Man, it's a miracle I survived that week – that any of us did really. Although it's difficult to think about everything that went down that week, the only way to prevent such travesties from reoccurring is to reflect on what caused them in the first place. I can tell you one thing, Eastland will never be the same again.

Nancy's rumors about Blair and Tumpy were spreading faster than I expected, and the whole campus was abuzz about Blair's sexual exploits. There was a clear division between the student body. Half the students believed the rumors to be true, while the other half "knew" it was impossible that Blair was gay because she was so boy-crazy. Everyone knew the debutante had more boyfriends than the United States has foreign enemies. Not to mention the fact that it's hard to take Nancy seriously sometimes. However, some of the girls who believed Nancy said that the lack of physical intimacy coupled with the number of insignificant relationships was proof that Blair was not normal. It couldn't just be because Blair was a tease; maybe she was just a big girl-loving lezbo. Their thoughts, not mine.

Our sex ed. class was on Monday, which was followed by Nancy's revelation in art class the next class period. Then, on Tuesday, Nancy approached Kris with an editorial she wrote, probably the night before. The war then broke out on Wednesday. Basically, it was pandemonium the rest of the week fraught with paranoia and tension. Eastland was a battlefield, and all I could hope for was that the casualty count would be low. By the end of the week, we thought we had a ceasefire, until we found that the war went beyond the borders of the green, manicured lawns of Eastland. This was bigger than we thought.

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Monday, April 14, 1980

On Monday evening, we were doing our usual leisure activity once again – watching television. However, tonight was a special night because the Academy Awards were airing on ABC. Everybody was downstairs watching the awards, including Mrs. Garrett. Johnny Carson was the host, and he was actually good. Then again, he's Johnny and his wit is one of the best in the industry.

As usual, Cindy and Sue Ann were sitting together on the couch, with Cindy on the left and Sue Ann on the right. Nancy was sitting on the floor, about ten feet away from the lovebirds. She had a clear view of the couple, so Cindy and Sue Ann couldn't hide anything even if they wanted to.

When they were about to announce the nominees for Best Documentary, Sue Ann suddenly grabbed Cindy's hand. Some of us noticed her abrupt bold behavior. We would expect such conduct from Cindy, but not from Sue Ann. Honestly, it was a complete surprise, even to Cindy, as her big eyes jumped. She recovered and smiled at her lover to assure her. Sue Ann smiled back and they went back to watching. Nancy was one of the people who noticed Sue Ann's actions, and she turned away with a disgusted look on her face. Cindy saw the negative response and shot Nancy a stern look. Sue Ann saw it as well, and she too gave Nancy a serious look. I could tell that Nancy was aware of the looks she was receiving by the way she fidgeted and shifted. It was clear that she was uncomfortable. Then, Nancy suddenly got up from the floor.

"I'm tired of this program," declared Nancy as she shot a gaze at Sue Ann and Cindy. "Mrs. Garrett, I'm going to go into the study room and call Roger. I forgot I was going to go over there tonight and help him with his homework. Maybe if I at least call him, everything will be okay between us and he will forgive me forgetting. Is that okay?"

Mrs. Garrett clearly wanted to diffuse a potential explosive situation between Nancy, Cindy, and Sue Ann. "Sure, Nancy," she said. "Just remember that bedtime's 11."

"I will Mrs. Garrett," replied Nancy as she headed into the study room.

After she was gone, Natalie piped up, "The dupe helping the stupe."

Everyone laughed at Natalie's quip, including Mrs. Garrett. "Natalie," our housemother admonished as soon as she was done laughing, but there was still a small smirk on her face.

"Sorry, Mrs. Garrett," replied Natalie innocently.

"Boy," I thought, "Kramer vs Kramer has nothing on the drama we have here – even though it did win Best Picture."

When the commercials came on, Mrs. Garrett was the first to address Sue Ann's earlier sudden, bold behavior of grabbing Cindy's hand.

"Sue Ann, what exactly were you doing grabbing Cindy's hand like that?"

"Mrs. Garrett, there's no point in hiding it anymore. Everyone here knows that Cindy and I love each other, even Nancy."

"Yeah, it was quite obvious that she knew by the way she reacted to me when I asked those questions in sex ed. today," Cindy stated. So she was aware of Nancy's reactions? I didn't pick that up.

Blair was starting to get nervous. "Do you guys think she noticed what Tumpy was doing today?"

Mrs. Garrett instantly got surprised, "What was Tumpy doing today? Was it in sex ed.?"

"Yes. She was doing stuff such as blowing on my ear and rubbing her feet on my calves. Basically, she was trying to seduce me."

"What? And I didn't noticed," Mrs. Garrett said in shock.

"No, because you guys were so focused on Raging Bulldagger there," said Blair pointing her head toward Cindy, "that you guys totally missed what Tumpy was doing to me. The only person who might have noticed is Molly, considering where she was sitting."

Everybody looked at me like I was a suspect. Great, that's what I get for having the reputation as the human lie detector.

"Oh, boy…" I sighed. "The news isn't good for you, Blair, because besides me, Nancy seemed well aware that you and Tumpy are an item."

Blair quickly turned angry and muttered a few incoherent things under her breath. Cindy didn't see the problem.

"What's the problem? What can Nancy really do?"

I had a response, thinking that Nancy could affect things by indirect action. "It's not what Nancy would do, but what Nancy tells Roger and what HE does," I said.

Blair added, "Another thing about Nancy is that she can tell the other girls in school about me. In fact, I got the sense that she was talking about all of us," she indicated Cindy, Sue Ann, and herself with her finger, "when I walked into art class today. As soon as I entered the room, everyone immediately stopped talking and gave me a strange look. Nancy may not be much of a gossiper," Blair glanced at Tootie then continued, "but she does have the power of persuasion." Blair suddenly got up from the chair and yelled, "Either way we look at it, we're screwed." She then angrily strutted toward the kitchen. We couldn't see it, but we knew she was crying by the loud sounds coming from the kitchen.

Mrs. Garrett knew that she had to go and comfort Blair.

When she left, the awards came back on and we shifted our focus to that. It was a good distraction from the serious issue at hand. All of us knew that things might get rough in the next few days, but we totally underestimated the severity of the situation.

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Tuesday, April 15, 1980

After everything that transpired on Monday, Nancy now had something solid on her roommate. She thought that Blair was acting weird at one time, but she couldn't bring herself to accept that her friend was "one of those people." Besides, why would boy-crazy Blair want anything to do with lesbians? It didn't make any sense. So, to distance herself and not be associated with such deviant behavior, Nancy began to spread rumors about Blair. She told everyone who would listen about how Blair would want to snuggle with her on stormy nights and how she offered to brush Nancy's hair. She even talked about how Blair would ogle her longer than necessary when she tried on different outfits. At first, Nancy didn't mind because Blair was the go-to person for fashion advice, but something started feeling weird between them. It was partially due to this uneasiness that Nancy stopped posing for Blair's drawings. It was a feeling that something wasn't right. Now with what she saw in sex ed. class, she knew that she would have to help Blair avoid temptation and save her from herself.

