Rules Are Rules: 43. Aftermath

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Mr. Marks had told me, All around you parents, relatives, and friends clutch their hearts in terror. The terror was right there on the faces of Nina and Eden. Nina buried her face in my shirt and I could feel her trembling. Eden couldn't even talk.

Rules Are Rules

43. Aftermath

 


Part 43
 

In the end, the two kidnappers were handcuffed and taken away. I was still shaky... I still had trouble standing. My arms had big, wicked bruises on them but somehow they didn't hurt. One of the policemen gave me ice packs, but they were hard to use. They were so cold, it hurt to hold them, so I had to keep switching hands, and they kept slipping out of place. The little girl and I were put in a police car and driven back to the elementary school, where Eden, Nina, and the girl's mother were waiting. Eden and Nina were scared to death, and the little girl and her mother were crying.

In that moment I saw what Mr. Marks was talking about when he said, All around you parents, relatives, and friends clutch their hearts in terror. The terror was right there on the faces of Nina and Eden. Nina buried her face in my shirt and I could feel her trembling. Eden couldn't even talk.

The police drove the three of us to Eden's house. It all made Mrs. Hensel very nervous. She gave us something to eat, and kept dropping things while I told her the story.

At first Nina was tucked in a ball on my lap. I hugged her and hugged her and rocked her in my arms, but after she'd eaten a little bit, she told the story all over again from her point of view.

Mrs. Hensel said, "Oh, my!" a dozen times, and her face kept going white. She quit holding things in her hands — it was the only way to keep from dropping them. Honestly, I was afraid she was going to faint.

Much to my relief, after an hour or so Eden and Nina seemed better.

Later, when I walked Nina home, she kept glancing over her shoulder, as if someone was following us. Of course, there was no one there.

Seeing her do that just broke my heart. I wanted to tell her not to worry, but how could I?

When we got to the Auburn's house, I had to tell the story to Mrs. Auburn. Cassie and Jerry weren't there. I felt awful for Nina and her mother.

Mrs. Auburn told me I was very brave, but all I could say to her was, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry, Marcie?"

"I'm sorry Nina had to be there."

"That wasn't your fault."

"I could have left school early."

"If you had, who knows where that other little girl would be now?" The two of us were already crying. Nina, who was standing on a chair, looked from her mother to me and back again. Then she put her hand on her mother's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Mom. It's alright."

Mrs. Auburn took us both in her arms and gave us a long, long hug. I didn't want to let go.

She invited me to dinner, but I had to get home to Mom. That meant telling the whole story again, and once more I saw in her face the fear and pain that Mr. Marks had told me about.

"Mom, I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to do it. I didn't want to do it. I didn't think. I just saw him grab that little girl, and I started running..." tears were pouring down my face. "I don't mean to make your life so hard. I really don't. It's just..."

"Oh, honey," she said, and put her arms around me. "You're a very brave girl. It scares me sometimes — sometimes it scares me to death! — but I am so, so proud of you. I really am!" She hugged me until I stopped sobbing, and then she said, "Let me call your aunt and find out what to do about those bruises."

We ate together, and then she drew a hot bath for me with baking soda in it. It was very soothing, and I fell asleep in the tub for a while. When I woke up the water was getting cold, so I rinsed off and washed my hair. I took a good look at myself all over, and found some bruises on my legs, but they were nothing compared to the ones on my arms.

"Good thing the weather's cool," Mom observed. "You can wear long sleeves until the bruises fade."


Somehow it felt much less dramatic the next day. Still scary, still horrible, but I went to school without worrying about crying every five minutes.

Mom told me I could stay home if I wanted, but I didn't. I needed to be busy, not to be alone with myself. She helped me pick out a long-sleeved reddish-brown dress. It was cotton, so it didn't feel rough against the bruises. I couldn't carry anything in my arms, so I took my little backpack.

At lunchtime, Cory sat at our table. "Hi," I said. "Eden said you wanted to ask me something."

"Yeah," he said. "Are you okay?"

I smiled. "Is that what you've been waiting to ask me?"

"No, but Eden told me what happened yesterday." Eden looked down. "It sounds pretty scary."

Yeah, it was," I admitted, "but I'm okay. Are *you* alright, Eden?"

