"But yet you sided with him"
"I had to Col"
"Why?"
"Roger would have beat me up if I sided with her"
"I highly doubt that Mark"
"You don't live with Roger. He and I are brothers"
"But you have different last names"
"My dad married his mom. His mom refused to change his name saying he's been through enough change"
Collins nodded
"Did she change her name?"
"Yeah"
"Sometimes," Collins says, "being a man means not doing what's easy but what's right"
"But Collins in many ways I'm not a man. In many ways I'm a boy"
"Mark, do you know how old I am?"
"Four years older then me"
"Exactly. Man, I do know how you're feeling. But right now how do you feel"
"Like I don't want to live"
"And is that a way you like to feel"
"Of course not"
"Then you know what you have to do"
"Collins I can't turn back time and undo it"
"No you can't but you can have a talk with Roger for one thing. You can write a letter to Maureen explaining the situation and apologizing sincerely. You can stop acting the way you've been behaving. You can earn back Maureen's trust"
"Will you talk to her. Open the door for me so to speak"
Collins sighed
"If you promise to do the other things that I asked you to do"
"I will," Mark said, "I would do anything to get her back"