So as it was, Nancy continued telling everyone about Blair's unusual behavior. In fact, Nancy's rumors were reaching the furthest recesses of campus. Even those who didn't live in the same dorm knew about Nancy's suspicions. One of those people was the usually quiet Kris Schmidt. Nancy wanted Kris to print an editorial in the newspaper hinting about the dangers of lesbian students. This demand put Kris in a difficult position because, like Natalie, Kris believed in the freedom of the press, but she was completely against any form of shaming. What Nancy was asking her to do was against Kris's moral fiber. Kris told Natalie and me about Nancy's demands.

Kris was in the Eastland pressroom, running some copy, when Nancy approached her.

"Hey, you, uh . . ."

"Kris."

"Yeah, Kris. I want you to print this editorial for the newspaper," said Nancy.

Kris looked at the paper Nancy gave her and was in immediate shock.

LOCK THE DOORS AND THROW AWAY THE KEYS: THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING HOMOS IN THE CLOSET

"What's this?" asked Kris who was still stunned by the article's title.

"Oh, it's a little editorial I wrote about the importance of eliminating lesbianism on campus. It's about the dangers these girls present at this school."

"You wrote this?" Kris couldn't believe it. Granted, she knew that Nancy was more than what she showed, and Kris didn't want to stereotype, but the topic and the discussion did not seem like Nancy. The writing was pretty high level, but the content was very aggressive.

"I can't print this," Kris said as she tried handing the paper back to Nancy.

"Why? Are you one of those carpet munchers yourself?"

"First, of all, that's none of your business. Second, this is a written attack on anyone who might be gay. There's a lot of opinion that's not substantiated by fact."

"I knew it. You are one of them. I should have known – a girl with a guy's name. That's a dead giveaway that you're a dyke."

"That's not fair. I didn't choose my name, my parents did."

"Well, if you're not one of them, then you should have no trouble printing this," Nancy shoved the paper toward Kris again.

"Nancy, I can't do that. I don't believe in gay bashing – by word of mouth or by print."

"So, you're going to violate the First Amendment right to freedom of speech."

"No. Besides, the First Amendment only applies to government, not private institutions. I can't stop you from voicing your personal opinion, but I'm not obliged to print it."

"Fine. If you don't print this article, I will just post it somewhere else. Believe me, you people will be sorry. Anyone who's gay or a gay supporter will pay for ever coming to this school – starting with the Princess of Denial, Blair, and that dynamic, dykey duo, Cindy and Sue Ann."

Nancy then left in a huff.

Kris was stunned and a little on edge. Did she make the right decision not publishing Nancy's editorial? She didn't agree with it, but she was afraid of what Nancy would do in response. Kris obviously knew about the rumors concerning Blair and Tumpy since she was present during the art class discussion, but Cindy and Sue Ann? Kris noticed how Tumpy was interacting with Blair in sex ed. class, so those rumors seemed to hold a hint of truth. Additionally, Cindy was certainly bold about asking lesbian related questions in sex ed., but there was no clear indication that she had a thing for Sue Ann. Kris was supposed to be the premier people watcher – much like my reputation as the human lie detector – so missing this little detail would be a shocker. Kris didn't believe it when Nancy and the other girls talked about Cindy and Sue as a couple, but she knew it was possible. There had been some talk around campus about the other girls feeling uncomfortable when dressing in front of Cindy, but her and Sue Ann? It didn't make sense to Kris. That is, until she asked us about it. We had to come clean. Besides, she wouldn't tell anyone about our dorm's lovebirds.

Thankfully, Natalie and I were alone in the lounge area when Kris knocked on the door. We had chased the other girls away by turning on a news segment with Dan Rather. For some reason, the others didn't want to watch it, but Natalie and I wanted to take notes from one of the most prominent news reporters of the time. Anyway, maybe it was for the best that we were alone because what we were going to talk about needed to be kept as private as possible.

Natalie answered the door. It was almost like looking at Nat's reflection, except for Kris's glasses.

"Hey, Kris. What's up? I didn't have a story due did I?"

The girl on the porch looked like she was in shock and a little scared. "No, Nat. I . . . I . . . I have a problem."

"What is it?" asked Natalie a little concerned. "Are you okay? You're not sick or dying or anything are you?"

"No, it's nothing like that. It's a moral dilemma."

Natalie let out a sigh of relief. "Oh. Well, Molly and I can help if we can."

"Um, we may wanna keep this hush, hush, if you know what I mean. Is there somewhere we can talk privately?"

"Yeah, we'll go in the study room and lock the door."

"But," I protested, "Dan is on. Can't it wait?"

Kris just shook her head no. "It's about Blair, Cindy, and Sue Ann."

Once those words were out of her mouth, my ears immediately perked up. There were only a few things someone could discuss when talking about the three of them in the same breath. Couple that with the look on Kris's face, I knew this was something big. Dan would have to do without me for tonight. So, Natalie, Kris, and I went to the study room where we saw Cindy and Sue Ann on the couch. Cindy had one arm across Sue Ann's midsection and she was looming over her. I didn't want to speculate, but I had a feeling I knew what they were doing. I just hoped that Cindy wasn't trying to apply what she had learned in sex ed. class.

"Ehem," Natalie cleared her throat.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked – not really wanting to know the answer.

"Oh, uh, Sue Ann and I were working on some basic anatomy homework," Cindy replied as she sat up.

Sue Ann just shook her head in agreement. Those two kept flirting with disaster, more so than Blair has flirted with the whole Bates Academy student body.

"Well, can you guys take it upstairs? We have to talk," said Natalie.

Cindy smiled mischievously and said, "Sure. C'mon Sue Ann, let's go do some more studying," as she waggled her eyebrows. She grabbed Sue Ann's hand and started for the door.

"Wait," I said, stopping the girls in their tracks. It wasn't because I didn't want them to continue where they let off down here, but I figured that this concerned them, so they should be present. "Kris here needs to talk and I think you guys should stay."

"Why?" asked Sue Ann.

"Because it concerns you."

"Oh," Cindy and Sue Ann said in unison as they nervously exchanged looks.

"Yeah," said Kris, "and it also concerns Blair. Do you guys know where she is?"

"She's not here right now," said Natalie.

"Oh, well, I'll just have to tell her later," replied Kris.

"So, let's get started," said Molly as Natalie closed and locked the door.

Cindy and Sue Ann sat down on the couch, Kris sat in one chair, Natalie sat in the other chair, and I sat on the floor in front of the couch. We kind of made a chat circle. Kris was looking down and wringing her hands together – a clear sign that she was nervous. This had to be intimidating for her because she was usually so shy and she liked to stay away from the spotlight. Now, all eyes were on her.