"No," she said. "I'm still pretty, uh..." she broke off and silent tears rolled down her face. "Oh, my God, I thought you were going to die, Marcie!" she whispered. "And I didn't know what to say to Nina..."

Cory put his hand on her back and said something soft and soothing. She turned to him and put her head on his shoulder, crying quietly. Carla suddenly stood, looking over my head at someone. It was the cafeteria monitor. Carla very quickly intercepted the woman and talked to her, seriously and intensely. The monitor put up her hand several times to quiet Carla, but Carla pushed on, insisting and explaining.

They talked for a few moments, and then the monitor and Carla came over.

"Eden, honey," the woman said. "Are you okay? Would you like to go to the nurse's office?"

Eden replied with a sad, muffled "No."

"Okay," she said. "But if you're too upset, one of your friends can take you there. Right, girls?" We nodded. She scratched her cheek, and said to Cory, "For today it's fine, but tomorrow, you have to sit with the other boyfriends." Cory gaped, and Eden gave a little giggle.

"Is that Cory's cell phone, or is that you, Eden?" I joked. She sniffed, sat up, and started wiping her tears.

"I'm okay," she said. "Thanks, Cory."

"Yeah," he said, turning red as a beet.

The cafeteria monitor indicated by gestures that she had her eyes on Cory, then smiled and left.

Carla said, "Wow. I didn't think she'd listen to reason."

"That was very cool, what you did, Carla," I commented.

She shrugged. "Hey, by the way," she told me, "I'm never gonna wish any more adventures on you, Marcie. I'm sorry I ever did! I hope you can really keep a low profile from here on."

"Thanks," I told her, smiling. "We'll see what the future brings."

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Comments

Rules.

Now this one made my eyes get teary.

Thank you Kaleigh. Poor Eden.

Sarah Lynn

Marcie grows up !

Another supper installment Kaleigh.
Melissa C

Keep a low profile?

Can a leopard change its spots? She must be joking. Surely there can be no way that Miraculous Marcie can live a normal, placid, girly life. She has far too much pluck to be ordinary.

Another excellent chapter, Ceilidh.

Gabi

Gabi.


“It is hard for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.” Thomas Hardy—Far from the Madding Crowd.

RAR43 and Marcie

Kaleigh,

I am so glad to see Marcie becoming more responsible, even if there was a little pain involvrd. You have woven a very nice tale together and have let us share the emaotional ride to this point. Please keep up the writing?

Hugs
Diana

re: Rules Are Rules: 43

I've never heard of a cafeteria monitor at all, much less one that won't allow a girl and boy to *sit* together. That's definitely not legal. I guess if Marcie were willing to strip for verification she'd be allowed to sit with her boyfriend, though :p

So, next chapter: Marcie vs the Alien Invaders? lol

What's with the lunchroom Geshtapo?

NoraAdrienne's picture

As poor as my memories of high school are.. I do remember that no one could tell you not to have a mixed gender table.. Unless you were overly rowdy and were just told to leave.

I suspect

the school is just in a conservative area, obviously. If school boards can introduce stuff like intelligent design or some such nonsense a gender separated cafeteria is not beyond imagining.

Kim

Lunchrooms and PDA

When I was in Elementry school, the lunch room was not only seperated by gender but by grade. all the 4th grade boys sat a one table the 6th grade girls at another etc...

In Highschool, I was a band geek....the band is a very incestuous(sp) group, and we hung out in the bandroom before school, during lunch and after school. One couple became so gross with their PDA that all of the other couples in the band signed a pact against showing PDA while in the bandroom...... that couple moved out to their car where you wouldn't be able to see in because the windows were always so steamed up.... anyway, I figure it had to be pretty bad if other couples were complaining.

A.A.

Honestly and truly

This is reality. There are schools that have rules against PDA: Public Displays of Affection.

And remember the name of this story: Rules Are Rules.

PDA

Public displays of affection is one thing, sitting together at a table is NOT PDA! Yes if they are kissing and hugging, alright maybe. But when I was younger we had our friends all sit together, and it was definately our boyfriends and girlfriends. We kept it civil, and weren't roudy, besides, if we kissed or hugged, the other tables would let us know, with loud AHHS, or OHHS, or Clapping to embarrass us, which usually worked. Then they would ridicule us after, and during the rest of the day. So usually the PDA was done on the sly and in a dark corner where no one else would see.

