Veronica found herself recalling the workshop she'd attended in Middle School organized by the faculty to help prepare non-09er students on how to better acclimate to their status compared to their wealthy classmates. While cities dealt with gang violence or religious discrimination's, as a town without the middle class the burden of dealing with the social fallout had to take a grassroots approach.
When a playground or a kid not getting invited to a sleepover could result in the offended child's parent making a few calls or firing off a few emails to blacklist the non-09er parent from organizing job losses, or a boycott of their business, several families had been driven out of town before the workshops had been suggested.
Not that 09er students had been required to attend.
The lessons had included awareness for how to be more tolerant of affluent students, emphasizing the skills her classmates may lack because their experiences would be so different:
Students may present a Materialistic mindset. Do not feel personally offended if their conversations focused on acquiring the latest gadgets, designer clothing, or luxury items.
Wealth or status did not them from consequences but their parents approach may be using alternate methods outside of the Pastoral system which the faculty and fellow students must respect, as detentions may not always be suitable.
It was important to avoid comparison traps.
Its NOT a Sense of entitlement. Their different socioeconomic background means these students have difficulty empathizing as some daily challenges concern things they have not experienced, so its important be tolerant and understanding that they may rely on others to take care of their problems or clean up their messes.
It is essential that fellow students be supportive of that struggle.
Practice empathy and compassion.
It was apparent the creators of that workshop had been short a whole tool box, let alone a few missing screws.
Veronica wondered if those faculty members had ever conceived of an obligatory psychotic jackass like Logan when they were preaching about practicing empathy and compassion towards the towns 'betters'.
Amongst 09ers, Spending was a spectator sport.
She twisted the key in her ignition, the car spluttered and lurched forward a second only to stall again, her face burning as she watched Kayla Yate's pink candy coloured convertible sped past with Joannelle and Carmel Rock bursting out in hysterics and making L signs on their forehead to call her a loser.
Veronica glowered at the twin baby blue convertible pulling out beside it, Harlow McAfee Yates wasn't anywhere as poisonous as her cousin but she never did step out of the cool indifference to protest Kayla's actions, opting for bored neutrality. Her brother Hardy McAfee Yates drove the same kind of car only in a deep green.
A gift from the McAfee Empire for his new sister-in-laws twins and his new Neice.
Birthdays amongst 09ers in Neptune were closer to a Potlach her father had explained to her once.
"Potlach" a term coined by anthropologist Franz Boas was referring to competitive gifting ceremonies, where a tribal chief would lavish "gifts of considerable riches upon his guests to advance his title or rank."
Sometimes these rituals would involve breaking canoes or burning things to show one's worth.
What someone lost in wealth they gained recognition among his peers.
Canoes or cars... the message was the same.
Envy is motivation.
Unless it landed you in the ICU...
Veronica's mind mulled over details of the case her father was building while simultaneously rotating through her pre-journey checks. Her tires were fine, there was nothing blocking her exhaust, no superglue in the lock.
Did someone put sand in her gas tank? The very idea made her wince, opening her door she popped the hood.
What the hell?
Several pieces of foil and wires were jammed into what would normally house the spark plugs.
Of course her bullies would think nothing of destroying something they'd never understand the true value of...
Stifling back a sob, she bit her lower lip and closed her eyes, slamming the hood shut.
She would have no choice now but to call her dad.
Don't react... they might still be watching... it will happen more often if they get a reaction...
Unless she used her keys to get access the auto-shop and see if there were any compatible?
Straightening up she surveyed the faculty parking lot, there were still too many teachers on site so she would have to wait until they cleared out a little or she could get caught. She sighed, shoulders slumped leaning against her car and tried to quell the need to cry, pulling our her phone to check on the latest update from her dad on news about Monica Pammi, the freshmen girl who ended up hospitalized after attending an 09er house party after seizing.
'Shine' was the latest designer party drug moving along the Elite party scene, there had been 6 fatalities in LA just last month, and several reports of dealers located in Manhattan, Miami and San Francisco.
The usual white crystalline powder was being pressed into a sour tasting pale blue pill, whatever the second ingredient was- likely fentanyl, it resulted in increased absorption and a stronger high. One of those chased down with alcohol was the perfect speedball for a good night.
She felt her nails digging painfully into her palms, trying to shake the memory of her heart beating faster, her increased blood pressure and feeling so so hot.
So lost in that dizzy haze until the pretty colours swirled into blackness and it swallowed her whole...
Bile rose up in the back of her throat and she squeezed her thighs together, inhaling a deep breath.
Opening her eyes again she turned to see the familiar form of Eli 'Weevil' Navarro sauntering across the courtyard with Mr Milburke escorting him towards a wall of graffiti, Neptune's troubled element was often kept late after school at least once or twice a week. The PCHers were common fixtures on the grounds either picking up litter or wandering the halls between scraping gum off walls and organizing the storage closets.
None of the 09er students ever suffered the janitorial tasks assigned to the rest of them.
The sight made her smile a little, the newest substitute computer teacher Mr Milburke would soon learn that the PCHers had their own form of social justice when he'd soon suffer some misfortune to his very flashy keeping-up-with-the-Jones' vehicle during his impending date with Ms James on Thursday after Veronica offered up the name of the restaurant her bug had picked up in exchange for some information from Weevil.