"I'm not one to spread rumors and I don't like delving into people's private lives, but I need to ask you two a serious question," she said directing her gaze to the lovebirds. Cindy and Sue Ann just looked at each other before turning their attention back to Kris who continued. "Are you guys, like, an item?"

The blondes just looked at each other before answering.

"Why," Cindy spoke up, "you wanna try to hurt us, too? Listen, we got enough enemies."

"So, is that a yes?" Kris persisted.

"Yeah, fine. You wanna make something of it?" asked Cindy in a threatening way.

"No. On the contrary. I'm all for gay rights. I guess you can say I'm on your side. And, I won't tell anyone about your secret either."

"How can we be sure?" asked Cindy. Sue Ann just sat beside her with a stunned look on her face.

"Trust me," piped in Natalie, "you can believe Kris. She keeps her word and, unlike my Soul Sister, Tootie, she doesn't spread gossip."

"I swear to you," said Kris, "I will not violate a confidence. I need to know the truth before I go on."

I was watching her body language the whole time and saw no signs of deception. "I think she's okay," I assured Cindy and Sue Ann.

"Yes," Sue Ann finally spoke up, "we're together." She ended by grabbing Cindy's hand and interlocking their fingers to prove their relationship status.

"So, that's why Nancy included you," said Kris.

"Included them in what, Kris," asked Natalie.

"Remember, I don't like talking about people behind their backs, but when it can hurt someone else, I have to speak up."

"Go on," we all urged.

"Nancy came up to me today and wanted me to print an editorial about eliminating lesbianism at Eastland."

We were all in shock. Just about everybody's jaw dropped.

"Nancy?" Natalie finally spoke up. "Olson? Our Nancy? She couldn't put something like that together on her own."

"Natalie, don't underestimate Nancy," countered Kris. "She's not as dumb as she acts. There's more to her than meets the eye."

"That's right," interjected Sue Ann. "Don't forget she has the highest I.Q. of everyone in this dorm and she was telling the truth when she said she had racing experience. I think she just acts dumb because that's what people expect – especially Roger."

"You're right, Sue Ann," I said. "There's more upstairs than she lets on. She just keeps the light off most of the time."

"Yeah," quipped Cindy, "so it's easier for Roger to sneak into her dreams under the cover of darkness."

We all laughed despite the seriousness of the conversation.

"Anyway," continued Kris, "the article is intended to hunt down and eliminate lesbians from this campus. The reason I approached you all is because she specifically mentioned you two," she said as pointed toward Cindy and Sue Ann, "and Blair."

"What do we do?" asked Sue Ann.

"Well, I refused to print her story, but she said she would post it anyway and that everyone who is gay or who's a gay supporter will be sorry. I think that includes everyone who's in this room right now. Apparently, it also includes Blair and Tumpy and who knows how many other girls who are on her hit list."

We were all in shock. We had to put our heads together and think of a way out of this mess before someone got hurt.

"You need to tell Blair," I finally managed to tell Kris.

"I'm going to tell her as soon as I see her," Kris promised.

"And we," continued Molly, "need to come up with a way to stop this before it gets out of hand. Nancy needs to understand the harm of homophobia. We need to prove to her that homosexuality is not evil – hatred is." However, little did we know that it was too little, too late.

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Wednesday, April 16, 1980

Kris knew that the only thing she could do was approach Blair and warn her of Nancy's efforts.

Later, Kris told Natalie and me how her meeting with Blair went down. The Yin to Natalie's Yang found Blair sitting outside, drawing one of the statues for art class later that day. She was very apprehensive about approaching one of the queens of the school because she really didn't like confrontation. However, she felt that she needed to tell Blair what was being said about her. So, with a deep breath, Kris approached the debutante.

"Excuse me," said Kris as she tapped on Blair's shoulder. "I have something very important to tell you."

"Who are you again?" asked Blair.

"My name's Kris. I'm in your sex education class and your art class."

"Oh, you're that one friend of Natalie and Molly's from dorm C."

"Yeah, that's me."

"I thought you moved away last year."

"No, I've always been around. In fact, I'm an editor of the school newspaper."

"Hmmm, well what business do you have with me?" asked Blair as she continued to focus on her work.

"I wanted to warn you that Nancy's been spreading rumors about you and Tumpy. She even claims that you tried to put the moves on her."

"What? You're lying."

"No, I'm not. What's worse is that she wants me to print an article in the paper about the dangers of lesbian students on campus, and she wants to use you as the prime example."

"You wouldn't do that, would you?" asked Blair nervously.

"No. I told her that I wouldn't contribute to gay bashing, but she claims that she's going to spread the word anyway. Blair, she's exposing you as a closeted lesbian and she thinks you need to be punished. I'm afraid that she's going to do something drastic that can hurt a lot of people."

"Why are you telling me this? I'm not gay." Kris could tell that Blair was hiding the truth.

"Hey, it's none of my business, but someone better do something because she's adamant about ridding Eastland of all homosexual students. Any girl who can't prove she's straight is going to be targeted and, since you were mentioned by name, you may be the first casualty. Just something to think about."

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Blair should have heeded Kris' warning – we all should have listened in fact. Maybe if we took the signs more seriously, the Eastland gay witch-hunt of April 16, 1980 would never have happened. It was a day that will live in Eastland's infamy as a battle was waged between homophobes and gay advocates. Nancy and her homophobic followers struck first.

Kris came into our dorm after school and told us what just happened in art class today. Her recollection explained why Blair came running into our dorm looking quite blue.

Apparently, during art class Nancy was spreading more rumors about Blair and her attempts at seducing her while she slept. Of course, her claims were all lies, but everyone in the room rested on her every word. Well, everyone who was willing and eager to join her cause of ridding Eastland of its "sexual deviants." Blair was not even present to defend herself, which made it a one-sided battle. Kris said that she wanted to intervene on Blair's behalf, but she was afraid of the repercussions. Those girls were like a pack of hyenas surrounding a dying gazelle. Even as Kris told the story, we could see the pure terror in her eyes.

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Nancy had just finished talking when Blair came in the room, fashionably late as usual. Everyone was silent at first, then Felicia asked, "Where've you been, Blair?"

Nancy was making a crude gesture behind her back.

"Bumming a smoke, if you must know."

"With Tumpy?" asked Jennifer.

"Yeah," Blair answered, as she sat down.

As soon as she sat down, Nancy looked at Missy and gave her a nod. Kris knew at that moment something bad was about to happen. Nonchalantly, Missy grabbed a jar of blue paint, and then she came up behind Blair and poured it over her head. Most of the girls burst out laughing as Blair put her hands up to her face in shock.

"Why so blue, Blair," asked Missy still holding the now empty jar.

"You look like Princess Smurfette," jibed Felicia.