Only our other girlfriends would know for sure.

Oh well, it is still a great story Kaliegh, Keep up the good work.

Hugs
Joni W

I have also seen this

I have also seen this firsthand. My school my senior year attempted this as a "pilot" program for a semester, and it was horrible. For one, almost all of my friends were girls and I was kept separated from them during lunch. Needless to say, the school principal ended it himself after about a month, remarking it was extremely shortsighted. Course, he is gone now...
Shannon Johnston>

Samirah M. Johnstone

PDA…

…used to stand for Photographic Dealers Association, a trade association with Victorian morals founded in London in 1914 to look after the interests of the photographic trade. I believe it no longer exists as small independent photographic shops are a rarity now.

I thought that today PDA was a sort of pocket computing device like a Palm or a Blackberry—ever thought what a tasty combination blackberries make with apples? 8-D

Don't all groan at once!

Gabi

Gabi.


“It is hard for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.” Thomas Hardy—Far from the Madding Crowd.

Apple blackberry?

Oh, I know! A fig Newton!

Hugs
Diana

That is the way it was way back when I was in high school

FYI, This was the late 50s/early 60s, and in a fairly liberal part of California.

There was no rule against coed seating in the cafeteria, but there was a school wide rule against overly affectionate PDA ( Public displays of affection). The problem for some was determining just where the lie was to be drawn. With most monitors, it was 'hand holding is OK. And arm around the waist or over the shoulder was OK. A full hug was NOT OK, nor was kissing. The gray areas were the sort of thing when Eden lay her head on Cory's shoulder.

The monitors might be a teacher, ( any teacher eating in the cafeteria was on duty ), but also a senior member of the Student Body given the duty/privilege of stopping/reporting fights, vandalism or crimes, and minor policing against things such as littering and PDA.

Most of the student monitors were more lenient on PDA than most of the teachers, though there were extremists in both directions in both groups.

Holly

One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness.
It usually comes back to you.

Holly

Marcie Wins Again

Everybody agrees that Marcie did the right thing and she finally she what her actions cause others that love her. But we know that Marcie will step out and do what she can to help with no thought about her own safety. That is what makes her so special.
May Your Light Forever Shine

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Oh wow!

I really love this story, Marcie honestly felt bad for poor Nina, I can understand that, but the other thing I really like about this story is that Marcie isn't your typical prissy princess, no she's very adventurous and has a lot of kindness in her heart and obviously a high sense of Justice. She knew what she had to do, and she did it, she did her best and because of that an innocent little girl will get to go home to her parents. I hope Marcie never loses that side of herself, the side that lets her do things that most people couldn't If Marcie were real, she'd be my heroine ^^

 

    I just got to be me :D

 

I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Transgender, Gamer, Little, Princess, Therian and proud :D

marcie the hero

thats what i like about her too. she is like a hero. many kids her age would have screamed cried or just stood there stunned, unable to act. many adults might have or called 911. but that isn't enough for Marcie, she runs after the car and grabs a hold of it and hangs on to the speeding car. wow i love Marcie.

I just hope she isnt in too much trouble with the Fraternal Order of Good Guys (F.O.G.G.) and they let her continue her good guy activities. or good girl.

rules are rules 43

whildchild [email protected]
verry good story i wood love to see a lot more of this all i can say is wow verry good thanks for shareing please more a lot more still hot and good

mr charlles r purcell
verry good story i wood love to see a lot more of this all i can say is wow verry good thanks for shareing

PDA

At my high school a teacher became upset to see a girl sitting on a guys lap. When she pulled the girl off the boys lap she found that they were doing more than just sitting.

Love,

Paula

Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.

The Coda
Chapterhouse: Dune

Paula

Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.

The Coda
Chapterhouse: Dune

First time ?

It's been hidden in all those spectacular stories, but I saw mom say "You're a very brave girl." to Marcie. Isn't this the first time she actually calls Marcie a girl ?

Hugs,

Kimby

Hugs,

Kimby

rules may be rules

but the cafeteria monitor knew when to make an exception.

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