Not Just A Stand...

“Excuse me? Can you repeat what you just said?” The teacher boomed, authority and a twinge of shock enunciating each word.

_Source

Sara paused. It was official. She’d lost her mind. No one stood up to Mr. Adams. No one as much as breathed without his permission as far as you were in his class. But here she was, Sara Williams, the girl who couldn’t as much as lift a finger when she was constantly teased for her shortness, her untamed mane that always seemed to take up the entirety of her face most times and her four-eyed status. She didn’t need them to tell her that she was a misfit. She knew it already. In the depths of her soul, Sara had resigned herself to forever be the scrawny-looking, constantly stammering nerd.

So why had she spoken up? Her mates hardly teased her these days. And somehow, she was happy, hoping that they had finally forgotten her existence. But she not only decided with this careless statement to come out of her shell but also to confront the biggest bully of them all, Mr. Adams. Maybe she shouldn’t have. Maybe she wouldn’t have spoken if he had said those words, “you hopeless never do well,” to her and not that nice transfer student who had clearly just been asking a question.

But something snapped in Sara watching Mr. Adams verbally wash soft-spoken Lisa. She knew at that moment that she’d rather be found dead in a dingy alley than allow the teacher’s abuse any longer.

“I am talking to you, Sara Williams. What did you-”

“I said you have no right,” Sara responded calmly.

Mr Adams left Lisa’s desk where he’d been towering over her and trotted menacingly towards Sara. Sara, on the other hand, found her knees growing weak with every step she took. But she hoped with all her heart that the trepidation wasn’t evident on her face, because he preyed and fed on students’ fear and weaknesses. And she wasn’t about to give him the chance so she continued hastily.

“There’s no reason why you should speak to her that way. She just asked a question.”

Mr Adams paused in his tracks and assessed Sara like he’d very much enjoy swatting at her like a fly. The other students weren’t sure who to watch. Their teacher whose eyes mirrored red flames of rage, or the girl they didn’t even think was capable of making more than a three-word sentence.

Mr. Adams narrowed his eyes infinitesimally as he gritted “And I suppose you would know the right way, Miss Williams?”

Sara had gone too far to back down. “I may not know the right way to talk to people, but I’m very sure of the ways that aren’t right and shouldn’t be directed to a fellow human being. You can’t keep treating your students like they are lesser beings, Sir. It’s just not right.”

Mr. Adams proceeded to shake his fists at her. “Why you meddling-”

“I think that’s just about enough, Mr. Adams.” A voice boomed from the doorway. All eyes swivelled to meet the glaring face of the Principal.

Mr. Adams waddled over to her. “Thank the stars you’re here, ma’am. This unruly lad-”

“Meet me in my office now, Mr, Adams and please, save your lying words for the board. It’s frankly most unbecoming of you.” Turning to Sara, she whispered, “Thank you for the heads up, dear. We’ll take it up from here.”

And together the principal and a crestfallen Adams marched out of the classroom.

‘Why Sara,” Sara Adams mentally patted herself. “Not so hard was it?”

She was aware of her classmates' bewildered eyes on her and she gave them a dazzling smile in return. Bring it on, she thought to herself.

Jhymi🖤

---

_{An extended entry to @mariannewest's daily prompt.}