"Yeah, now we really know she's a blue blood," joked Jennifer

"Well, she finally 'turned blue' for once." The rest of the group laughed, except for Kris. She told us that she was angry about what the others were doing, but she didn't say anything, true to her nature.

Nancy just sat back and smiled as Blair stood frozen in shock. This was one time that Blair didn't want to be the center of attention. However, she regained her senses long enough to run next door to the makeshift studio and tell the teacher who excused Blair and admonished everyone in the room. Poor Kris even got a lecture about taking advantage of the teacher's absence and acting like children. This was one time that silence was punished. Although Nancy got in trouble for her part in the attack on Blair, she continued to smile. Apparently, part one of her plan was in motion, but it was only the beginning.

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Thursday, April 17, 1980

We thought the worst was over. Blair had become living, breathing art, put on public display, ripe for scrutiny and criticism. What we didn't realize was that many of us had similar horror stories – ones that we were too afraid to tell the others. However, Mrs. Garrett knew the truth and she decided to take a stand. On Thursday night, our housemother gathered us in the living room to talk to us about what had been going on around campus. Other girls from other dorms were also present. They included Tumpy Barksdale and Kimberly Drummond. At first, I was very confused about the assortment of people, but I figured that Mrs. Garrett had a good reason for getting us all together. Cindy and Sue Ann sat on the couch, Mrs. Garrett sat in one armchair, Blair sat in another armchair, Kim and I were sitting in chairs at the small table where we usually play poker, Tootie and Natalie were sitting on the floor, and Tumpy was lounging on the stairs. I noticed that Blair sat as far away from Tumpy as possible – probably due to Tumpy's behavior during sex ed. class on Monday. I could tell our local pothead was very upset, although she tried to project an air of relaxation. She was kind of leaning back on her elbows watching all of us from her perch on the stairs. If I was being honest, I'd have to admit that it was a little unnerving having Tumpy survey the room like that, but anyway. Kim kept nervously playing with a bandage that was on her right hand. Everyone else just seemed very tense.

Conspicuous with her absence was Nancy, but apparently, Mrs. Garrett was willing to start her meeting without her. Maybe it was because Nancy was on the opposing side as the rest of us and Mrs. Garrett planned to talk to her privately so she didn't feel targeted by the rest of the women in the room. Or maybe there was some other reason why Nancy chose to keep her distance. I had deduced that Mrs. Garrett was going to discuss the "attacks" that were going on around campus, but I was convinced that they were just a couple isolated incidences enacted by some mean spirited girls. However, we all soon realized that the problem was much bigger than we could ever have expected.

Once we were all sitting down, Mrs. Garrett said, "There has been a little unrest around campus. Have any of you felt hurt or in danger."

All of the girls just looked around at each other and looked down at the floor like they were too embarrassed to speak. Everyone, that is, except Tumpy who just looked furious.

"Please, girls," urged Mrs. Garrett, "no matter what it is, please tell me."

That's when the stories started. The first person to raise her hand was Cindy."

"Mrs. Garrett, I had a problem yesterday."

"Please, Cindy, tell us."

This was her story.

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I was on my way back to the locker room after PE. I was hot and tired and just ready to come home. When I went to my locker, I was shocked to see three words written across it in permanent black marker – DIRTY DIESEL DYKE. I couldn't believe someone would do such a thing. I looked around to make sure I was alone and then I went up to my locker. I started rubbing as hard as I could, but the words would not come off. Then things got worse – much worse.

Cindy took a deep breath before continuing with her story. I could see that she was upset about reliving the incident, but she knew that she had to relate what happened.

"Hey, Diesel Dyke, you can't erase the truth," shouted Missy with sneer.

"Missy, hi," I replied as I tried to hide the words on my locker. "What are you doing here?"

"No, the question is what is a sick pervert like you doing here? Why don't you go back to Cali where you lezbos belong."

"Missy, I'm warning you, don't call me names."

"Oh, what are you going to do about it? Jump my bones? Sorry, sister I ain't into that kinky Sappho crap."

"Missy, shut your mouth or you'll be breathing through your ears."

"Aww, little words for little minds. Look, you lesbians should be shipped off to that island in Greece and be stranded so you can't try to convert us normal people."

"Normal? Missy, there ain't a normal hair in your head."

"Why you little . . ."

Missy pushed me hard against my locker, so I responded by pushing Missy to the floor. Then, I jumped on top of Missy and trapped her hands above her head.

"Get off me you pervert," shouted Missy.

At the sound of her screams, about seven other girls came running in to see what was going on.

"Get this dirty dyke off me," yelled Missy again.

One of the girls grabbed a field hockey stick from the equipment locker and cracked me in the back with it. I never even saw it coming. The blow sent me forward on top of Missy who shouted, "I told you to get her off me, not help her cop a feel. Do something right and get her the hell off me."

Suddenly I felt two girls grab my arms and slam me against the lockers. I looked up and saw nothing but malice in their eyes. Missy got up and loomed over me. She then instructed the others to go to the equipment locker and grab their weapon of choice. It was time to teach me a lesson. As the other girls went to the equipment locker to pick their tools of destruction, Missy momentarily took her eyes off of me. I took advantage of that opportunity by pushing Missy into the lockers and took off.

I was terrified. It was obvious that Missy would go to any lengths to teach me a lesson. She really wasn't kidding. So, I put my track shoes to good use. I got up and started to run. The other girls pursued me. I could feel their combined breath on my neck. I became the fox in a steeplechase. We ran all over campus. Every time I looked over my shoulders, the girls seemed closer and closer. They were right on my heels. I stumbled and almost fell a couple of times, but thank goodness for my great sense of balance. Anyway, they chased me until I entered one of the buildings. My experience from the track meet gave me a good enough lead to find a place to hide. Ironically, it was the janitor's closet where I eventually found shelter. Now that I was publicly out, I had to duck inside the closet for safety.

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"Wow, Cindy, you must've been scared," said Tootie in shock.

"Oh, I was. I had to stay in that damn – oh, um, sorry Mrs. Garrett – darn closet until I knew the coast was clear. That's when I rushed back here." Sue Ann reached over and grabbed Cindy's hand. "I thought they were just attacking me for what I said in sex ed. and my reputation for ogling girls in the locker room. Then I got back here and heard about Blair's incident."

Cindy shot a glance to her former enemy, but it was a look of understanding and shared sympathy. Blair tried to avert Cindy's gaze, but I could see the hint of camaraderie. Like they always say, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." I guess they were right. Only shared experiences could connect those two.

"Anyone else?" asked Mrs. Garrett as she glanced toward Sue Ann.

Sue Ann gave Cindy's hand another squeeze as if for strength before raising her free hand.

"Umm, I had an experience this morning when I was taking care of the animals in the barn."

"Why don't you tell the girls what happened," urged Mrs. Garrett.

"Do I have to relive that nightmare?" Sue Ann asked in a sad voice.

"It will feel freeing," claimed Mrs. Garrett.

Sue Ann looked at Cindy who just nodded her head in encouragement and squeezed her hand once more.

This was Sue Ann's story.

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This morning while I was taking care of the animals in the barn, a group of about six girls came up to me. The leader of the group seemed to be LaTisha Davis.

"Hey, wait a minute," interrupted Tootie. "You don't mean my friend LaTisha Davis?"

"I think she's the same one," replied Sue Ann.

"She grew up in the same neighborhood that I did," claimed Tootie. "She's usually so nice."

"Well, all I saw was a big ebony Amazon coming at me with an entourage of angry looking acolytes," replied Sue Ann.

Sue Ann then continued with her story.

Anyway, I was brushing a horse when the girls came up to me.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. It's Cindy's finger friend," LaTisha claimed.

I turned around, looked at them, and asked, "What?"

"Don't play dumb with us, girl. We know you and Cindy like to eat each other," shouted another girl.

I was getting really scared at that point because they all looked so mad as they got closer and closer to me. "I don't know what you're talking about," I answered in an effort to convince them to leave me alone.

"Stop with yo' bull, girl!" LaTisha shouted. "We know you and Cindy like to bump each other's donuts. Nancy told us everything!"

"Yeah," shouted the crowd of girls in unison as they began to close in on me.

I was slowly and nervously trying to walk away. I didn't want to get into a confrontation. All I really wanted to do was escape. I was willing to say anything to get them off my case.

Sue Ann glanced up at Cindy apologetically as she continued her story.

"There's nothing going on between me and Cindy," I said as convincingly as I possibly could. "W-w-we're just really good friends."

Despite my claims, the girls surrounded me, giving me no escape route. I was really scared as I saw nothing but fire in their eyes. It was like they wanted a public execution or something. What could I do, but beg for my life.

"Please, guys. Honestly, Cindy and I are just friends. There's absolutely nothing going on between us. I'm just still trying to get over Scott."

I couldn't help but sticking my finger to my mouth in a gross gesture. As I visibly showed my disgust even to the mention of that name, I noticed the slight hurt expression on Cindy's face. Even though I knew she understood that Sue Ann just said those things in an effort to get out of a jam, I could tell it still hurt. At the same time, I could see a hint of regret in Sue Ann's face because apparently her declarations didn't make any difference.

It didn't matter what I said to those girls. They were determined to do me harm, no matter what I told them. I could see it in their eyes and in their bodies. They wanted to hurt me.

"Ah hell no, girl. You ain't getting' outta this one. We gonna teach your country-bumpkin, donut-bumping, ass a lesson," said LaTisha who immediately punched me in the stomach. I know I doubled over in pain and pleaded with her to stop. However, the others jumped in and starting hitting me and calling me names.

After a while, they saw how hurt I was as I lay on the ground coughing and holding my stomach. I thought they'd leave me alone once they saw me laying there on the ground in the fetal position, but they kept taunting me and poking at me. I thought I was done for. There was no point trying to fight back because I was clearly outnumbered. I felt all alone.

Then suddenly one of the girls suggested, "Hey, let's take her to the pig pen."

"That's not a bad idea," LaTisha responded as the other girls shouted their approval of that plan.

So, they picked me up and led me to the pig pen. I was crying profusely at this point, desperately trying to appeal to their better nature.

"Please, please," I begged. "Don't do this. I've known a lot of you guys forever."

"Well, apparently we didn't know you," scoffed one of the girls.

"Yeah, and since you like to pork Cindy so much," said LaTisha with a disgusted look on her face, "you should have no problem when we throw you into the pig pen. You should feel right at home. After all, you have no problem rubbing your face in something as pink and smelly as a pig."

All six of the girls were cheering as they lifted me up. I desperately tried to fight back as best as I could, but I was still hurting from the beating I took. They kept laughing at me as I cried and begged for them to put me down. But they ignored me and threw me into the pig pen.

Tears were streaming down Sue Ann's face as tried to tell us her tale, but she was so upset. Cindy leaned over and tried to console her, but Sue Ann was devastated. It was as if she was reliving the horror that she had experienced all over again. It was so bad, in fact, that Mrs. Garrett had to finish telling us what happened.

"I headed out to the barn because I know Sue Ann loves the animals as much as Tootie loves her rabbits and as much as Blair loves Chestnut. But I never would have believed what I saw, if I didn't see it with my own eyes," said Mrs. Garrett as she looked toward Sue Ann for permission to finish. Sue Ann simply nodded.

I saw the girls throw poor Sue Ann in the pig pen. I tried to get there as fast as I could to stop them, but these old bones don't move as fast as they used to. Anyway, Sue Ann landed on top of a mother pig, then fell into a toxic mixture of mud and feces. As I approached the girls, screaming as loud as I could, all I could hear was laughter. Sue Ann was covered in mud from her head to her toes and she was doubled over crying.

"Hey," I yelled. "What's going on here?"

One of those disrespectful girls said, "It's that old hag, Mrs. Garrett. Let's split!"

Then, they ran away as fast as they could. I approached the pig pen and I saw a messy and crying Sue Ann. My heart broke when I saw the condition she was in, knowing that I couldn't stop it. Even though I saw the girls throw her into the pig pen, I needed confirmation from her. So, when I got close enough I asked, "Sue Ann, what happened?"

She was justifiably in tears. I could hardly understand anything she was saying through her sobs. Finally, I made out five words: "They threw me in here!"

As I looked at Sue Ann, I knew I had to clean her off before she could go to her classes. Unfortunately, for us farm girls the best way to get feces and caked on mud off is by washing off with a hose. So, I took her behind the barn where I had to have her strip down. I grabbed a couple of horse blankets to give her some privacy. Although no one was around, I wanted to give her some sense of security after what she had just endured. Anyway, I took the hose and sprayed her from head to toe. I then gave her one of the horse blankets to cover up with so she could head back to the dorm and finish getting cleaned up properly and dressed for school.

I was beyond mad and asked her if she wanted to report the other girls. If I only knew exactly who all was involved, I would have reported them regardless, but I couldn't identify all the girls. Sue Ann just shook her head no and begged me not to make a big deal about it.

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Mrs. Garrett looked at Sue Ann who was still sniffling in Cindy's arms. When Sue Ann saw the look of regret on our housemother's face, she simply turned her eyes away. I knew she was embarrassed, but I also knew that she felt bad that Mrs. Garrett accepted responsibility for her abuse. Mrs. Garrett is the type of adult who admits guilt even if it's not her fault. However, she felt somewhat responsible for what happened and it was clear that she regretted not reporting the girls she recognized in the attack on Sue Ann to the administration.

I saw the look on Mrs. Garrett's face and I tried to reassure her that she did everything she could. "Mrs. Garrett," I said as I got up, walked over to our housemother, and put my hand on her shoulder, "this is not your fault. What happened to Blair, Cindy, and Sue Ann was just a bunch of women being childish." Even though I tried to convince Mrs. Garrett that everything was going to be okay, I had a horror story of my own that I wasn't ready to tell just yet.

Mrs. Garrett then put her free hand on top of my hand, "Molly, dear, if it was only a couple incidences."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You better sit back down dear," said Mrs. Garrett with a sad look on her face.

I did as I was told and then Mrs. Garrett continued. "I knew I should have alerted Mr. Bradley and the administration. Something was going on, but I just didn't know the severity of it. I'm sorry girls. If only I stepped in sooner."

"What are you talking about Mrs. Garrett?" asked Tootie.

"After Sue Ann took a nice, long bath and went to her classes, I thought the worst was over. However, a little after lunchtime, Kimberly and Michelle came running into our dorm with tears in their eyes," said Mrs. Garrett as she directed her attention to Kimberly. "Kimberly, dear, will you please share your experience with the girls."

Kimberly looked around nervously at first, looked down at her bandaged hand, and then shook her head yes.

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Michelle and I were stretching for our ballerina routines when two girls came into the room. One was Gina Hernandez, a star softball player, and the other was Tootie's friend, LaTisha Davis. Gina was carrying a softball bat over her shoulder.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Pendulum herself, Kimberly Drummond, and probably one of her gem friends, Michelle?" asked Gina taking the bat off of her shoulder and pounding the head of it in the palm of her hand.

"What?" Michelle asked as she stood up straight.

I added, "Yeah, what are you two talking about?"

"You know what we're talking about, Kim. So I guess it's girls for you today?" asked LaTisha with a disgusted look on her face.

"Seriously," I said, "I have no clue what you guys are implying."

"Oh, we ain't implying," said Gina taking a threatening step forward as she continued to pound the bat in her hand, "we're accusing."

"Accusing me of what?" I asked, completely confused.

"Are you or are you not a carpet muncher who only dates guys on occasion?" asked LaTisha.

"Well, if you're asking if I'm bisexual, then yes I am. What of it?" I inquired.

"It's lezbo bitches like you who take guys away from us normal women," claimed Gina taking another step forward.

"How are you gauging normal? Normal certainly isn't threatening other girls with softball bats," stated Michelle who wanted to defend me.

"Why don't all you homos just stay together and go off to an island somewhere far from here?" asked LaTisha.

"Yeah, and keep dunking your donuts in each other's coffee and leave the men to us. Besides, we know that bi-sluts like you are flaky, like your equally-sick boyfriend, Chase," shouted Gina as she stepped even closer and butted the head of the bat against my chest.

I was now getting really scared, but I was trying my best not to let the girls sense my fear. It's like sharks to blood – you let them sense it, they'll go in for the kill. "First of all," I started, "Michelle's straight so she's not my 'girlfriend,' and second of all, why does my or Chase's bisexuality concern either of you?"

"It concerns us because you queers are screwing up our way of life. You guys need to be taught a lesson," seethed Gina as she butted me with the bat again.

"Well, you have no business with Michelle because, like I said, she's straight," I said putting a protective arm in front of Michelle.

"She's right," added Michelle who was clearly frightened, "I'm straight. In fact, Greg Hockney's my boyfriend. We've been steadily dating for a while now."

"Yeah, like that proves anything," said LaTisha. "Look at his last 'girlfriend,' Cindy. She's such a huge flamer that you could get burnt just being around her."

"Yeah, and his girlfriend before that one – Blair. World's biggest closet case. Yeah, like she's fooling anybody!" agreed Gina.

Gina and LaTisha started laughing as Michelle and I started to back away in an attempt to escape.

"Hey, where do you Sappho sluts think you're going?" asked Gina. "We're not done with you yet."

"Leave Michelle out of this," I begged. "She's not gay, and whatever problem you guys have with homosexuals doesn't concern her. Let her go."

"Doesn't matter! She has no problems with you being bi," LaTisha addressed me as she and Gina slowly walked up to me and Michelle.

"No, I don't, and it shouldn't matter to you either!" said Michelle, as she tried to defend me.

"Oh, it matters because these miscreants need to be eliminated from our school," said Gina.

"Yeah, and anyone who condones or are friends with these freaks need to be taught a lesson as well," agreed LaTisha.

"You hang with a degenerate, you become one yourself," contended Gina as they backed me and Michelle against the balance bar, ultimately trapping us and cutting off any way of escape.

"The only degenerates I see are you two idiots!" I spat while pointing my finger at the two threatening women.

Gina swung the bat right at my pointing hand, which is where I got this lovely reminder. I couldn't hold back my screams as the bat made contact.

"Wanna act tough now?" asked Gina. "Well, since you like to 'swing' a lot, let me introduce you to my softball bat. The first impression will be quite the hit – straight at your head."

Gina then swung her bat directly at my head, but thanks to my quick reflexes, I was able to dodge the contact and quickly ran away from the two brutes. Michelle was lucky to escape as well.

Gina and LaTisha chased us all the way here and we shut the door behind us.

When Mrs. Garrett saw us, we were leaning against the door – both of us out of breath.

Kimberly was so upset at this point that she couldn't even finish her story, so Mrs. Garret picked it up.

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I could see the fear in their eyes as tears streamed down their faces. I walked over to them and asked, "What's wrong, girls?" and Kimberly replied, "LaTisha and Gina tried to beat us up."

"Why in the world would they do that?" I asked, not fully believing what I was hearing.

"Because I'm a bisexual and Michelle's my friend," replied Kimberly.

I didn't want to believe my ears, so I said, "Maybe they were just playing around."

"No, they weren't," Michelle cried through her tears. "Gina swung her bat at us."

"Yeah," added Kim. "She purposely aimed right at my head," she finished pointing at her head.

"This is serious," I said as I hugged the girls. I could feel them both trembling with fear.

It was at that point that I got a good look at Kim's right hand. It was red and swollen and I knew that I needed to treat it immediately.

"Did they do this to you?" I asked still surprised.

With tears in her eyes, Kim nodded yes. Being a former nurse and having to attend to Kimberly's ballerina accidents during my days as the Drummond's housekeeper, I quickly got some bandages and an ice pack for her right hand.

While I was tending to her hand, Kimberly told me how far this reign of terror has gone.

"Margo shoved Susan Wilcox and her partner's heads down the toilets earlier," Kimberly informed me.

Susan and her lover, Esmeralda, were in the room, and they hang their heads in embarrassment.

"Then I heard that Ms. Mahoney's car was vandalized, with someone writing DYKE all over it," Kimberly continued. "I think I heard they slashed her tires in addition to keying her car."

That news really shocked me. It seemed that the aggressors were targeting anyone they perceived as being gay. Now they are also going after the teachers? This was a bigger issue than I thought.

"So, it isn't just the people in this dorm?" I asked Kimberly.

"Do you mean girls here have been attacked, too?"

I couldn't help but tell her the truth.

"Well, yes," I replied. "Sue Ann was attacked earlier today, and Cindy and Blair were targeted yesterday."

Kimberly was surprised by my revelation. "Sue Ann? Cindy's girlfriend? I knew about Blair because Molly told me earlier today, but Sue Ann? What happened?"

I told her about the pig pen incident and she was shocked. While I was telling her this, an idea came into my head. After I was done, I shared my idea with Kimberly.

"Kimberly?"

"Yes, Mrs. Garrett."

"I'm planning to have a meeting to discuss the craziness that's been going on around campus. It was going to be just with the girls in this dorm, but it looks like these incidents have gone beyond this dorm. Can you help gather some of the other girls who were affected by this whether they are gay or not?"

"Sure, I will. This has to stop."

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"That's when I knew I needed to gather all you girls together because these attacks are not confined to our dorm," said Mrs. Garrett sadly shaking her head.

"It's not restricted to gays either," said Natalie.

Everyone turned and looked at her.

Natalie nervously looked down at her lap as she began her story.

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Well, Kris and I were in the newsroom earlier today running some copy when Felicia and a couple other girls came up behind us.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," said Felicia, "two of those gay backers together."

"What?" I asked.

"Maybe they're just closeted freaks themselves," chimed in one of the other girls.

I looked at Kris and saw that she was terrified. She knew about Blair getting paint poured on her, and I think that she suspected what was going to come.

"Yeah, these two are just as bad as those homos themselves. They condone that deviant behavior," chipped in another girl.

"And she," Felicia pointed accusingly at Kris, "straight up refused to print Nancy's article. That proves she's sailing on denial herself."

"Hey," I said stepping in front of Kris, "why don't you guys just leave us alone. We haven't done anything to you."

Kris grabbed my arm and simply shook her head. I know she hates confrontation, but they were going over the line. I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

"Why don't you guys go jump in a lake and cool of," I yelled.

I saw a smirk form on Felicia's face as she was about to reply. "Oh, how appropriately you'd say lake," said Felicia as she nodded to the other girls as if signaling for them to start throwing the fish wrapped in newspaper at us. "You guys don't mind taking up for girls who smell like fish, now you can have the same stench."

Kris and I tried dodging the flying fish, but those girls weren't done with us yet. They then started chalking clams at us as Felicia said, "They bump clams, now you can see how bad it is."

Those clam shells hurt! They were worse than getting hit by fish. They leave cut marks as well as bruises.

Natalie rolled up one of her sleeves and showed us some of the physical reminders from that day.

Man, I'll never look at seafood the same way ever again.

As if that wasn't enough, two girls snuck up behind Kris and me and poured buckets of chum and fish guts on us. Somebody then snatched Kris's glasses off her face. As they were laughing and headed out the door, Felicia took Kris's glasses and threw them in the trashcan.

"Since you guys are used to dumpster diving with garbage, you will have no problems getting your glasses back. That's what you get when you don't do what you're told and side with queers instead," Felicia finished and high-fived one of the other girls.

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"I felt so bad for Kris," said Natalie. "She was so upset, but I helped fish her glasses out of the trashcan. It was really bad."

"Oh, Nat," said Tootie, "you never told me."

"Well, it's not something I want to broadcast to the world," replied Natalie as Tootie gave her a hug.

"I have something to admit too," said Tootie. "I didn't think anything of it because I'm used to being targeted because I'm black, but now I think it's because I'm friends with you guys," she finished by gesturing in a circular motion around the room.

"What happened, Toot?" asked Natalie.

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Terry was backstage with me after drama class. We were just messing around, pretty much. I was rolling around reciting lines from Romeo and Juliet when a foot came out of nowhere tripping me. I fell face first on the stage. When I looked up, I saw Stacey Higgins looming over me.

"Stacey Higgins?" I asked. "Isn't she the one they always cast in the larger roles because of her size?"

"That's the one," confirmed Tootie as she nodded her head yes.

"Gosh, she's so intimidating," said Natalie.

"Tell me about it," replied Tootie shuddering in Natalie's embrace.

"Well, what happened?" asked Blair who had been silent up until this point.

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I looked up at Stacey and asked, "Hey, what'd you do that for?"

"Because you must be trippin' hanging out with those lesbos."

"What do you mean?" I asked as I sat up. I looked over and saw that a couple other girls had Terry on her knees and were holding her arms. Something seemed off and I was scared.

"You're friends with those queers," said Stacey as she whistled to someone I couldn't see. "And because you're friends with them, you must be a carpet muncher yourself."

Now I was really scared because it was just me and those mean and nasty girls. Some of them were the same ones who picked on me for being black.

At that point, another girl rolled out a carpet we kept in the back with the other props. Stacey then grabbed my neck and rubbed my face against the carpet, "So, now we will mark you as a carpet muncher."

They went on to do the same thing with Terry, rubbing her face in the carpet, telling her they knew about her girlfriend in Peekskill High. They continued taunting and poking at us until Mr. Gallagher came in. That's when they took off running. Mr. Gallagher approached us and asked what happened, but we didn't say anything because we were ashamed about the whole incident.

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Terry was in the room, and she was crying. Michelle, Kimberly's friend, went over to her and comforted her.

"I didn't even have time to react, and I can still feel the rug burn on my face," said Tootie as she rubbed her cheek.

"You too? They did the same thing to me," said Rachel Tindswell, a light-brown skinned girl who is from Dorm B. She's half-Black, half-White, and she gets taunted for being mixed. "They kept on calling me 'Checkerboard Lezbo, 'Lezebra,' and stuff like that. Eventually, they rubbed my face in a carpet as well." Rachel started to cry after coming clean about her experience.

"Yeah, it really hurts," said Tootie through her tears.

Natalie was surprised when she heard about what the young girl had endured. "Why didn't you tell me, Toot?"

"Probably the same reason you didn't tell me about your experience, Nat."

The two friends just embraced and cried together.

"See," said Mrs. Garrett, "we need to be open with each other. Silence is only making things worse."

That's when I shyly raised my hand. "Mrs. Garrett?"

"Yes, Molly."

"Since everyone else is being brave and telling their stories, I have something to say, too." I shot a glance toward Tumpy since my story involved her as well. She just continued to sit on the stairs, silently seething. I could tell that she was nearing her boiling point, but Mrs. Garrett was right. Talking about what's happened to us really could be freeing.

"Yes," I continued. "Tumpy and I were at the receiving end of an attack today as well."

Everyone just looked at me in shock and intrigue as I started my story.

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Earlier today, I was coming back to the dorm from my classes when I spotted a dark-haired woman wearing sunglasses and walking around all suspicious like. It looked rather weird, so I was a bit nervous to approach her. However, upon closer inspection, I realized it was just Tumpy.

I shot a glance at Tumpy who was still just keeping quiet, which was a first. I knew she had to be seething after what happened to us, but she didn't tell me to shut it, so I continued.

So, I went up to her and asked, "What are you doing, Tumpy?"

"Ssshhh, Red! I'm trying to hide. Ever since that bimbo Nancy opened her big mouth, a few girls around here have tried to attack me. Many members in the Group are hiding out as well."

I was shocked and I wanted to say, "Well, this wouldn't have happened if you didn't do what you did in sex ed. class," but I also felt sorry for her because she does not deserve to be hunted for her sexual orientation.

Luckily I didn't have to say anything after all because Tumpy suddenly said, "I know this whole thing is my fault, and I feel bad about it. Blair is very angry with me. How stupid was I to listen to that pig-faced, pig-tailed girl's idea."

"Actually, you two were just reacting to how Blair and Sue Ann were spending so much time together, which I think is part of Blair's plan."

I quickly looked up and saw Blair, Tumpy, Cindy, and Sue Ann all exchanging glances. Maybe I shouldn't have been telling the story exactly as it happened, but I couldn't stop myself. I figured the worst case scenario was that everyone would finally know the truth. Perhaps, this needed to be done because look what secrets and hiding out got us. I only hoped that the women would be adults about it and forgive and forget. Anyway, I took a deep breath before I continued.

"So, we're not the only ones who think that there's something going on with Blair and Sue Ann?" Tumpy asked somewhat relieved.

"No, not on Sue Ann's part. I don't think she sees Blair as anything more than a friend. Blair, on the other hand, is the one who usually initiates things. She's the one who comes up with ways to spend time with Sue Ann."

I quickly looked toward Blair who was squirming in her seat. She was obviously uncomfortable. However, she knew what she was doing when she was optimizing Sue Ann's time, and maybe now that the cat was out of the bag, she would finally keep her nose out of Cindy and Sue Ann's relationship. Granted, I knew it had to hurt to be called out publically like this, but the truth would surely set all of us free. Cindy looked like she wanted to kill Blair after she heard my claim. I looked down at my hands as I continued to relate Tumpy and my ordeal.

Even with her sunglasses on, Tumpy showed both anger and hurt at the same time.

"I can't believe it," Tumpy muttered. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I can't even walk across campus now without needing to look over my shoulder. I got threats and warnings coming outta my ass. Every time I turn around, someone's looking to come at me. And now the one thing I had to look forward to, Blair's love, doesn't seem to exist anymore." Now I was really feeling sad for her as she was trying her best not to cry, but to no avail.

But just before I could say more, a group of women spotted Tumpy and me standing near the bushes. The nasty one, Margo, led the group. "There they are, that drugged-out dyke and that man-hating feminist. Let's get those Sappho-sluts!" shouted Margo.

Armed with sticks and stones, the group of women charged after us. We ran as fast as we could. I was a little faster because I don't have a history of smoking, . . .

I saw Tumpy shoot me a warning look, but I didn't clarify which type of smoking. Everyone knows about her sneaking "ciggies," even Mrs. Garrett, so I didn't think it would matter.

. . . so I was basically holding her hand and dragging her along. Suddenly, I saw rocks flying at us. At first, I thought it was just rocks that we were kicking up as we ran, but I soon realized that the women who were chasing us were the cause of the rock barrage. Luckily, nothing hit us. Tumpy and I ran all the way to the forest to see if we could lose our pursuers. As soon as we got to the forest, we quickly ran up the hill, even though we were both very exhausted at that point.

The pack followed us, but I had one of Blair's brilliant ideas. I saw a loose boulder near me and thought that Tumpy and I could use it to our advantage. .

"Hey, Tumpy," I said, "if we push this, then maybe they will go away."

"Sure, let's give it a try."

So, with our combined strength, we pushed the boulder and the huge rock started to tumble down the hill. Immediately, the group of women scattered, giving us time to run further away from them.

We got to a point that we couldn't run anymore, and they weren't chasing us, so we stopped. Tumpy then collapsed on the ground and broke down, started to cry.

"I'm scared, Molly! I really am," she bellowed.

I came up to her and lower myself to her. "I am too," I shared. I started to cry as well, and we cried on each other's shoulders. They say that your junior-high and high school years are fun. Whoever said that was a God damn, pig-fucking liar. Sorry for the cursing, but that's how I felt then, and that's how I feel right at this moment.

I could sense the fear in how her shoulders tensed, but I also detect a hint of anger. Tumpy was not ready to roll over and die just yet.

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"That's fucking right," Tumpy suddenly shouted as she got up from the stairs and came to the middle of the room, "I'm not ready to roll over and you shouldn't be either." She was pointing at all of us.

"Tumpy – language," admonished Mrs. Garrett as she tried to maintain a sense of decorum.

"Yo, I'm sorry lady, but I'm pissed off," shouted Tumpy. "I'm not going to watch my language when people are out to hurt me, and out to hurt us! We've been picked on for far too long!"

"I understand your anger," replied Mrs. Garrett, "but at least try to remember that you're a lady."

"Hey, I don't give a fuck! I'm royally pissed. And what are you doing? Sitting around like a bunch of pansy ass losers. This is pathetic. We need to stop crying like a bunch of damn babies and get up and show those bitches that they can't treat us like shit."

I could tell Mrs. Garrett was having a hard time listening to Tumpy's dirty mouth, but she knew that the girl needed to let it out. I could see a few others in the room agreed with Tumpy's declaration to take action against those who dared to do us harm

"What do you expect us to do about it?" asked Cindy, who seemed interested in joining Tumpy's army.

"I say we do to them what they did to us. Give them a taste of their own damn nasty medicine!"

"Tumpy," said Mrs. Garrett as she got up and placed a hand on Tumpy's shoulder, "violence is not the answer. We have to be smart about this."

Tumpy pointed her fingers to Mrs. Garrett, "Listen, playing nice-nice with these bitches ain't gonna work. We need to fight fire with fire and make them regret ever pushing us around."

I was looking at everyone's shocked faces as Tumpy continued to try to call the girls to arms. Blair had a hint of admiration in her eyes. Hmmm, I guess she really does have a thing for a tough woman who can take control. Maybe this was the turning point in their relationship because Tumpy was actually acting like a leader – a force to be reckoned with.

"I understand that you're upset, Tumpy," said Mrs. Garrett as she put her other hand on Tumpy's other shoulder in an effort to calm her, "but violence only begets more violence."

"Understand? Understand?" shouted Tumpy as she pulled away from Mrs. Garrett. "You don't understand a mother fucking thing. They ain't out to get you. They're out to get us queers, and those who support us! Look, you all can sit around on your asses and do nothing if you want, but I'm gonna get those gay-bashing bitches and bash their fucking heads in," exclaimed Tumpy as she stormed out of the dorm and slammed the door behind her.

Mrs. Garrett turned back toward us and said, "She just needs some time to calm down."

If only she knew that the fuse had already been lit.